If you’re reading this article, you probably already know what purple shampoo is for, but just to recap: the best purple shampoo acts as a toner for blonde hair whether it is natural blonde or salon blonde. This also applies to other light hair colors as well. Here are our picks for the best purple shampoos for color-treated blonde hair, but don’t be discouraged if you are a natural blonde. Silver shampoos will work beautifully for you as well.
In this article:
Our Picks for the Best Purple Shampoos
In most cases, shampoos designed for color-treated hair include moisture and strength-boosting additions for healthier hair overall. Take a look and find the perfect purple shampoo for you.
1. DryBar Blonde Ale Brightening Shampoo
One of the best purple shampoos is the DryBar Blonde Ale that shines and tones as it cleanses gently. Enforced with keratin and chamomile, the formula uses deep purple pigment to cool down your blonde color while boosting the health and strength of your hair. You can order a bottle from Sephora, or Amazon.
2. Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo
Amika’s amusingly named blonde boosting purple shampoo enhances the color of your hair while boosting the shine and softness during each wash. Regardless of what your hair type is, your blonde hair will still be affected but can be repaired and protected with the nutrients, vitamins and amino acids included in the formula. Purchase a bottle from Sephora, or Amazon!
3. Joico Color Balance Purple Shampoo
Joico’s purple shampoo uses a multi-spectrum defense complex to help protect hair against yellowing and other forms of brassiness and greening that can ruin your blonde hair color. The included bio-advanced peptide complex is designed to protect and repair hair while adding shine and fighting frizz from the inside out with each application. Order a bottle of the best purple shampoo for yourself from Amazon, or Ulta!
4. IGK Mixed Feelings Leave in Blonde Drops
IGK’s purple shampoo will work on any hair type but is specially designed to benefit those with light blonde or non-pigmented hair. The drops allow you to control the amount of toning you need to keep your hair looking beautiful. The blonde drops can be added to your favorite shampoo, conditioner or styling product. Pick yours up from Sephora!
5. Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo
The Oribe blonde shampoo is designed with ideal levels of violet pigment to really brighten blonde, gray, silver and white hair. The formula includes UV protection and is safe for naturally light-colored hair and salon-colored hair. This light hair toning and protecting purple shampoo can be purchased from Nordstrom.
6. Matrix Total Results Brass Off Shampoo
The clever name of this purple shampoo is a perfect estimation of what it can do. The blonde shampoo is designed to clarify while neutralizing brassy tones and balancing out your blonde. The purple pigments in the shampoo are blue-toned for extra helpful results on whites, platinums and other very light cool hair tones. Get your own bottle from Ulta, or Amazon!
7. DPHUE Cool Blonde Shampoo
Another blonde shampoo designed to eliminate brassiness caused by oxidation and exposure, this product is cruelty-free, gluten-free and color-safe. It’s designed to be used on any shade of blonde hair to great effect. You can order a bottle of the best purple shampoo for yourself from Sephora!
8. Joico Color Endure Violet Shampoo
This violet shampoo is specially formulated to improve cool-toned hair by removing the brassiness often caused by oxidation. The formula is designed to not be overly drying to hair and can even be alternated in for use on every other shampoo. Order your purple shampoo directly from Amazon!
9. Sexy Hair Bright Blonde Shampoo
This bright blonde shampoo combines everything you could want from a purple shampoo. Not only is it formulated to address brassiness, but also it keeps your blonde hair bright and even better – moisturized and hydrated. This violet-colored purple shampoo has just the right amount of purple pigment, chamomile, honey and even quinoa so that even with a good amount of use, your tresses don’t suffer dryness. You can purchase a bottle from Ulta.
10. Sachajuan Silver Shampoo
This silver shampoo is one of the best purple shampoos for blonde hair available. Not only does the violet pigment in the shampoo tone blonde hair and boost the coolness of white, silver and grey hair, but also it adds shine. The formula also boosts volume and moisture thanks to the Ocean Silk technology. Get a bottle for your hair from Sephora, or Amazon!
