The Dark Side of Purple Shampoo: Why overusing it can be a problem (2024)

FAQs

The Dark Side of Purple Shampoo: Why overusing it can be a problem? ›

As mentioned above, purple shampoos are highly pigmented and, when overused, purple shampoo can lead to a huge amount of buildup in your hair. This can lead to the appearance of unwanted tones, such as blues or purples or even a muddy tint.

Did you know that most purple shampoos can make your hair too dry? It's designed to remove brassiness from your hair, but if used incorrectly they can leave a buildup on your strands that makes them brittle and dull.

Purple shampoo is for already bleached hair, so if you're hoping to lighten brown hair with purple shampoo, you'll be disappointed. This is all down to the fact that purple shampoo isn't lightening. Instead, it brightens blondes by canceling out yellow tones, which just happen to be opposite purple on the color wheel.

Unless the shampoo is specifically designed to be used as a daily toner, applying purple shampoo every time you wash your hair is typically discouraged because it can begin to eliminate too much yellow from your hair.

If anything, purple shampoo may make your hair temporarily slightly darker. This is because the inky purple pigments found in purple shampoo are a darker color than the shades of yellow in blonde hair.

You can definitely overuse purple shampoo, and the effects are hard to miss. Frequently sudsing up with purple shampoo can give your strands a slightly purple tint.

While purple shampoo shouldn't be used as a normal, everyday shampoo, you can use purple conditioner much more freely. In addition to frequency, you can often use purple conditioner in place of your standard conditioner; whereas with purple shampoo, you need to adjust frequency to achieve the degree of coolness needed.

One of the main concerns is that purple shampoo can strip away natural oils from the hair, leaving it dry and brittle. This can be especially problematic for those with already dry or damaged hair. Another potential risk of using purple shampoo is that it can cause discolouration in certain situations.

As mentioned above, purple shampoos are highly pigmented and, when overused, purple shampoo can lead to a huge amount of buildup in your hair. This can lead to the appearance of unwanted tones, such as blues or purples or even a muddy tint.

However, if you're looking to achieve or maintain a bright platinum blonde, white, or silver color, platinum shampoo is a much better option. It's also a fantastic alternative for people with blonde hair who often find themselves with purple strands after a DIY toning session.

Is it better to put purple shampoo on wet or dry hair? ›

However, we don't recommend this trick. Because hair is more porous Opens in a new tab when it's dry, the violet shampoo can absorb unevenly, resulting in a patchy, purple effect. Stick to massaging it into wet hair for the most flawless finish, and make sure you rinse it out thoroughly.

Purple shampoo has been used for decades by hairdressers, mostly to help tone and neutralize blonde and gray hair, getting rid of brassy or yellow tones for an overall more cool-toned look.

What is the difference between blue shampoo and purple shampoo? Purple shampoo uses purple pigments to neutralize yellow tones and keeps blondes brighter and ashier. Purple shampoo is also great for silver/white hair as well. Blue shampoo uses blue pigments to neutralize brassy orange tones in the hair.

Both silver and purple shampoo are designed to neutralise yellow and brassy tones in blonde, silver and grey hair. If you've used either one, you'll have noticed that bright purple hue when you pop the lid and squeeze. Silver shampoo and purple shampoo use purple pigment to lighten and brighten.

Simply put, whichever colors sit opposite one another on this wheel can cancel each other out. For example, blue neutralizes orange, green balances red, and purple tones down yellow hues. That means, in order to target yellow, you need a touch of violet in your formula.

It will also lighten any natural hair, causing it to turn orange or yellow and giving highlighted hair a solid look. Too much purple tone in these products can cause the hair to look dull and over toned.

Most toners are not permanent, therefore eventually, after several washes, the 'cool' tones will fade. If you want that toner gone quicker, 2-3 washes with a clarifying shampoo will start to remove the blue, grey or purple stains.

Purple shampoo cannot lighten or darken your hair color. However, if you leave your purple shampoo on for too long, you may notice that your hair has a slight violet tone. This is more common with those that have silver and white hair colors rather than warm blondes and slightly darker hues.

Leaving toner on the hair for too long or using a toner that is too strong can cause over-processing. This can make your hair dry, brittle, and more prone to breakage. To avoid this, follow the instructions provided with the toner and do not exceed the recommended processing time.

Should you apply purple shampoo on dry hair? The short answer: No! People have been trying this technique because your hair will absorb more of the purple pigment when it's dry. “Unfortunately, hair is not evenly absorbent when dry due to porosity levels,” Maine explains.