Toning Shampoos

Four Silver Shampoos that Will Neutralize Yellow Tones in Blonde Hair

What’s a Silver Shampoo?

In today’s post, we will explain the benefits of having a silver shampoo in your bathroom cabinet and what it can do for your hair. But, first, let’s break down why your blonde hair may turn yellow:

  1. Sunlight, chlorine, and minerals in hard water can strip away your beautiful color from salon-blonde hair. In turn, golden tones may start to play peek-a-boo soon after coloring.
  2. Chemical treatments and harsh shampoos tend to speed up color dulling and reveal warm undertones in bleached hair.
  3. Natural gray hair can also turn yellow and lose its shine from exposure to sun and air pollutants.
seductive young woman with icy blonde hair

How Silver Shampoos Can Help?

Silver, platinum, and gray hair require a special color toning shampoo known as silver shampoo. Silver shampoo is the way to go if you want to neutralize yellow tones in dyed blonde hair and bring out a nice icy color. This color-balancing shampoo also keeps silver hair color cool and beautiful. Finally, if you’re planning to go gray, make sure to add silver shampoo to your shower lineup. Silver shampoo helps to restore the strength and softness of aging hair.

What Do Silver Shampoo and Purple Shampoo Have in Common?

The terms purple and silver shampoos are often used interchangeably as both types are purple-colored. Each of these toning shampoos is designed based on the color wheel theory to counteract any unwanted tones that may appear in bleached or graying hair.  How’s for a rainbow connection?

Differences Between Silver and Purple Shampoos?

1. The pigments they contain:

Purple shampoos contain deeper shades of purple pigments to counteract unwanted brassiness while silver shampoos deliver lighter violet/blue pigments to preserve the clarity of cool shades.

Some silver shampoos such as Oribe Silverati Shampoo aren’t purple-colored. The Oribe shampoo contains a blend of bluish and silver pigments that brighten grey and silver hair. It’s a good choice if you don’t want that “elderly blue-haired lady” look.

2. Hair colors they are formulated for:

Purple shampoos perform best on blonde hair that needs to get rid of brassy tones. These also help make gray hair brighter without turning white strands silvery.

Silver shampoos are the best choice for silver, gray, and platinum hair. They add a lovely silvery shine to white and gray hair. Silver shampoos can also take the yellow out of blonde hair and pull more cool ashy tones. It’s okay to be shady, ladies!

3. Conditioning properties:

The primary task of purple shampoos is to remove brassy tones from hair. Most of these shampoos don’t contain conditioning ingredients and can leave your hair dry and brittle if used in place of your regular shampoo. For best results use the purple shampoo once a week or mix it with your daily shampoo. Sulfate-free formulas (listed below) are gentler on hair that’s already dry and brittle from frequent bleaching.

Silver shampoos have more softening and smoothing ingredients to address the needs of coarse gray hair. They’re beneficial if you want to go gray and keep your locks looking beautiful.

Attractive young woman with curly blonde hair sitting in bed

Mellow That Yellow: The Best Silver Shampoo Brands

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If you want to add a little silver to your life, get yourself some of the shampoos below!

Sweet Treat: 1. milk_shake Silver Shampoo

Who doesn’t love a milkshake, right? Well, your hair color also has a sweet tooth! Unlike many other brands, it doesn’t leave your hair dry. Its purple tint is very strong and can fix brassy hair in just one wash.

Benefits

  1. Immediately brightens hair and keeps nasty yellow tones out of blonde, grey, and white hair
  2. Transforms brassiness in blonde hair in nice ashy tones with repetitive use
  3. Gives gray hair softness and a hint of cool, silvery color
  4. It smells like grapes and makes your locks feel soft and healthy

Suggested use

Apply the product to damp hair and leave it on for 3 minutes to help process the yellow color back to a cooler shade. The pigments are very intense, so make sure to wear gloves. For best results, use it once a week. To get a lavender hue, wait longer before rinsing it. If you overdo it, the purple hint will fade after a few regular shampoos. Indulge in this sweet treat!

fashion blonde girl surrounded by lights

Bright Right: 2. L’ANZA Healing Colorcare Silver Brightening Shampoo

This sulfate-free purple pigmented shampoo has a thick consistency and a subtle pleasant scent. It works great for ash blonde, platinum, silver, gray, and highlighted hair. It’s bright right for you right now!

