Purple Shampoo Guide

I love my gray hair but if I’m honest one thing I hate is that my gray hair can have yellow on the ends. This does not happen to all women who gray but it definitely happened for me after I transitioned out of all my colored hair. I also look back and realize when my hair was short it did not yellow the way it does now. I think the longer and older my ends have gotten make a difference.

** Please Note: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I only link to products that I personally like or that have been recommended to me by my beautiful butterflies. **

Also, I am not a licensed hair professional and I would suggest reading the instructions and following carefully and doing a strand test FIRST.

Why does our gray hair get yellow?

Check out this blog post to see the 7 factors that can cause our gray hair to yellow.

What is purple shampoo?

Purple shampoo is a staple for many with gray hair to tone the yellow or brassy hair. Purple shampoo neutralizes warm tones in blonde/light hair by depositing cool, violet pigment.

Is purple shampoo a toner?

Any product that dispenses pigment to adjust hair tone can be considered a toner, and that includes purple shampoo. Its pigments work to neutralize brass.

How to use purple shampoo?

I would recommend for whatever shampoo or conditioner with pigment that you try to make sure you follow the instructions and do a patch test FIRST. I noticed with one product it said to wash my hair first and then use the purple shampoo.

So after reading instructions and doing a strand test apply to wet hair. For my own gray hair, I have a mixture of gray patterns. I have salt and pepper in the back and a white patch in front. Because my white patch is more porous I apply the shampoo to the white section last.

If you want a stronger effect from the purple shampoo you can use purple shampoo on dry hair. Since gray hair is on the highly porous side the purple shampoo will absorb the color more but again I would suggest doing a strand test FIRST before trying all over your head.

Is Purple Shampoo drying to the hair?

It depends on the one that you choose. I have tried a purple shampoo that was moisturizing and one that my hair did feel dryer although it was brighter.

If you find the purple shampoo you have to be drying no need to throw it out. Some of my beautiful butterflies suggested mixing your purple shampoo with a favorite purple shampoo or conditioner so that it is more moisturizing.

I would also suggest a purple conditioner instead of a shampoo. I used this one when I first started experimenting with purple products. I found it did the job without drying my hair. I do also like this purple conditioner for my salt and pepper. It has a slightly blue tint that does better for my salt and pepper.

Will the purple shampoo stain my hair?

This is a valid concern. What I have found to be helpful is like mentioned earlier I apply to my most porous hair (white patch ) last.  I have also tried coating my hair with coconut oil first so that the purple shampoo did not absorb so quickly. Now that I have found my favorite purple shampoo and know how to use it I don’t need to worry about staining.

Try to stay away from a purple product that is too pigmented cause there is a higher chance of staining.

I have also heard that applying conditioner before the purple shampoo can decrease the chance of the shampoo staining.

How often should I use purple shampoo?

There are many suggestions once a week, once a month as often as you see the need. I say it’s trial and error everyone’s hair is different. I personally use the purple shampoo once a month and a purple conditioner twice a month.

How often you use purple products can affect the coloring of your gray hair. If you use too much it can cause a purple hue.

Purple Product Recommendations

Budget-Friendly Purple Products

Pantene Silver Expressions Purple Shampoo-Check out this video demo (my favorite)*

Loreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Conditioner

Ingredient Conscious Purple Conditioner

BTWCO Purple Conditioner (my favorite)*

Strong Toning Purple Shampoo

Bold Uniq Purple Shampoo

DIY purple shampoo

For those who are up for the challenge and want to make your own check out this article to find out how to make your own purple shampoo with high-quality food coloring.

Do you only have to use purple products to remove yellow?

No there are purple shampoo alternatives that I mentioned in this blog post. Here are some options:

1.Apple Cider Vinegar- one tbsp of apple cider vinegar mixed with 8oz of DISTILLED water in a spray bottle. Spray on your hair after you shower and rinse out.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide-I had a beautiful butterfly named Nora suggest to me to use a capful or two of peroxide and mix with your favorite shampoo. I tried it and had good results.

3.Kaolin Clay-mix clay with DISTILLED water or aloe vera juice to your desired consistency and apply on yellow hair. Leave on for 10-15min and then rinse.

4.Maison 276 Step 1 Clarifier- You can use this product before shampooing your hair to help remove buildup and clarify gray hair.