Purple shampoo is a lifesaver for anyone battling the brassiness that comes along with lightened, gray, or silver hair. But if you don’t use it often enough or use it too often, adverse consequences could quickly surface.
So, in this article, we’ll tell you exactly how often you should use purple shampoo - that way, you can get the most out of it.
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How Often Should I Use Purple Shampoo?
Some use their purple shampoo every time they wash their hair, while others use it less often. Does this mean that either of these is wrong? Not exactly. How often you’ll use purple shampoo depends on your current hair color, hair type, and the type of lightening your hair’s been through.
Key Takeaways
- Purple Shampoo Usage Frequency: The ideal frequency for using purple shampoo varies with hair type and color. For gray hair, use the purple shampoo once a week to avoid yellow tones. Use purple shampoo several times a week for blonde hair to maintain cool blonde tones. For highlighted hair, once or twice a week is sufficient. Overuse can lead to an unwanted purple hue and dryness.
- Effectiveness on Different Hair Colors: Purple shampoo is most effective on light hair like blonde, platinum, and gray, neutralizing brassy yellow and copper tones. It's less effective on dark hair, as it targets cooler tones.
- Application Tips for Best Results: For best results, apply purple shampoo to wet hair, lather well, and leave it on for 3-5 minutes before rinsing. This timeframe allows the violet pigments to penetrate the hair shaft, neutralizing unwanted warmth and brassiness.
- Choosing the Right Purple Shampoo: Select a purple shampoo based on your hair's level of brassiness and current shade. Different formulas cater to different needs, from warm blondes to cool blondes. Consulting a hairstylist can help you choose the best purple shampoo for your hair type.
- Complementary Hair Care Products: Alongside purple shampoo, consider using a purple conditioner or hair mask to enhance the effects. Also, be mindful of external factors like hard water and UV rays, which can affect your hair color. Regular salon visits and hair care products designed for color-treated hair can help you maintain your beautiful color.
The categories below will help you determine how often you should be using your purple shampoo.
Using Purple Shampoo on Gray Hair
If you have naturally gray hair, experts recommend using purple shampoo about once a week. Gray hair easily turns yellow and dingy-looking, so you’ll need to keep up a purple shampoo routine.
However, there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to this type of product. Just as quickly as your gray hair can turn into a yellow mess, it can also turn into a purple-tinged mess.
Using Purple Shampoo on Blonde Hair
Light blonde hair can go brassy in a hurry, so you may need to use your purple shampoo several times a week.
Many people apply purple shampoo every day as a preemptive measure to treat their brassy blonde hair with yellow and gold tones, but colorists say it’s unnecessary.
Unless your naturally blonde hair turns yellow every day, you can use your purple shampoo three times a week or less.
For Highlighted Hair
Since highlighted hair is intended to stand out, most people don’t want to dull their highlighted pieces too much. If that sounds like you, you should use your purple shampoo once or twice a week.
If a few days have passed since your last purple shampoo session and your hair doesn’t look brassy, wait a few more days before shampooing again with it.
After Bleaching
After bleaching your hair, you were probably met with some strange, warm tones that put you off. To keep them from coming back, use your purple shampoo once a week to start. This is usually enough to keep the brass at bay.
Note: While the above timing recommendations are solid, they are generalized. Since everyone’s hair, hair care routine, and preferences are different, you may find that using your purple shampoo at a different frequency works best.
What Happens When You Use Purple Shampoo Too Much?
You never want to use purple shampoo too much. It could ruin your hair, leaving you with a look that no one wants. Here’s what you need to know about using purple shampoo too much.
Signs You’ve Overdone the Purple Shampoo
If you’ve overdone the purple shampoo, it won’t be a mystery. There is a foolproof way to determine whether you need to cut back on the purple stuff:
- Your hair has developed a purple tint. The tint may only be noticeable to you or when others look at your hair up close. Regardless, if you notice any sign of purple left behind after rinsing out the shampoo, that’s a sign that you need to space out your purple shampoo sessions a bit further.
- Your hair is getting super dry. Purple shampoos are not always as gentle as they should be. And anytime you shampoo your hair, you’re washing away your scalp’s nutrients and sebum (oils). Dry hair can snowball into brittleness and hair loss, so we advise that you use the purple shampoo only when you need to (based on the above guidelines).
- Your hair has gone dull and dark. Dullness is an unfortunate consequence of overdoing purple shampoo, being that it tends to build up (particularly when it’s used too often). Take a picture of your hair right now and use it as a reference for how vibrant it should be. If your hair takes on a muddier shade over time, the purple shampoo could be to blame.
Note for Textured Hair: Textured hair is prone to dryness, so if your curls begin to look or feel crunchy, cut back on the shampoo and up your conditioner and deep conditioner game. And always follow up any shampoo session with a hydrating conditioner.
How to Fix Hair After Using Purple Shampoo Too Often
In the event that you overdo the purple shampoo, all you need to do is take a break from the product and use your regular shampoo instead.
If you were using your purple shampoo three times a week, cut back to once or twice a week. For a purple tinge or buildup, use a clarifying shampoo to strip away the remnants of the purple shampoo. You can use a clarifying shampoo as often as once a week.
How to Use Purple Shampoo
Purple shampoo is exceptionally easy to use, but it’s natural to have some questions as you incorporate it into your regimen. Here, we’ll tell you how to use purple shampoo.
First, we’d like to point out that whenever you plan to use purple shampoo, you should use it in place of your regular shampoo.
Now that that’s understood, let’s get into some usage steps that every gal can use:
- Put on some gloves to protect your hands from the pigment in the shampoo.
- Wet your hair down in the shower like you would before using a regular shampoo.
- Apply some purple shampoo all over your hair. Be generous with the product and lather immediately. If the purple shampoo is allowed to sit on any of your hair unlathered, it could stain it purple.
- After lathering, allow the shampoo to sit on your hair for the amount of time indicated on the shampoo packaging. This could be anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes.
- Rinse the shampoo out of your hair. Take your time and ensure that it’s all out. Leaving shampoo behind could promote buildup and dry out your hair.
- Apply some conditioner to replenish any moisture lost throughout the shampooing process. If your hair is extremely dry, opt for a deep conditioner instead.
Special Consideration for High Porosity Hair
If you have high porosity hair, your hair’s cuticles don’t lie flat. This makes them more likely to absorb too much purple pigment, leading to purple tips.
Unless that’s what you’re going for, we urge you to thoroughly soak your hair in water before applying the shampoo.
Once it’s soaked, allow water to continue to run on it for a minute or two. If the hair has already absorbed sufficient water, the shampoo is less likely to turn parts of your hair purple.
Dos and Don’ts of Using Purple Shampoo
You’ve got the basics down - now let’s dig a little deeper with some dos and don’ts. If you follow these, you’ll be even less likely to experience a purple shampoo mishap:
- Do be generous with the purple shampoo. If you don’t use enough, your results won’t be noticeable.
- Don’t use purple shampoo if you’ve got orange tones in your hair. You’ll need a blue shampoo to cancel those out.
- Do ease into purple shampooing. Before using it at full strength, dilute it with your regular, normal shampoo - 1-part regular shampoo to 2 parts purple shampoo should work fine. If all goes well and your hair isn’t overtoned, you’re ready to try the shampoo at full strength.
- Can You Use Purple Shampoo on Brown Hair
- How Long Should I Leave Purple Shampoo in My Hair
- How to Get Rid of Purple Hair From Toner
- How to Rinse Toner Out of Hair
There you have it - timing recommendations for purple shampoo tailored to several different hair types/conditions. We hope that this article has been helpful to you and wish you the best with your hair!