Benefits

  1. Keeps blonde hair cool-toned and reduces yellowing
  2. Prevents white/gray hair from yellowing and brings it back to life
  3. Enhances silver hair and makes it sparkle
  4. Gives brightness to highlighted hair that tends to get brassy and yellow
  5. Protects hair color from fading and adds extraordinary shine

Suggested use

Apply this shampoo to damp hair and work it into a rich lather. Leave it in for up to 3 minutes. Allowing it to sit for a prolonged period will give your hair a purple/blue hue. Using this product once a week is enough to prevent unwanted discoloration. Make your color bright right?

Attractive young woman in denim shirt with icy blonde hair

Sheer and Clear: 3. Maria Nila Sheer Silver Shampoo

This vegan silver shampoo doesn’t contain sulfates or any harmful chemicals. It isn’t as drying as other brightening shampoos tend to be. The product is vegan, cruelty-free, and made in Sweden.

It works best for light blonde and gray hair. Shine sheer and clear!

Benefits

  1. Eliminates the brassiness and leaves cool tones in blonde hair
  2. Restores softness and adds a beautiful shine to hair
  3. Provides UV protection to prevent color fading
  4. It is mild and suitable for daily use.
beautiful young woman with icy blonde hair

Magical and Mindful: 4. Davines Alchemic Shampoo – Silver

This silver toning shampoo is made to protect the color vibrancy of silver, platinum, and cool blonde hair.

Benefits

  1. Prevents brassy tones in blonde hair and keeps it icy white
  2. Protects gray hair from yellowing and adds a healthy shine
  3. Maintains clarity of platinum blonde hair
  4. Enhances bright tones in highlighted hair
  5. Leaves hair smelling amazing
  6. This sulfate-free shampoo doesn’t dry out hair and can be used regularly, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Let your color radiate with magical and mindful vibes today!

attractive young woman with platinum hair

Best Blue Toning Shampoos for Brunettes

Unintentional warm tones don’t just affect people with blonde hair. If you have naturally dark hair that’s been lightened, your hair will probably develop red and orange tones over time. This can also happen if you’ve dyed your blond hair to a darker shade.

Staying in the sun and using hard water for washing hair can hasten the emergence of reddish and orange hues in virgin or dyed brunette hair.

As you probably know, using purple shampoo is the easiest way to prevent blonde hair from turning brassy. However, purple shampoo isn’t effective at canceling orange tones in brunette hair.

Fortunately, there is a new hair toning product to address this, blue shampoo.

With the launch of blue shampoos, brunettes now have their product to keep their hair color deep and fresh!

blue shampoo in client's hair in the salon

How to Use a Blue Shampoo?

Blue toning shampoo has the same concept as purple shampoo when it comes to neutralizing unwanted underlying tones. Blue neutralizes orange because they are opposite colors on the color wheel.

Hair shampoos infused with blue pigments counteract warm tones and enhance the cool tones of brown, dark blonde, and/or highlighted brown hair.

To get rid of warm tones in brunette hair, use a blue shampoo once or twice a week, alternating it with your favorite shampoo. This is a fairly safe way to neutralize unwanted orange tones in processed hair that is not in great condition.

To intensify the effects, use your blue shampoo with its corresponding blue conditioner.

Blue Shampoo Brands

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1. Fanola No Orange Shampoo       

No Orange Shampoo is formulated for brown and dark blonde hair with unwanted orange and reddish tones. Thanks to the dark blue pigments, it neutralizes unwanted orange tones and copper-red reflections in the hair. These unwanted warm tones are the result of color processing.

Unlike Fanola Purple Shampoo, which is intended for lighter hair, Fanola No Orange Shampoo has an intense blue color and is intended for application on darker-colored hair.

It is recommended to use this shampoo once or twice a week. It may take several applications to achieve the desired results. Regular use keeps brown hair shiny and prolongs the longevity of hair color.

This shampoo also works well on graying hair, making gray strands darker and less noticeable.

