Blue shampoo vs purple shampoo: what are they and which should you use?

You spend weeks researching, planning and pinning your dream hair and then hours at the salon turning your dream into reality, only to have a bunch of brassy tones creep through after a month or two of shampooing and heat styling. But instead of sprinting back into the salon every time you have a colour crisis, there are products you can use to keep your unwanted tones under control and save you time and money. And guess what, they are actually from a salon brand. But what are those products, you might ask? Blue and purple shampoos.

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What are purple shampoos?

You may have heard of purple shampoos in the past – we all have a blonde friend (or three) who have raved about the benefits. But if you’re not familiar with them, purple shampoos are formulated with purple pigments to eliminate warm and brassy yellow tones that over time, can become exposed in lightened or highlighted blonde, grey and silver hair. While purple shampoo may seem like a magical quick-fix, it’s all just thanks to basic colour theory. If you whip out the old colour wheel from high school art (it’s finally coming in handy!) you’ll notice that purple is directly opposite yellow. And colours that sit opposite each other can cancel each other out. So, when a shampoo with purple pigments is used, it will neutralise the yellow tones in your hair (in the same way that your green primer will hide redness and your yellow concealer will tackle dark circles). Once upon a time, purple shampoos were only available at the salon. But these days, TONI&GUY brings the latest salon trends straight to your supermarket shelf, so you can DIY it for a fraction of the price (while still sporting salon-quality hair). To remove yellow tones, try the TONI&GUY Purple Shampoo. Its formula is enriched with Pearl Extract so works on your colour while also boosting shine! For intense smooth, soft and nourished hair, do not forget to follow with the TONI&GUY Purple Conditioner and Mask, so you can say goodbye to all your brassy tones!

What are blue shampoos?

Brunettes have long put up with brassy, red and orange tones in their lightened, highlighted, streaked, ombred or balayaged hair because they didn’t have a secret weapon like those with blonde, grey or silver locks did. That is, until now. Bottle brunettes finally have their own solution, and it comes in the way of a blue shampoo. Yep, you heard right: BLUE shampoo. And yes, it’s actually blue. And every scientist will tell you that blue stains more than purple, so hot tip: blue pigments are known to stain so, unless you want to rock blue-tinged hands and nails, pop on some gloves whenever you use a blue shampoo.

Brunettes have naturally warm, orange and reddy tones, which can be brought out when their natural colour is lightened, and similar to brassiness in blondes, these tones are not always desired in a brunette head of hair. So, given that blue is opposite to orange on the good old colour wheel, a shampoo made up of blue pigments, like the TONI&GUY Blue Shampoo, is perfect for correcting orange and red tones in darker hair. And not only does this TONI&GUY Blue Shampoo have benefits for your colour, it’s also enriched with macadamia oil and keratin so you’ll also be flaunting smoother, softer strands after using it too. Blue Conditioner and Blue Mask will then finish the job, providing intense nourishment to prevent the hair going dry and dull.

How do you incorporate a blue or purple shampoo into your routine?

The key to using a blue or purple shampoo is not to overdo it. It’s recommended that you use the TONI&GUY Blue or Purple Shampoo two or three times a week to keep orange, yellow or brassy tones at bay. Any more than that and you could find yourself in a whole new (and much worse) colour conundrum. You should follow it with your normal cleansing shampoo to make sure you get rid of all pigment residues, like the TONI&GUY Hydration range with Avocado and Marula oils, so you can moisturise and nourish your hair even more.

And if you want to give your blue or purple shampoo a boost? Use the whole TONI&GUY Blue or Purple regimen. With a conditioner and mask made to complement both the Blue and Purple Shampoos, your hair will be hydrated, healthy and staying brunette or blonde for much longer. So in other words, you’ll be saving on trips to the salon – and saving your dough instead!

Lastly, keep in mind that your lifestyle can sometimes work against you in terms of exposing unwanted tones. So also try to cut down on heat styling and protect your tresses from UV rays (by using UV protectants and wearing a hat). Trust us, your locks with thank you.

Have you ever had unwanted brassy or yellow tones? Have you tried using blue or purple shampoos?