Attention, Kim (and new blondes everywhere): Here’s why you should be using purple shampoo
As the only girl in my family born without naturally sun-kissed hair, I spent the first half of my life experimenting with hair colour. First came the “natural”-looking highlights—streaky and uneven, sure, but they gave me the taste of blonde I craved. Then came the hair rebellion phase. My Debbie Harry haircut alternated between chestnut and raven. Finally ready to join the fair-haired ranks of my family, I bleached my hair to a platinum blonde, which was an ever-evolving process of, well, processed hair. From warm honey hues, to ashy and icy tones, everything was either too ashy or icy or not quite white enough. Finally, I discovered purple shampoo.
This isn’t a new concept, but it is one that’s been getting its fair share of press lately (Kim and Jared, this is for you). With the help of Diana Gaweda, a Senior Colourist at Brennan Demelo Studios in Toronto, we’re breaking down what it is and how you can make it work for you.
Purple shampoo is exactly what it sounds like: a deep violet shampoo that deposits pigment into the hair to neutralize brassy, yellow tones. “Purple is the exact opposite to yellow on the color wheel,” explains Gaweda, “which is why it cools down the gold/brass tones in the hair.” It is particularly useful a few weeks after having your hair professionally coloured as it helps with the upkeep of your colour and prevents the blonde from becoming dull.
Gaweda recommends opting for a dark purple shampoo and staying away from any that are too light or transparent. “I know this sounds scary but no salon or colourist would recommend this to you if it didn’t work,” she assures me. Start out slowly, using it one a week, when you want to buff up your colour. Work it into a nice frothy lather and leave it on your hair for 2-5 minutes before rinsing. If you find you’ve over done it, Gaweda advises just jumping back in the shower and shampooing with a regular shampoo.
“Blonde hair is higher maintenance. Why spend [so much money] on your colour if you are going to go home and use drugstore shampoo? The reason your colourist recommends [purple shampoo] is because they want to maintain the overall health, condition and shine of your hair so you have opportunities later on for change, [since] damaged, dull, and thin hair has a tendency to break and limits what you can do with your hair in the future.”
Above all, talk to your stylist. “Your colourist will recommend the proper usage [for] your hair colour. [Purple shampoo] will really extend the life of your hair colour, which saves you trips to the salon and keeps that extra money in your pocket.”
Now that’s advice we can get behind.
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