13 Best Purple Shampoos for Blondes
Updated: Apr. 14, 2024
You can bet your brass these purple shampoos will rinse away your harshest yellow tones.
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Balance brassy blonde tones with purple shampoo
Believe it or not, blondes and those with highlighted hair have different needs when it comes to the best shampoos, and even have to rotate the best shampoos for color-treated hair and thinning hair in their collections with purple and bluish-hued suds to keep brassy yellow and orange undertones at bay.
“Sun, hard water, chlorine, and other environmental factors can all impact your hair color and turn it brassy,” explains Felicia Dosso, a hair colorist at Nunzio Saviano Salon in New York. “Wear a hat in the sun as often as possible, and use one of the best clarifying shampoos after spending a lot of time in a pool. You’ll want to purchase a water filter for your shower if you have hard water, and definitely keep one of the best purple shampoos in rotation, because brassiness is identified by the presence of yellow tones.” She goes on to explain that yellow is a primary color and purple is a secondary color. “Secondary colors cancel out primary colors—meaning if you use purple pigment on a yellow pigment it will counteract the unwanted yellow,” she says.
Purple shampoos shouldn’t necessarily be used during every shower though because they can be drying—you’ll always want to follow with one of the best conditioners or hair masks. There is a formula for every hair type, and an appropriate purple formula that also functions as one of the best shampoos for oily hair and more hydrating versions that can be counted among the best shampoos for curly hair.
via dermstore.com
OLAPLEX No. 4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo
Salon devotees already know OLAPLEX as a savoir of dry, damaged hair. Now the brand has applied its strengthening, softening technology to a formula that also neutralizes unwanted yellow tones for brighter blonde, lightened, and grey hues. “OLAPLEX is first and foremost a repair line—this just has an extra perk,” Dosso says.
While most purple shampoos are very drying, Dosso explains, this one actually keeps strands hydrated, using patented technology to build essential bonds in hair and lessen damage caused by molecules that eat protein from the hair. That makes it especially great for mature hair, which tends to be dry. So, if you’re rocking one of these best hairstyles for women over 40, this shampoo should probably be in your shower.
As to the claim that it delivers three-times brighter results compared to top purple shampoos, our tester confirms that her platinum is as bright as the day she left the salon—even her roots are light and bright, and her mane has never been softer or more manageable. Speaking of roots, check out these best root touch-up kits that will help your hair color last longer.
Highlights:
- Best for mature and dry, damaged hair
- Boosts brightness after just one use
- Non-toxic, sulfate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and vegan
- Reduced secondary packaging helps keep the brand carbon neutral
via amazon.com
John Frieda Violet Crush Purple Shampoo
This budget-friendly pick will make your wallet sing because a large, multi-use bottle costs less than a round of specialty coffees for you and your hairstylist. It knocks out brassy tones, revives cool blonde and highlighted hair, and deposits small amounts of crushed violet pigments into the hair to counteract yellow and orange tones for longer. You’ll see brighter blonde hair in just one use and it will help keep your overall hairstyle youthful looking, too.
“You need to use only one purple product,” Dosso says, suggesting that it doesn’t need to be an expensive one. “Whether it’s shampoo or conditioner is your choice. Just find the best purple shampoo for your hair that doesn’t dry it out and doesn’t have too heavy of a pigment that it stains your hair purple, and stick with it.”
Highlights:
- Best drugstore option
- Budget-friendly
- Won’t dry or damage hair with weekly use
via amazon.com
Joico Color Balance Purple Shampoo
This color-correcting formula preserves cool blondes and silvery grays and has quickly become an Amazon bestseller thanks to its ability to banish unwanted yellow, warm tones while protecting salon-level vibrancy. You can use this one up to twice each week, and rather than using it as a quick suds-and-go, it’s recommended that you apply, lather, and let it sit for one to three minutes for the best possible results. That treatment-style approach makes it especially great for thick, wavy, and curly hair.
“After only two weeks of use, this Joico purple shampoo produced the best results in restoring the original cool light blonde tone of my hair compared with about nine other purple shampoos of varying costs that I have used during the past several years, including purple shampoos used in salons and others available from retail stores,” writes one happy Amazon reviewer. “I could hardly believe it when I saw the amazing results from this purple shampoo. WOW! My hair color looked as if it had just been freshly colored after my first-time use of Joico purple shampoo. And Joico purple is reasonably priced.”
