White and platinum hairstyles have been increasing in popularity in recent years and while they can look stunning, the upkeep can take a lot of work. Particularly during a pandemic when you can’t visit a salon, meaning you have to manage it at home. This is where purple shampoo comes in.
Heat styling, the sun and living in an area with hard water can all make bright blondes appear dull, brassy and yellow. You, therefore, need a corrective shampoo to undo this change.
Below we explain more about purple shampoo and list what we consider to be the best purple shampoos and corrective drops on the market.
As its name suggests, purple shampoo is a shampoo with purple pigments in it. Due to this, it typically looks dark purple in colour. The reason it’s so dark, and has a tendency to stain your hands and towels, is that it requires a lot of pigment to really lift the colour of the blonde hair.
The purple pigments in purple shampoo counteract the orange and yellow tones in brassy, dull hair and this down to what’s known as colour theory.
As you can read in our colour theory and makeup guide, colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel are what’s known as complementary colours. When two complementary colours are placed next to each other, they contrast and can be used to accentuate certain features – like your eye colour. However, when they’re mixed together, they help to cancel each other out by neutralising the strength of each of the colours.
Purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, which is why purple shampoo helps to neutralise yellow tones. Similarly, it’s why blue shampoo helps lift the colour of brunette hair. Both are effectively acting as hair toner.
FURTHER READING: What is hair toner?
We spoke to Lisa Shepherd, founder of The Hair Boss about corrective shampoos and how to use purple shampoo. She said that the problem of using any form of corrective shampoo comes when they’re overused.
Purple shampoo shouldn’t be used every time you wash your hair, it should be used once or twice a week maximum. Using it too much will actually start making blonde hair go a grey/grape colour.
“It’s important to keep the blonde clean and ‘detoxed’,” Lisa continued. “It’s also important to keep brassy tones at bay, but any corrective product should work alongside a healthy prescribed hair and scalp regime. This includes scrubbing, cleansing, conditioning and styling.”
She explained that you shouldn’t wait until brassiness appears and purple shampoos should be used as a preventative measure as much as anything.
“For years I wished we could just control the level of tone within the shampoo as that would be fab but most shampoos are pretty generic and it’s a one-size-fits-all approach, which as we know, is just not how hair works.”
Rather than selling purple shampoos, The Hair Boss sells corrector drops that can be added to regular shampoos, conditioners or even styling creams as often or as little as you feel the need. This allows you to maintain and control the tone you want without unnecessary build-up.
This is just one option though. To help you get started, we’ve rounded up the best purple shampoos, mousses, and colour-correcting drops below with something to suit all budgets, hopefully.
FURTHER READING: What does shampoo and conditioner actually do to your hair?
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best shampoo | Best conditioner | Best curly hair products | Best hair dryer | Best hair dye | Best hair removal cream | Best hair mask | Best products for curly hair | Best products for straight hair
£7.99 | Buy now from Superdrug
Why we love it: The reason these drops are our Editor’s Pick is exactly for the reasons Lisa gave above. They are the best way to control how much pigment you’re putting on your hair, without causing too much staining and mess.
Using these drops also means you can control your brassy tones while still using your favourite shampoo or conditioner products. This is especially key if you’re trying to avoid SLS-based products, or you have sensitive skin on your scalp.
Add a few drops (depending on the desired tone you want for your hair) to your shampoo, conditioner or hair mask in the palm of your hand. Apply this to damp/towel-dried hair, leave for five minutes and rinse well.
We recommend that if you’re not sure how much to use, start off with a small amount and build it up to your desired tone.
FURTHER READING: Why sodium lauryl sulfate found in high-street shampoos is being shunned by experts
Buy now from Superdrug
£4.66 | Buy now from Boots
Why we love it: This is a firm highstreet favourite. John Frieda’s Violet Intensive Purple Shampoo neutralises stubborn brassy tones in one use for a highly affordable price.
This weekly shampoo will help keep blondes cool and will give the appearance of brighter blonde-looking hair. It’s safe for use on natural, colour-treated, platinum blonde, and lightened brunette hair.
Buy now from Boots
£18.85 | Buy now from Lookfantastic
Why we love it: If you have icy blonde hair, in particular, or your hair is particularly dry following all the bleaching and hair dye, then this is the shampoo for you.
With the help of deep violet pigments in the shampoo to help neutralise and correct harsh brassy tones it leaves the hair bouncy. What we love about this shampoo is that it gives hair a deep cleanse but it doesn’t strip the hair of essential oils, it just leaves the hair natural and soft.
Buy now from Lookfantastic
£5.50 | Buy now from Boots
Why we love it: L’Oreal Elvive Colour Protect is another popular choice for neutralising highlighted brunette, blonde and grey hair. Massage this shampoo into your hair and leave for 1-3 minutes and then follow with the Purple Conditioner.
This shampoo removes brassiness and adds shine, which makes your hair look even brighter.
FURTHER READING: L’Oreal Paris Elvive’s new 100% recyclable bottles are set to save 7,000 tones of plastic a year
Buy now from Boots
£13.20 | Buy now from Lookfantastic
Why we love it: Eliminate yellow undertones, Redken Color Extend Blondage has infused ultra-violet pigments to help with the yellow undertones. Massage into wet hair, lather it up and leave for 3-5 minutes and rinse.
It balances yellow-toned hair without drying it out and it keeps blonde/highlighted hair fresh and vibrant. It’s almost like a refresh of colour every time it’s used. The added bonus is that hair feels soft and manageable, as is the case with Redken products generally. We rate them highly.
FURTHER READING: The best hair masks for dry, fine, curly and natural hair types
Buy now from Lookfantastic
£9.65 | Buy now from Lookfantastic
Why we love it: If you have metallic or platinum hair, in particular, this silver shampoo is ideal. It will help reduce unwanted brassy tones and leaves hair with a lovely glow and a soft feel to it. To get the most vibrancy, we recommend leaving it on for five minutes.
FURTHER READING: How to manage hair loss and make hair grow faster: Expert tips, advice and what NOT to do
Buy now from Lookfantastic