Note: This shampoo contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate in its formula.

2. ShiKai Color Reflect Deep Shampoo is formulated with natural ingredients to gently cleanse your hair and slow down color fading. UV filters and natural sunflower extract work to extend the life of your color. Glycerin, Panthenol, and Aloe Vera nourish and moisturize your strands.

The extract, also made from blue & black Malva flowers, can impart dark tones to all hair colors. It adds depth and richness to brunette hair.

This shampoo increases hair’s ability to reflect light, creating a brilliant shine.

Color Reflect Shampoo is free of synthetic fragrances commonly found in ordinary hair shampoos.

Make sure to leave this shampoo in your hair for a couple of minutes before rinsing it out. To maximize the effects, couple it with ShiKai Color Reflect Conditioner. 

blue shampoo in brunette hair

3. Matrix Total Results Brass Off Shampoo is designed for brunettes that lighten their locks. It contains both blue and violet pigments and therefore can be used to take yellow/brass out of blonde hair and to counteract red/brass tones in brown hair. Matrix Brass Off Shampoo will also eliminate orange tones from brown hair with highlights.

It also helps eliminate brassiness caused by using hard water for washing your hair.

For more intense toning, leave this shampoo in your hair for several minutes after the cleansing action has been completed. Follow with a moisturizing conditioner as this shampoo can leave your hair a bit dry.

4. Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo is formulated with tone-correcting blue pigments that attach to the hair and can last through multiple shampoos.

This shampoo is designed to take out all underlying red and orange tones in dyed brown hair, making your color look refreshed and pretty. It also helps remove unwanted brassiness from blonde highlights in brown hair.

5. Aveda Black Malva Shampoo is designed to banish the reddish and brassy tones and bring out cool, deep tones in natural and colored dark hair. The effects last up to 3 washes.

Aveda Black Malva Shampoo has a dark purple color, and a fresh, sweet scent. The formula contains wild-crafted black Malva, which has emollient properties. The ingredient list also includes black tea, known as a natural shine enhancer, and Aloe Vera, which has moisturizing and soothing properties.

This shampoo gently cleanses hair without stripping its natural oils and leaves your locks clean, soft, and shiny.

The Black Malva Shampoo helps revive natural hair color during the summer months when your hair is more prone to fading and developing reddish and orange tones.

If your overly porous dark-colored hair tends to fade quickly, this shampoo can help darken your color and prolong the time between salon trips.

Black Malva is not recommended for blondes hair as it may turn blonde hair green. If you are blonde, use Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo.

Beautiful young brunette with hair brush

Purple Conditioners for Blonde and Silver Hair, How to Use, and Products

Blonde hair coloring tends to lose brightness over time, revealing yellow or brassy undertones. This can be escalated by prolonged sun exposure, swimming in chlorinated pools, and using hard water while washing your hair.

In response to this problem, purple shampoos and conditioners have been formulated to tone down the brassiness and maintain the salon-fresh color of blonde and silver hair. These products also help to brighten gray hair and prevent natural blonde hair from turning yellow.

How Do Purple Conditioners Work?

Purple shampoos and conditioners use violet pigments to help neutralize brassiness and achieve a cleaner, whiter tone. Purple is the opposite color of yellow on the color wheel, so if your hair starts turning brassy, purple shampoo and conditioner will help cancel out warm undertones.

A cute girl with blonde hair treated with purple conditioner

Purple conditioners contain the same yellow-reducing ingredients that you can find in purple shampoos, but with added emollients and moisturizers to condition and hydrate your hair.

A purple conditioner can be used with the corresponding purple shampoo or after your regular shampoo. Most purple shampoos can leave hair dry, while purple conditioners add moisture and leave your hair soft and manageable. If your hair feels dry after using a purple shampoo, try to use a purple conditioner in combination with your regular shampoo. You can also use a purple mask as a milder alternative to purple shampoos.

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5 Purple Hued Conditioners that will Brighten your Locks

1. ORIBE Bright Blonde Conditioner for Beautiful Color

This conditioner contains special violet pigments to eliminate brassy and yellow tones while restoring the softness and shine of blonde hair. A blend of Lemon, Chamomile Extract, and Ginger Root work to lighten your hair gradually. This formula contains special ingredients to nourish porous, color-damaged hair.