Highlights:
- Best for thick, wavy, and curly hair types
- Treatment-style application
- Moderate price
via amazon.com
SexyHair Healthy Bright Blonde Violet Shampoo
“Even if you are a natural blonde you have to tone it to keep the coloring fresh,” details Stephanie Angelone, lead stylist at RPZL, blowout and extensions bar in New York City. “Blonde hair tends to be more prone to damage and harder to maintain, easily getting discolored from water and heat damage. Shampooing your hair with the wrong shampoo can cause blondes to take on those dreaded yellow tones, so I recommend a heat-protecting and sulfate-free formula to keep hair as true to the intended tone as possible.”
This SexyHair Healthy Bright Blonde Violet Shampoo is one of the best purple shampoos for those who heat-treat and blow-dry their hair frequently, thanks to a complete SLES and sulfate-free formula that leaves hair manageable, shiny, and free of brassy hues.
Highlights:
- Best for those who use frequent heat styling
- Sulfate-free formula won’t damage added pigments if you have a mix of lowlights and highlights
- Moderate price point
via amazon.com
L’Oreal Paris Elvive Color Vibrancy Anti-Brassiness Purple Shampoo
This cheap thrill is exactly what budget-minded blondes need to keep their ashy, cool tresses from turning orange. It’s one of the least expensive purple shampoos on the market, and every bit as good as many of the more expensive brands. Added purple pigments leave mild deposits on hair to keep tone neutralization and correction lasting beyond the rinse, and protect gray, blonde, and highlighted tones for weeks at a time.
Angelone suggests adding the bottle to your regular routine as an occasional boost rather than using it every single time you shampoo. “I like to switch off my shampoos,” she says, adding, “Your scalp and hair can get used to certain oils and ingredients in shampoos, which can cause a reverse effect on your hair.”
Highlights:
- Best for tight budgets
- Can be used as a simple rinse or treatment-style
- Color-depositing pigments offer color correction for several days at a time
- The coordinating L’Oreal Paris Anti-Brassiness Conditioner has a cult-following too
via amazon.com
BioTop Professional 19 Pro Silver Shampoo
This salon formula purple shampoo is typically found at the sink of your favorite styling hot spot, but has recently become available to Amazon shoppers— and the reviews are wonderful. It neutralizes unwanted yellow and brassy tones, replenishes bleached blonde hair and naturally dry white hair, and adds unparalleled shine. The gentle formula is also created with sensitive scalps in mind, so it’s safe for those with mild sensitivities as well.
“Love it,” shares one five-star reviewer. “This is my second bottle; it has made my hair not only smoother but healthier.” Need another way to tame your mane? Try this $8 frizzy hair product that has near-perfect reviews on Amazon.
Highlights:
- Best for dry, dull hair
- Salon formula
- Controls frizz
- Sensitive scalp-safe
via amazon.com
BIOLAGE ColorLast Purple Shampoo
Thousands of glowing reviewers rave about this Biolage ColorLast formula, heralding it as one of the best purple shampoos for damaged, over-processed hair. This pigment-depositing shampoo neutralizes brassy, warm tones and protects hair from breakage with real soybean oil, fig leaf, and floral extracts.
Over 3,000 Amazon reviewers can’t get enough of it, with one writing, “Biolage makes amazing products. I’ve used their shampoo and conditioner for years, and after going back to blonde, this purple product has made my hair look its best. The best results are definitely with the conditioner. It takes that brassy yellow tone, and makes my blonde its best.”
Highlights:
- Best for damaged hair
- Leaves hair silky-soft
- Comes in a large bottle that makes it a great value
- Reviewers suggest pairing it with BIOLAGE Ultra Hydrasource Conditioner For Very Dry Hair
via amazon.com
MATRIX Total Results So Silver Color Depositing Purple Shampoo
If you’ve got gray, white, or especially ashy blonde hair, this color-depositing purple shampoo by Matrix Total Results is for you. It’s great for all light, cool tones, but was designed specifically for silvery tones. It neutralizes unwanted brassy warmth and eliminates dull, yellow tones in blonde and gray hair without stripping moisture or other added color. It’s great for adding a bit of silvery shimmery to your locks, and can be used as a typical shampoo or an occasional treatment when it’s left on the hair mask-style for three to five minutes.
The coordinating Matrix Total Results So Silver Deep Conditioner is also a favorite treatment-style product that reviewers rave about as a simple, cost-effective way to prolong the time between salon visits.
