It's inevitable to feel a little concerned the first time you smother your hair with a bright purple product.
But such is life if you're someone with blonde hair - natural or dyed - who's susceptible to the occasional brassy tone. Caused by chemicals, sunlight, pollution and endless other things, brassy tones are a blonde's nightmare and can quickly turn swishy swishy hair into something hidden discreetly under a hat.
Luckily, the solution is clear. Or, purple. Invest in a good purple shampoo or silver shampoo and you'll watch all of your brassy hair woes float away down the drain, diluted with plenty of bright purple liquid. It may look a little scary to begin with but it's worth the effort.
Purple shampoos and silver shampoos work in the same manner as the colour wheel you were probably shown during art lessons at school. The science is easy: warm, orange tones get neutralised by the opposing colour on the wheel: purple. The longer you leave a purple shampoo on your hair, the more intense the results.
You'll find purple shampoo or silver shampoo in all different styles. Some of them make use of natural ingredients to gently soften unwanted brassy tones and leave a cool, ashy tone behind. Others are a little more intense and utilise stronger purple ingredients that work hard to cancel out all of those unwanted tones.
If you're just looking to subtly lift unwanted tones, you can probably get away with using a purple shampoo once a week. If you're a little more susceptible to orange hues, you can go all out and swap your regular shampoo for a purple one. You can also do something in the middle and add a few drops of a more potent purple shampoo to your usual bottle.
The main thing to keep in mind? Start small and build up the length of time you leave the shampoo on your tresses gradually. Otherwise there's a chance you'll leave the shower with ever-so-slightly lilac hair. A talking point but perhaps a little less office appropriate.
We've rounded up all of the best purple shampoos and silver shampoos.
Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo
Olaplex is always the go-to brand if your hair is in need of some serious rejuvenation. With its patented formula, it’s truly a one of a kind product that promises to leave your hair feeling newly soft and swishy.
That’s something you may struggle with a lot if you’re dyeing your hair white blonde or silver often. You could invest in a damage control product and also a silver shampoo to keep your hair looking suitably ashy.
Or you could just buy Olaplex’s No.4, which does both tasks simultaneously. Enriched with the brand’s original Bond-Builder System, the formula works to transform dry, brittle areas into a soft, visibly shiny finish. It’s also pretty versatile: keep it on your hair for longer or shorter depending on the strength of results you’re hoping for.
Buy now £28.00, lookfantastic
Kevin Murphy Blonde Angel Wash
Kevin Murphy’s Blonde Angel Wash transforms dull, tired hair with a new, fresh appeal. A top choice if you’ve got blonde highlights and want to keep them looking, well, highlighted, this subtle blonde shampoo removes all and any brassy tones within one wash, leaving you with fresh, delicious smelling locks once again. It’s designed to give you that “just left the salon” look and comes infused with lavender and optical brighteners to moisturise, soften and brighten dull hair.
Buy now £26.50, Amazon
L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Blondifier Cool Shampoo
L’Oréal Professionnel works hard to dig deep into the hair follicles and remove all traces of orange tones - and you only need to use a little of this powerful shampoo to reap its benefits. It uses Violet Brightening Pigments to neutralise any yellow tones and restore shine, vibrancy and health to your hair.
It also tackles another bleached hair issue at the same time: dryness. Using açai berry extract, it not only removes any bad colours from your locks but also densely moisturises your hair at the same time.
Buy now £13.37, lookfantastic
Aussie SOS Blonde Hydration Vegan Purple Shampoo
If you’re someone who struggles with dry hair or who dyes their hair a lot, you’ll probably be no stranger to Aussie. A wonderful, budget friendly option if you’re a fan of regularly smothering your locks with a conditioning treatment, Aussie is one of the best for keeping your hair feeling great without spending a fortune.
It’s now also a great shout for blondes especially, thanks to the introduction of its Aussie SOS Blonde Hydration Vegan Purple Shampoo. Infused with Australian superfoods, this silver shampoo comes bolstered with extra toning power and is a true saviour for coloured, bleached, blonde or silver hair in need of help. And, in true Aussie style, it smells amazing too.
Buy now £5.99, Boots
Kristin Ess The One Purple Shampoo
Kristin Ess shampoo just looks expensive, before you’ve even removed the lid, breathed in the scent of this delicious shampoo or covered your hair in its silky formula. Bonus points for costing around £10 which, although isn’t the cheapest silver shampoo around, definitely sits towards the more budget friendly end.
A popular choice that’s both sulphate-free and highly-pigmented, The One Purple Shampoo can be tailored depending on just how brassy or how lilac-toned you’d like the final results to be. It’s another that tackles dry hair from the inside out at the same time, using the brand’s Zip-Up Technology, a strengthening complex designed to “zip-up” split ends while targeting weak areas of the hair and smoothing the appearance of damaged cuticles.
Buy now £10.00, Boots
Kérastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra Violet Shampoo
It’s barely an exaggeration to say that Kérastase’s Blond Absolu Bain Ultra Violet Shampoo does it all. As you’d probably guess, it’s brilliant at toning blonde hair and restoring an ashy, cool-toned finish. But it’s also one of the best for rejuvenating hair with a soft, shiny finish thanks to its hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower extracts. This deeply nourishing treatment feels luxurious to apply and even boosts luminosity at the same time.
Buy now £21.40, Lookfantastic
Bleach London Silver Shampoo
Bleach London knew silver hair was cool before the rest of us caught on and has been producing its iconic Silver Shampoo for longer than we can remember. This budget friendly bottle is perfect for anyone struggling to achieve silver hair with an even coverage and helps to neutralise warm tones leaving a cool grey finish.
Unlike purple shampoo, this one is designed to be used after a toner and works best on already white blonde or very, very light blonde hair. But, if you’re looking for a shampoo to successfully complete the process of turning silver, this is the bottle to reach for.
Buy now £6.50, Boots
Fudge Professional Purple Toning Shampoo
Fudge Professional’s Purple Toning Shampoo has a thicker formula than many shampoos, which means you’ll practically feel your hair softening up as soon as you’re applying it. This rich formula is nourishing and moisturising, removing brassy tones while adding an extra large helping of conditioning treatment to your locks at the same time. It uses neutralising violet pigments and proteins to strip out any unwanted colours before its FragranceFuse technology infuses each strand of hair with a delicious, subtle scent.
Buy now £6.99, Amazon
Aveda Pure Plant Blue Malva Shampoo
Aveda’s silver shampoo does things a little differently to many on the market. The Blue Malva Shampoo is actually made with wild crafted, sustainably gathered blue malva, which balances the hair and scalp. It combines that with organically grown bluet, a flower known for its ability to intensify colour.
The result? Naturally boosted hair without any unnecessary ingredients added. This silver shampoo gently cleanses your hair and scalp while enhancing your colour and is best for those looking to add a dash of silver to their hair without going all out.
Buy now £39.60, lookfantastic
Sachajuan Silver Shampoo
You’ll love Sachajuan’s Silver Shampoo even if you’re not a blonde: something that can’t be said for all silver shampoos. This neutralising shampoo works like magic to tone out any brighter colours but also works powerfully on those with cool violet, burgundy and red shades who may be looking for a more ashy finish.
This silver shampoo is an all-rounder, working to increase volume and lustre, neutralise and protect colour and even to protect it from outside damage thanks to its UV filters that prevent colour fading.
Buy now £25.00, Cult Beauty
Verdict
Olapex is the reigning queen of the blonde and silver haircare world so it’s no surprise that the brand’s No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo takes the crown this time around. Wave goodbye to brassy hair forevermore.