Oribe Signature Complex (Watermelon, Lychee, and Edelweiss Flower Extracts) helps preserve natural keratin and reduce hair porosity while protecting your hair from oxidative stress and color fading. Shea butter and plant oils help hydrate your hair and enhance sheen. Sunscreens are included to protect the hair from over-drying and color fading.

Unlike other purple conditioners that are supposed to be used once a week, this conditioner is advertised to be safe for daily use.

2. Oribe Silverati Conditioner

This conditioner is specially developed to brighten gray and silver strands while restoring youthfulness, elasticity, and shine to the hair.

a woman with icy blonde hair nourished with purple conditioner

3. Theorie Purple Sage Brightening Conditioner

This purple conditioner is designed to keep brassiness at bay and to restore beautiful blonde and silver hair tones. Sage herb in its formula helps regulate sebum production, combats hair loss, and stimulates hair growth. Grape seed extract moisturizes hair, prevents frizz, and promotes hair growth. Helichrysum extract detangles and hydrates hair, treats dandruff, and imparts shine. Hyaluronic Acid moisturizes hair and stimulates keratin production to strengthen the hair fiber.

This conditioning formula is infused with keratin to reverse the damage and reduce porosity.

Other natural ingredients include Salvia Officinalis Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, and Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil.

4. Loma Hair Care Violet Conditioner

This innovative blue-violet pigmented conditioner is formulated to brighten blonde and grey hair. It is infused with Aloemoist Complex to prevent drying out your hair while removing brassy or orange tones.

This conditioner keeps blonde hair vibrant between color appointments and also embraces natural grey tones and prevents white hair from turning yellow.

5. Joico Color Balance Purple Conditioner

Joico conditioner is formulated to banish yellow tones in blonde, gray, and highlighted hair. It uses Smartrelease technology that continuously releases rosehip oil, arginine, and keratin to improve the condition of chemically processed hair. Violet pigments attach to the hair and instantly neutralize unwanted warm tones.

When combined with Color Balance Purple Shampoo it will keep your hair brass-free for up to 12 washes.

How to Use a Purple Conditioner

As previously mentioned, you can use a purple conditioner in conjunction with the matching shampoo or after your regular shampoo. It is not supposed to be used every time you wash your hair. To prevent developing a bluish tinge, limit the use of a purple conditioner to about once a week.

Shake the bottle well before use. Work the product through your hair and make sure to allow it time to work. If left longer than recommended, purple conditioner can leave a purple hue in your hair, especially if your hair is light blonde, over-processed, or overly porous. To get rid of the purple hue, just wash your hair again.

If you notice your hair feels dry, apply a deep conditioner to moisturize your strands from the inside out.

fashion blonde girl spending a night out

Five Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoos that Will Keep your Blonde Bright

Today’s post will cultivate some perky, purple praise, not in the form of old-school Prince songs like “Purple Rain,” but five wondrous ways to keep your blonde bombshell hair happy and bright. As beautiful as they are, the reality is that light hair colors can quickly lose their luster.

Blonde-colored and highlighted hair may turn yellow/brassy surprisingly quickly after having it dyed. Gray hair, too, tends to lose its brightness and shine as you age, becoming prone to exhibiting those unattractive yellow tones. Platinum blonde hair looks gorgeous, but it requires a lot of care to keep it bright. Don’t worry because this posting has you covered!

In sum, light-colored hair is likely to suffer discoloration when exposed to the sun, hard water, and other types of environmental pollution. Frequent dyeing also results in porous hair that’s prone to discoloration.

Fortunately, highly efficient and affordable products have been developed to control discoloration and remove unwanted brassy and yellow tones from blonde and gray hair.

hairdresser washing hair with purple shampoo in the salon

Purge Brass with Purple Sass: How to Remove Brassy Tones from Hair

The simplest way to prevent discoloration and neutralize undesirable yellow and brassy tones in blonde hair is to use a purple shampoo. Remember, purge brass with purple sass-lol! Why purple? Well, purple shampoos contain violet pigments that counteract brassiness in natural or enhanced blonde, white, and gray hair.