11. TIGI Catwalk Fashionista Violet Shampoo
Designed for non-pigmented, blonde and highlighted hair, this violet shampoo uses rice milk and pearl extract in conjunction with the violet pigments. The intention is to create an unparalleled shine and boost the cooler colors of light blonde hair by eliminating warmth and brassiness. This purple shampoo works for grey, silver, blonde and white hair and can be purchased from Amazon.
12. Pravana The Perfect Blonde Shampoo
Sulfate-free, brightening blonde shampoo designed with exclusive dual ultra violet dyes and formulated with optical brighteners, this is a dependable, workable brightening option. This is the best purple shampoo that also uses keratin, wheat and silk amino acids to strengthen hair while improving elasticity, shine and toning out the unwanted color from hair. You can pick up a bottle of this high-grade purple shampoo at Ulta, or Amazon.
13. Kenra Professional Brightening Shampoo
The brightening purple shampoo offered is designed to not only use violet pigments to reinvigorate your blonde hair, but also to safely be used every day. The formula helps to maintain your hair color while also being a good option for both naturally blonde and color-treated blonde hair. Pick yours up from Ulta!
14. Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo
This is one of the best color protection purple shampoos for blondes, as the purple pigment that tones light hair works with citric acid designed to repair hair from the inside of each strand outward. Your hair will be left shiny, soft and in the shade of blonde you intended. Get yours from Amazon, or Ulta!
15. Philip B Icelandic Blonde Shampoo
This blonde shampoo is designed for the light and silvery blonde hair colors, greys and platinum tones. The brassiness and color issues that plague the lightest colored hair strands are beautifully removed allowing the silvery color to shine through. You can purchase a bottle of the best purple shampoo from Dermstore, or Amazon.
16. B. The Product Blonde 365
This blonde shampoo is designed to strengthen and repair hair. The formula removes unwanted shades of green, red, buttery and brassy tones while using cosmetic graze enzymatically hydrolyzed soy protein to help improve your hair. It’s healthy and hydrating while toning your hair during each wash. Order a bottle for yourself from Amazon!
17. Hask Chamomile & Argan Oil Blonde Care Shampoo
Formulated for all shades of blonde hair, this purple shampoo uses a blue chamomile-infused, indigo-tinted violet pigment to get rid of the unwanted tones that ruin light blonde, white and silver hair. The chamomile and argan oil infused into the shampoo also help the hair stay hydrated and healthy. You can order a bottle for yourself from Ulta, or Amazon.
What to Look for in the Best Purple Shampoo?
There are two important notes to consider when looking for the best purple shampoo:
Your Hair Color
Darker colors don’t benefit from using purple shampoo and not every light hair color can use every purple shampoo. A platinum blonde cannot use the same purple shampoo as effectively as a rich maple blonde because the deposits would be too strong for the former. But all of the following colors can benefit from the use of the best purple shampoo for their shade.
- Classic golden blonde
- Light to honey blonde
- Rich maple (light brown) blonde
- Cool shade pastels
- Platinum
- White
The Color Tainting Your Hair Color
Different shades of blonde and silver use different shades of purple shampoo to cleanse/tone your hair appropriately. Since the active, most effective ingredient in the shampoo is the purple or lilac pigment within it, choosing the right shade of purple is key. If your blonde is being tainted by a greenish tint, a purple with a red tint is what you need.
Once you have addressed these two points it is important to choose an opaque purple shampoo. A bit of shine, pearl and more is fine, but you do not want a see-through purple shampoo. It won’t help you in the way that you think or really want. Opaque is the way to go!
So! The lighter your blonde hair (ultra light blonde, grey, white, silver or platinum), the more indigo you want in your purple shampoo. The brighter violet-color purple shampoos are better for the other, slightly darker blondes.
Photos via @krystalwarton, Sephora, Ulta