If you're blonde, silver or have highlighted hair, you've probably heard people rave about purple shampoo.
But how does a purple shampoo turn yellow hair blonde again?
Does it actually change your hair colour?
And can anyone use it?
We’re breaking down the science behind one of the most popular haircare products.
First, understanding why we even need purple shampoo in the first place.
Blonde hair naturally picks up warm tones over time.
This can happen because of:
- Sun exposure
- Hard water
- Chlorine
- Heat styling
- Pollution
- Product build-up
- Natural oxidation
Even professionally bleached hair gradually develops warmer undertones as the cool pigments fade.
Purple shampoo helps temporarily counteract those warm tones.
Purple shampoo is a colour-correcting shampoo designed to reduce unwanted yellow or brassy tones in blonde, grey, silver and bleached hair.
Unlike permanent hair dye, it doesn't change your hair colour.
Instead, it deposits small amounts of purple pigment onto the hair to neutralise warm yellow tones.
Think of it as a filter rather than a colour change.
The answer comes from the colour wheel.
Colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel cancel each other out.
Purple sits opposite yellow.
That means when purple pigment is deposited onto yellow-looking hair, it helps make those yellow tones appear less noticeable.
It doesn't make your hair lighter; it’s more like a trick of the eye that changes how the colour is perceived.
No.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions.
Purple shampoo cannot bleach your hair or make it lighter.
It simply reduces the appearance of brassiness, making blonde hair look cooler, brighter and fresher.
If your roots are growing through or your blonde has become darker, purple shampoo won't change that.
Only lightening your hair with bleach or colour can make it lighter.
Purple shampoo is best suited to:
- Blonde hair
- Bleached hair
- Highlighted hair
- Balayage
- Silver hair
- Grey hair
- Platinum blonde hair
If you have naturally dark brown or black hair without blonde sections, purple shampoo won't have much effect because there aren't yellow tones for it to neutralise.
Sometimes.
If you have brunette hair with blonde highlights or balayage, purple shampoo can help keep the lighter pieces looking brighter.
However, if your hair is entirely brunette, purple shampoo is unlikely to make any noticeable difference.
Some brunettes experiencing orange tones may benefit more from a blue shampoo, as blue sits opposite orange on the colour wheel.
Yes.
While purple shampoo is a useful maintenance product, overusing it can sometimes leave hair looking dull or slightly violet, particularly if your hair is very light or porous.
It can also be slightly drying compared to your regular shampoo because it's designed to deposit pigment.
Most people only need to use it every few washes, depending on how quickly brassiness returns.
Purple pigment itself doesn't damage your hair.
However, many people who use purple shampoo have bleached hair, which is already more fragile and prone to dryness.
That's why it's important to follow with a good conditioner or deep conditioning treatment to replace moisture after washing.
Healthy, hydrated hair reflects light better too, making blonde hair appear even brighter.
Our Purple Conditioning Mask is the perfect partner to purple shampoo, helping maintain cooler, brighter blonde, grey and silver tones while giving your waves the moisture they need.
Infused with purple pigments to neutralise unwanted yellow and brassy tones, it also contains panthenol to boost shine and reduce frizz, alongside hydrogenated olive oil to nourish and protect without weighing your hair down.
Unlike many rich conditioning treatments, it's specially formulated to remain lightweight, leaving your waves soft, defined and vibrant. It's also silicone, sulphate and paraben free, making it suitable for coloured or bleached hair.
Purple shampoo doesn't lighten your hair or permanently change its colour; it just uses violet pigments to neutralise unwanted yellow tones and help blonde, grey and silver hair look brighter.
If your hair has become brassy, it can be a great addition to your routine.
But remember, it works best on clean hair.
If your blonde is looking dull because of product build-up or hard water deposits, using a Clarifying Shampoo first can help remove the residue so your purple shampoo can work more effectively.
Used alongside a good conditioning routine, purple shampoo is an easy way to keep your blonde looking fresher between salon appointments.