Unfortunately, many purple shampoos can dry out the hair, especially when used regularly. Considering that your bleached hair is already dry and porous—that isn’t a great combination.

To avoid dryness, you can alternate a violet shampoo with your regular shampoo, but this won’t make much difference if your regular shampoo contains harsh sulfate cleansers. Using sulfate-free purple shampoos is a better, easier, and more natural way to prevent your hair from drying out. These shampoos are gentle on your hair and many can be used regularly.

Below is a list of sulfate-free purple shampoos that use natural ingredients to combat brassy and yellow tones and to keep your hair hydrated, soft, and manageable. Let’s hear it for the Purple Praise: Five Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoos To Keep Your Blonde Bright

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1. Be Your Best Self: B-Uniq Purple Shampoo

This highly pigmented purple shampoo counteracts brassiness and neutralizes yellow tones in blonde hair. It is suitable for bleached, highlighted, grey, and naturally blonde hair. If you have highlights, it’ll merely impact the blonde strands in your hair. It also adds a silver tone to lighter blonde shades and revitalizes the ashy blonde color.

Depending on how long you leave it on, you can achieve the desired blonde shade. Are you ready to be your best self with B-Uniq?

Benefits

  • Eliminates yellow or warm tones, regardless if your hair is blonde, grey, or silver.
  • Banishes brassiness and makes blonde-colored hair appear brighter.
  • Combats discoloration and dullness in naturally blonde hair, keeping it fresh looking, and vibrant.
  • Transforms your grey hair into a bright and shiny silver shade.
  • If left for longer, it adds a beautiful lilac hue. The violet hint is easy to wash out in case you don’t like it.
  • Offers pro-Vitamin B5 and other conditioning agents in the formula to combat dryness and leave your hair looking shiny.
  • Contains UV filters that prevent color fading by sunlight

Suggested Use

Wash the hair with your regular shampoo to remove any build-up and make depositing purple pigments easier. Wear gloves (included in the packaging) and apply the product to clean wet hair. During your first use, leave it on for up to 3 minutes.

The results will vary, depending on how long you leave it to sit in your hair. 1-5 minutes will be enough to remove brassy/yellow tones. To achieve silver or ash-grey tones, let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes. If left for too long, it’ll turn your hair purple or grayish. Use a clarifying shampoo to wash out any purple tinge from the hair.

Use the product several times a week, along with your regular shampoo and conditioner. The frequency of use depends on the level of discoloration and the results you’re seeking.

Make sure to follow with a good moisturizing conditioner to reduce the drying effect.

2. Pravana Power: PRAVANA THE PERFECT BLONDE Purple Toning Sulfate-Free Shampoo

When you’re ready to Power Up your hair color, consider Pravana. Pravana’s The Perfect Blonde Shampoo uses an exclusive dual ultra-violet dye system and optical brighteners to neutralize brassiness and brighten blonde, silver, or highlighted hair. This deep, dark purple shampoo also contains hydrolyzed keratin, wheat, and silk amino acids to boost strength, shine, and elasticity. The formula is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, salt, and gluten. It’s also cruelty-free and 100% vegan.

This shampoo doesn’t lather as much as ordinary shampoos do; and, consequently, it doesn’t disperse well through your hair. You’d need to add more of the product to completely saturate your hair, especially if your hair is oily. Mixing this purple shampoo with your regular shampoo helps to create a foamy lather and makes the shampoo mixture more spreadable.

Blonde girl hair after washing the hair with violet shampoo

3. Live It Up With L’ANZA: L’ANZA Healing Colorcare Silver Brightening Shampoo

When you want your color to live it up a bit, consider L’ANZA Healing Colorcare Silver Brightening Shampoo. It’s formulated with natural toning agents derived from viola and lavender flowers. These flower extracts help brighten silver, platinum, and highlighted hair and prevent the appearance of brassiness. This shampoo also keeps gray hair from turning yellow and adds softness and shine.

In addition to enhancing blonde and gray hair, it further helps red hair to stay vibrant and adds shine to darker shades.

The formula includes UV protectors to prevent your color from fading and to extend the time between salon visits. Keratin amino acids work by reducing breakage to make your hair feel healthier.

