What Does Purple Shampoo Do to Purple Hair?

Purple shampoo is widely known for its ability to neutralize brassy tones in blonde, gray, or lightened hair. But what happens when you use it on already purple hair? In this article, we’ll explore how purple shampoo interacts with purple-dyed hair and whether it’s beneficial or not.

Maintaining Vibrancy

One of the key benefits of using purple shampoo on purple hair is that it can help maintain the vibrancy of your color. Purple shampoo deposits pigments that can refresh and intensify your existing purple hue, making it appear richer and more vibrant. This can be especially useful if your purple hair color starts to fade between salon visits. Additionally, the purple pigment in the shampoo acts as a toner that balances out brassy colors, such as yellow and orange, helping to transform your hair into a cool, hydrated tone.

Preventing Brassiness

Even purple hair can develop unwanted yellow or brassy tones over time, especially if the base color before dyeing was blonde or lightened. Purple shampoo can help counteract these tones, keeping your purple hair looking cooler and more even-toned. It’s an easy way to maintain a consistent and balanced color. Purple shampoo can also be used to help keep pastel purple dye jobs from becoming brassy as they fade, ensuring your color stays fresh and vibrant.

Avoiding Overuse

While purple shampoo can be beneficial for maintaining purple hair, it’s important not to overuse it. Excessive use can lead to an overload of pigment, potentially causing your hair to appear darker or even muddy. For the best results, incorporate purple shampoo into your routine sparingly—once or twice a week is often enough to keep your color fresh without oversaturating your hair with pigment.

Enhancing Faded Color

If your purple hair is starting to fade, purple shampoo can give it a temporary boost. The shampoo’s pigments can cling to the hair, enhancing the remaining color and giving your hair a subtle refresh. However, it’s not a replacement for a professional color touch-up, so keep that in mind if your hair has significantly faded.

Tips for Maintaining Purple Hair

Here are some essential tips to keep your purple locks looking vibrant and healthy:

Be Mindful of Your First Wash:

  • After coloring your hair, wait at least 48 hours before your first wash. This allows the color to fully set, helping it last longer.
  • Remember, the more often you wash your hair, the quicker the color will fade. Water can strip your hair of its vibrant hue, so try to minimize washes when possible.

Embrace Cooler Showers:

  • Hot water speeds up color fading, so try to stick to lukewarm or cold showers. Cooler temperatures help seal in your color and prolong its vibrancy.
  • If you live in an area with hard water, consider investing in a showerhead with a water purifier. This can protect your hair from the elements in the water that may strip your color.

Choose the Right Shampoo:

  • Look for shampoos specifically designed to protect colored hair, especially those that are sulfate-free. These are gentler and less likely to strip your hair of its color.
  • For pastel purples, a purple shampoo can help neutralize any brassiness as your color fades. If you have a richer purple hue, opt for a moisturizing shampoo with ingredients like coconut oil, vitamin E, and amino acids to keep your hair hydrated and healthy.

Protect Your Hair from the Sun:

  • UV rays can damage your hair and cause your color to fade. When you’re out in the sun, wear a hat or use a hair sunscreen spray to shield your locks from the sun's harmful effects.

Avoid Chlorine Exposure:

  • Chlorine can have a bleaching effect on your hair, accelerating color fade. If you need to swim, try wearing a swim cap to protect your purple hair from chlorine and other chemicals in the water.

Will purple shampoo help my purple hair?

Yes, purple shampoo can help maintain purple hair by preventing violet hues from fading. It's especially useful for those with vibrant, unicorn-inspired colors, as it helps keep the purple tones fresh and vivid, extending the life of your hair color between salon visits.

How to keep purple hair purple?

To maintain purple hair, reduce the frequency of washing and use dry shampoo to extend time between washes. Invest in hair care products specifically formulated for purple hair; these contain color-preserving ingredients that help maintain vibrancy and prevent fading.

In conclusion, maintaining vibrant purple hair requires the right care and products. Purple shampoo can be a great ally in keeping your color fresh and preventing unwanted brassiness, but it's important to use it sparingly. 

Incorporating a high-quality, eco-friendly option like the Parrotfish Purple Shampoo Bar into your routine can help you achieve the best results while being kind to the environment.

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Discover Key Ingredients

  • aloe extract

    Removes excess sebum and product residue without damaging hair strands. Unlike harsh chemicals, aloe vera is gentle, preserving hair integrity.

  • acai oil

    Rich in healthy fatty acids, acai oil tames frizzy, dry, and damaged hair, leaving curls smoother, shinier and moisturized. 

  • gentian violet

    Helps remove the yellow, brassy or dull tones and highlights from blonde or silver hair.

  • sodium coco sulfate

    Derived from coconuts, and milder than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, while still producing a sudsy lather. It is safe for colored hair and helps the transition period from liquid to bar seamless.

Read Press Coverage

  • "Parrotfish's Argan Shampoo Bar wins the spot for best shampoo bar due to its ability to hydrate and heal several hair types."

  • "Parrotfish's cocoa butter and coconut-based shampoo bars are rich with argan oil or peppermint to cleanse hair and feed it essential minerals to keep locks healthy."

  • "Parrotfish shampoo bars convinced me to ditch my plastic shampoo and conditioner, and I’m never looking back."

Customer Reviews

Based on 84 reviews
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N
Naomi H.
Actually Works!

This is the only purple Shampoo I have tried that’s actually able to lighten my hair! I have thick hair in a darker blonde color, and normally after using purple shampoo it looks the same as before. With this one, my hair stylist noticed my hair was lighter, and I didn’t even bring it up! And yes, I follow instructions!

M
Mary

argan oil shampoo and conditioner

S
Susan T.
Good product

I purchased the purple shampoo and conditioner bars & am very pleased with the results. It has definitely toned down the yellowing of my gray hair and does not dry my hair out. I will be ordering again for sure.

J
JENNIFER B.

purple shampoo and conditioner

D
Dorothy C.
Great product

I color my hair and have tried many products that deal with toning down the orange, but nothing has worked as well as the purple bars for shampoo and conditioner. My hair has never looked or felt better. I love this product.