Highlights:
- Best for silvery tones
- Affordable
- Easy to use application
via amazon.com
Eva NYC Tone It Down Blonde Shampoo
Thick, porous curls are going to love this blonde toning shampoo from Eva NYC. It uses an ultra-violet formula to neutralize brass, enhance shine, and restore strength to natural or color-treated blonde hair of all types and textures, but especially those in need of a drink of moisture. This nutrient-rich formula is one of the best purple shampoos to bring blonde hair back to life, kick some serious brass, and add hydration at every step thanks to real argan oil, plant proteins, and other scalp-helping natural oils. The best part? It’s one of the few sulfate-free formulas that also creates a rich lather.
If you want to go the extra mile, pair it with the Eva NYC Tone It Down Blonde Leave-In Foam, an easy-to-use styling product that adds moisture, shine, and brass-neutralizing purple pigments.
Highlights:
- Best for curly and porous hair types
- Makes brittle hair feel smooth thanks to added natural plant oils
- Cruelty-free
- No mineral oils, parabens, or gluten
via amazon.com
ALOXXI Violet Shampoo
This paraben-free, sulfate-free color-safe violet-hued shampoo is a dream product for delicate strands and those with fine hair. It instantly brightens, washes away brassy tones, and breathes new life into blondes, silver tones, and highlights. Fruit extracts, mango seed butter, and pink strobus bark add moisture and shine back into previously dull blonde and gray shades.
“I’ve tried so many different purple shampoos and this is by far the best shampoo I’ve used,” details an Amazon reviewer. “It takes away brassiness and leaves your hair smelling amazing and [feeling] soft.”
Highlights:
- Best for fine and normal hair types
- Lightweight hydration to counteract drying tendencies of purple shampoos
- Easy-to-use pump dispenser that eliminates potential shower messes and staining
via amazon.com
Not Your Mother’s Blonde Moment Purple Shampoo and Conditioner Duo
This happy couple belongs together, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly affordable and effective duo that includes two full-size bottles of Not Your Mother’s Blonde Moment Shampoo and Conditioner (one of each), and works like a charm on coarse and parched strands. Reviewers tout its ability to work wonders on even straight, fine, and normal hair types too, but the brand’s violet rice anti-breakage formula is especially wonderful for delicate, coarse curls that require a little extra TLC.
It’s all free of all sulfate surfactants (hello, gentle cleansing), silicones, parabens, and phthalates. Reviewers say their best results come from the occasional use of the extremely purple shampoo, and “Frequent deep conditioning with the slightly-purple conditioner.”
Highlights:
- Best for coarse hair
- Incredibly affordable for both the shampoo and conditioner
- Clean, junk-free formula
- Richly hydrating
via amazon.com
Bold Uniq Purple Shampoo for Blonde Hair
Calling all natural and bottle blondes— this Bold Uniq formula has your name written all over it, and tens of thousands of happy reviewers agree it’s an unbeatable option. It’s one of the best purple shampoos on the market to tone brassiness, but comes with the added benefit of gently lifting color to lighten and add dimension. Reviewers say regular, prolonged use leaves their hair looking “sun-kissed” and “naturally more highlighted.”
“I am a hairdresser in Dallas and got recommended this shampoo by a friend,” writes one reviewer with professional credentials. “Having used pretty much every silver shampoo on the market over the years, I could not believe the results from this! We used it on a client yesterday and I wanted to share the results here, it’s incredible— just toned, lightened hair without additional dye or toners, etc. Will buy more in the future for our customers for sure.” Note: This shampoo isn’t ideal for highlights or darker-toned hair with blonde accents. By the way, these common hair myths are damaging your hair.
Highlights:
- Best for full-head blondes
- Gradually and gently lightens hair color while cooling warm tones
- Easy to use
via amazon.com
amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo
Punny name aside, this beloved shampoo stops brassiness in its tracks with ultra-violet pigments that keep blonde color light, bright, and cool in tone. Sea buckthorn berry extracts add vitamins C and A to protect against oxidative damage, essential omega-7 adds hydration and luster, and wild cherry bark brings out true-to-pigment color. This wonder bottle also has hydroluxed keratin to restore moisture and strength, and avocado oil to make hair soft, manageable, and almost impossible to stop touching.
“My hair is thin and fine with highlights,” writes one brand devotee. “My hair starts to look dull within three weeks after having it done. This shampoo and conditioner made it look fresh again. Love the way it lathers without having to use a ton of product. The conditioner did a wonderful job of softening, and again without using a ton of product.”
Highlights:
- Best for most hair types
- No petrochemicals
- Creates a cool, ashy tone
- Best when paired with amika Bust Your Brass Conditioner, an affordable find
Sources:
- Felicia Dosso, hair colorist at Nunzio Saviano salon in New York City
- Stephanie Angelone, stylist at RPZL in New York City