To prevent dryness and tangling, use a good moisturizing conditioner.

hairdresser uses purple shampoo to wash client's hair

4. Care with Moisture: Loma Hair Care Violet Shampoo

This sulfate-free and Sodium chloride-free shampoo not only takes out the brassy and yellow color but also keeps your hair moisturized and healthy. Quinoa Protein and amino acids do that moisture-delivering task and repair the cuticle layer making hair smooth and shiny.

Another special feature of this toning shampoo is that its formula contains both blue and violet pigments making it capable of counteracting both orange and yellow tones in your hair. It greatly enhances the brightness and beauty of blonde and gray hair.

5. The French Connection: L’Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Shampoo

Are you in desperate need of a trip but can’t leave your apartment, dorm, condo, or house? You’re your hair “The French Connection” since L’Oréal Paris Ever Pure Blonde sulfate-free shampoo promises visible results in just one use. It’s designed to stop the yellowing and enhance the brightness and shine of your light-colored hair.

Unlike sulfate-based purple shampoos, which can leave your hair dry and prone to tangling, this brass-fighting shampoo hydrates over-processed hair, thus leaving it soft, tangle-free, and easy to manage. Oui to that!

If you want to stick to your regular shampoo, while enjoying the benefits of purple toning pigments, you can control the appearance of brassiness by adding a few drops of Mixed Feelings Leave-In Blonde Drops to your regular shampoo or conditioner.

Happy woman with bright blonde hair toned with purple shampoo

Shampoos that Gradually Lighten Your Hair

Are you seeking some new pep in your step in the form of hair color, but in a subtle manner? Well, today’s post with light up your life with guidance about the merits of lightening shampoos. Think of this article as your hair color’s volume button as we learn how to pump up your color in a cool, clever, chillaxed type of way.

First, let’s summarize what a hair-lightening shampoo is and does. A lightening shampoo is designed to gradually lighten natural, colored, or highlighted blonde hair. This product works best on dark blonde and medium blonde hair, but lighter brunettes can also achieve good results. This type of shampoo will enhance the color you already have and give you subtle lightening effects. However, if you want to lift shades, or achieve immediate results, you need to use bleach. Let’s learn more about this form of color boost!

A lightening shampoo subtly lightens the hair by neutralizing the color pigments as well as decreasing the brassy and yellow tones. For best results, manufacturers often recommend using it in combination with the complementing conditioner and a hair-lightening spray. Prove to everyone why blondes do have more fun!

Pleasant looking blonde woman with long hair

Sunny Days Ahead: Benefits of Hair Lightening Shampoos

The benefits of using lightening shampoos may vary, depending on the color, and condition of your hair. However, you’ll generally have many sunny days ahead with your hair-lightening shampoo’s many perks. Unlike sulfate-containing lightening shampoos that have a drying effect and tend to increase breakage, sulfate-free lightening shampoos are more suitable for very fine or over-processed hair. They could be your hair color’s new BFF for these 6 Heaven Advantages!

  • Booster Shot: Lightening shampoos boost and enhance natural blonde or light brown hair. They also work well for dyed blonde to medium-brown hair.
  • Life Preserver: Keep blonde hair bright and remove yellow, brassy, and orange tones caused due to exposure to chlorine, hard water, and sunlight.
  • Shed Some Light: Make light brown hair slightly lighter.
  • Time to Get Even: Make the new (dark) growth less noticeable.
  • Highlight Helper: Help to extend highlights and keep them fresh between salon visits. They also bring out natural highlights, making the hair look naturally sun-lightened.
  • Color Yoga: Stretch your color appointments by keeping blonde hair color looking bright and fresh longer. They can also stretch your wallet for that same reason!

Clock Talk: How Long does it Take to See Results?

As far as clock talk, a hair-lightening shampoo produces very subtle effects, so you’ll need to continually use the product. The first results may be noticeable after several uses. In sum, consistency is critical to maintaining the achieved results.

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Brand Brilliance: Best Lightening Shampoo Brands

1. Milk Shake Sweet Camomile Shampoo is made with natural ingredients to enhance the color of blonde hair and bring out blond highlights. If you care about ingredients in your hair care products, you should consider Milk Shake products.

The formula uses organic chamomile extract and organic wildflower honey to intensify natural highlights in fair hair. Fruit extracts and organic aloe vera provide conditioning benefits, repair damage, and boost strength and shine.

When used on colored hair this shampoo protects hair color from fading and helps to preserve the brightness of blonde hair and blonde highlights.

The shampoo is suitable for frequent use and it leaves your hair feeling soft and silky.

2. Tio Nacho Natural Lightening Shampoo is formulated with botanical extracts including royal jelly, jojoba, aloe vera, ginseng, rosemary, and wheat. Those ingredients work together to give your hair a lighter appearance. This shampoo also helps to strengthen hair and provides it with volume, shine, and softness. This one will make your color say “gracias!”

3. OGX Sunkissed Blonde Lemon Highlights Shampoo is infused with lemon extract to enhance natural highlights and to give a summertime look to dyed blonde and naturally blonde hair.

This product doesn’t contain ammonia or peroxide and doesn’t need exposure to sunlight to enhance the bleaching effect.

OGX Sunkissed shampoo isn’t meant exclusively for blondes. It helps cultivate some highlights in all hair colors. It’s fun to KISS and tell with this brand!

4. Abbey St. Clare Chamomile Shampoo for Light Hair uses chamomile, and natural oils to intensify highlights, eliminate static, and reduce breakage and split ends. Sun exposure helps maximize the bleaching effect. Natural chamomile and lavender essential oils give this shampoo a pleasant scent and produce calming effects when inhaled. Treat yourself and your color with a spa day!

5. If your hair is in good condition and you don’t mind using sulfate-based shampoos, then you might want to consider John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo. It’s designed to be used on all shades of natural, color-treated, or highlighted blonde hair. It’s a Dear John letter about your color!

This shampoo formula uses a citrus lightening complex and chamomile to gradually brighten blonde hair. It might take a month before you notice any obvious result.

To optimize the brightening effect, the shampoo can be combined with John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Conditioner.

Lightening Shampoos for Dark Hair

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Brighter Subtle Lightening Shampoo is formulated with honey and marigold flower extract to gently cleanse and gradually infuse your hair with golden tones. This product claims to steadily brighten natural or color-treated brunette hair, bring out the highlights and make the dark roots less noticeable. The downside is that the formula is not free of harsh sulfates.

Like most lightening shampoos, it will not work on very dark hair.

What are Common Ingredients in a Hair Lightening Shampoo?

Lemon juice is a popular and highly effective natural hair highlighter. Lemon has a high content of citric acid which acts as a mild bleaching agent. Lemon juice works with the sun to naturally lighten the hair. It works well on blonde to dirty-blonde hair shades as well as on light brown hair.

Chamomile extract is one of the best natural lightening agents. The natural yellow color of chamomile flowers brings out lighter tones in the hair.

Honey contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase, which acts as a bleaching agent when applied to hair.

Natural lightening shampoos also may contain conditioning ingredients like botanical extracts, vitamins, and natural oils like rosehip and jojoba.

Blonde woman with a piece of orange

Light Lowdown: How to Use Lightening Shampoos

Gentle, natural formulas can be used regularly, the same way you use your regular shampoo. Regular use helps you to achieve the maximum lightening effects.

Drugstore hair-lightening shampoos contain sulfates and harsh chemicals that can dry out your hair. If you’ve purchased such a product, rotate it with your regular shampoo. Make sure to always follow with a good conditioner. Be savvy in your lights, camera, and action hair color care!

If you stop using a lightening shampoo, your hair will return to its previous color shade. How’s that for a light lowdown for color maintenance?

Attractive woman with sun-kissed hair

Who Should You Use Purple Shampoo and How to Use It Properly?

What Is Purple Shampoo?

If you are a salon blonde, you know it can be a pain to keep your hair color looking bright, vibrant, and beautiful. Blonde hair can easily pick up unwanted tones due to lifestyle factors, smoking, or external elements. If you’re in a hard water area or spend much of your time in the sun, your hair color can quickly lose its initial beauty and turn dull and brassy.

One of the most effective ways to fight brassy and orange tones in your bleached hair is to use a purple shampoo. Purple shampoo is designed to neutralize those unwanted yellow and brassy tones that your hair has picked up over time and to bring it back to a pretty blonde color.

A purple shampoo makes your blonde color stay bright which helps prolong the time between color appointments.

beautiful blonde girl with brassy hair

What does Purple Shampoo Do?

the color wheel

The purple toning shampoo is specially formulated to brighten up the blonde color and cancel out the appearance of the yellow base color. That happens because opposite colors in the color wheel neutralize each other when combined. Since violet is the opposite color of yellow, the purple pigments in the shampoo work to neutralize the yellow pigments in blonde hair.

When mixed, yellow and violet produce a pale beige or white. That’s why washing the hair with purple shampoo takes brassy and yellow tones out of blonde and gray hair.

Who Should Use Purple Shampoo?

  1. The purple-pigmented shampoo is most often used by individuals who have bleached or dyed blonde hair. The cool violet pigments in the shampoo help counteract warm tones in blonde hair, keeping the color fresh and bright.
  2. Women with platinum blonde locks need a purple shampoo to make their blonde platinum color more vibrant and to keep the brass away.
  3. People with natural blonde hair often use purple shampoo to get rid of brassy tones and enhance their natural blonde color.
  4. Brunettes with blonde highlights can benefit from using purple shampoo as well. The toning violet pigment helps keep the brass away without affecting dark hair color.
  5. Individuals with gray hair can also benefit from using purple shampoo occasionally. These shampoos will keep gray hair from yellowing while improving shine.
  6. Virgin hair won’t get as many benefits as bleached hair from using a violet shampoo. The hair that has gone through an extensive bleaching process is porous and ready to absorb violet pigments quickly. Virgin hair is less prone to discoloration, but it is also less ready to absorb the pigments present in the purple shampoo.
hairstylist washing clients' hair with a purple shampoo

How to Use Purple Shampoo?

It is advisable to start using purple shampoo a few weeks after the coloring service to prevent your blonde color from becoming dull and brassy.

  1. Wet your hair with warm water before using violet shampoo. Hot water will lift the cuticles resulting in better penetration of the purple pigments.
  2. Massage the violet shampoo into your hair and leave it on for the recommended time.
  3. Rinse your hair with cold water. Cool water will close the cuticles, sealing the pigment into hair strands and leaving your hair smooth.
  4. If you have dark hair with blonde highlights, you can wash the hair with your regular shampoo first, and then apply the purple shampoo to the areas with lightened hair. Such partial application helps reduce the drying effects of purple shampoo.
  5. If you have hair or scalp problems, you can use the shampoo recommended by your dermatologist first, and then apply purple shampoo to eliminate unwanted tones.
  6. Make sure to use a conditioner afterward, as most purple shampoos tend to strip moisture from your hair and scalp. Too much purple can be unfavorable, so use either a purple-based shampoo or conditioner, not both.

How Long Should You Leave Purple Shampoo in Your Hair?

Generally, it is recommended to let the violet shampoo sit in your hair for 1 to 5 minutes. If your hair is very yellow, let it sit for about 5-7 minutes. Overly porous hair tends to absorb purple pigments quickly. Never leave the shampoo in for more than 5 minutes on heavily bleached hair. Otherwise, your overly porous hair will soak up too much pigment and turn purple.

If violet shampoo leaves your hair with a purple hint, wash the hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove the excess purple.

How Often Should You Use Purple Shampoo?

This product is not intended for daily use. To combat an unsightly color and keep natural brightness, you need to tone your blonde hair occasionally. Wash your hair with purple shampoo once a week or whenever your hair needs it. To avoid over-drying the hair, rotate it with your regular shampoo.

A good purple shampoo is one of the most reliable products for preventing brassiness in blonde, gray, or streaked hair. If you find that violet shampoo makes your hair a bit dry, a gentler alternative is a purple mask. Violet masks are less intense but they have more conditioning agents that work to prevent dryness.

You can also add a bit of purple shampoo to your regular cleansing product. This will add some toning properties to your regular shampoo without any risk of over-drying.

attractive blonde woman with hair washed with purple shampoo