Amelia Yeomans
Finding the best purple shampoo is, on paper, pretty straightforward. All you need is something to wash your hair with something that contains a toning purple pigment. A pretty simple brief, right?
If you're looking for this kind of shampoo it's very likely you have blonde or grey hair colour and want to cool down yellow, brassy tones. You likely already use the best shampoo and conditioner for your hair type, so have some idea of what you like, whether that's the best shampoo for fine hair or shampoo for curly hair. But while all violet shampoos aim to perform roughly the same function (toning for blonde hair) there are variations on the theme, each with its own unique merits – or lack thereof. In other words, it's still helpful to get an expert steer on which ones are worth your time and money, and which ones would perhaps be better off down the plughole.
Having experimented with a whole host of products in our beauty journalism careers, as well as testing a range of options at varying price points, team woman&home can confidently say that the 12 featured in this guide are the very best purple shampoo options on the market. (We won't talk about the havoc wreaked upon our bathroom tiles in the process...)
The best purple shampoo, chosen by our beauty team
RRP: £28.25 | Features: Hyaluronic acid, can be used frequently, refill available
"This takes the top spot for versatility, effectiveness, and ability to adapt to anyone's needs," says senior beauty editor Rhiannon Derbyshire. "It works just as well on brightening wiry greys as it does to add luminosity to bright new babylights. It also lathers beautifully, so feels more like a traditional creamy wash than a toning product. Plus, it works impressively quickly - adding instant swish and a brighter tone after just one wash."
How often should you use purple shampoo? "While I'd argue against washing with any purple shampoo every day, this feels gentle enough that you could use it most of the time without over-toning or drying your hair out," she continues. "Price-wise this isn't hugely affordable, but as with all of Kérastase's shampoos, the ultra-rich formula means you only need to use a tiny amount for every wash, giving you more bang for your buck."
Buy if: You want a great lather and a nourishing formula that can be used frequently
Avoid if: You have a smaller budget
RRP: £8.50 | Features: Works on all hair types, very effective, a little goes a long way.
"The second I notice yellow or brassy tones in my hair, I run to grab this shampoo," says beauty writer Amelia Yeomans. "Offering some of the absolute best vegan shampoos and conditioners on the market, Bleach London provides affordable and effective haircare for those who love to inject some colour into their look, or just need some extra TLC for colour-treated hair. This particular shampoo gets to work remarkably quickly - just a few minutes in the shower will give you instant silvery tones without any brass.
"I do find it to be slightly stripping on my very dry and brittle hair," she continues. "However, due to the strong toning powers, a once-a-week treatment or every fortnight is more than enough to keep my hair looking its best and feeling hydrated. If you want a cool-toned, icy blonde, this is certainly the best purple shampoo for you."
Buy if: You want a more affordable purple shampoo
Avoid if: You have really dry strands
RRP: £24.70 Features: UV filters; protects, tones and strengthens hair
"As well as a hyper-concentrated violet pigment (watch those splatters!) it also contains a UV shield to protect hair from the environmental dulling that causes brassiness in the first place,” says Derbyshire. Formulated with natural oils and seed extracts to nourish and undo the drying effects of hard water on hair plus oil-unclogging skincare acid, and salicylic acid for extra scalp freshness.
This thick vegan-friendly cream also has the appearance of a low-foam formula but works into a decent creamy lather while depositing plenty of cool-toned toners onto the hair and we can’t get enough of the scent.
Buy if: You need a hydrating and nourishing formula
Avoid if: You want to spend under £20
RRP: £9.50 Features: Bonding and anti-brass technology
“The bright violet tone was to be expected, but what I didn't expect was how soft my hair felt after using this," says Derbyshire. "Sometimes, even when it comes to the best purple shampoo, you expect a little dryness as a side-effect to the toning, but there wasn't even a hint of it with this affordable buy.
"I would confidently recommend it for almost all hair textures and curl types – something you couldn't do with a lot of the other drugstore options," she adds. "From just one use my hair looked brighter but also felt smooth and sleek. If you try one purple shampoo, make it this one."
Buy if: You have textured hair
Avoid if: Some users report it can slightly stain fingers
RRP: £22.50 | Features: Silicone free, 96% naturally-derived and vegan-friendly formula
This purple shampoo has everything we would expect from natural hair brand Aveda – a gorgeous, natural herbal fragrance, a low-foaming formula without sulphates and silicones and an almost exclusively natural ingredients list. Add to that some incredibly powerful purple pigment and you have yourself an excellent toning shampoo.
“When I say the pigment packs a punch, I mean it – you would really only want to use this once or twice a week, max, for up to three minutes at a time. Many will see this as a great thing because it gets the job done,” says beauty editor Fiona McKim. “It is less drying to the hair and has the benefit of stopping the pigment from spraying a Rorschach test all over your tiles. Expect instant iciness of tone and a fresh scent that lingers all day."
Buy if: You want a sulfate-free shampoo
Avoid if: You prefer a shampoo that really lathers
RRP: £23 | Features: Repairing and strengthening
Amika’s hardworking, fuss-free products are designed to work for all hair types and textures, and their blonde range is one of the heroes of the brand.
“The thick texture means it's not as messy as some other blonde shampoos, and it works up to a rich lather easily," says Derbyshire. My hair felt really clean, and I didn't feel it was particularly drying. It's worth mentioning that the accompanying conditioner is particularly excellent, which helped boost moisture while leaving my highlights looking brighter and fresher."
Buy if: Repairing properties are important to you
Avoid if: You have drier hair, as some note it can be quite drying on some hair types
RRP: £6.99 | Features: Silvergloss technology for shine; specialised for grey hair
“It’s refreshing to see a violet wash catering specifically to the grey-haired market and doing it very well," says McKim. "This contains a pared-back pale violet pigment to gently neutralise yellow tones whether you're transitioning to grey hair or have been full-blown silver for years. Crucially, the tone is brightened, but without tipping it over into blue rinse territory.
"Toning aside, a decent proportion of the formula is given over to moisturising and gloss-boosting ingredients, which shows in the nice suds-y lather and pleasant shimmer on the hair after drying," she continues. "We found the tone to be ashy rather than ultra-icy, which very warm blondes who want punchy purple pigment may find off-putting. But it's a winner for silver hair or grey-blended colours like herringbone highlights."
Buy if: You have grey strands and want a specialised purple shampoo to boost shine and tone
Avoid if: You don’t want pale purple pigment
RRP: £23.90 | Features: pH-balanced formula with wheat proteins
"You'll notice the intense pigment right away, an inky almost-aubergine that requires careful rinsing from the tops of your ears after washing," explains Derbyshire. "The benefit of this is, of course, ultra-effective icy toning with just one wash. The formula is also pH-balancing and boasts wheat proteins for condition.
"While I didn't have silky soft hair afterwards, it was manageable and didn't feel remotely brittle. This isn't the cheapest shampoo on the list but that price is for a generous bottle that you only need to use once a week, so it does represent a good deal."
Buy if: You want a very intense formula
Avoid if: You want an easy wash and go; you need to be careful to wash it from your ears after using
RRP: £18.50 | Features: microPROtec complex to restore colour evenly
This professional-grade purple shampoo is formulated to restore cool blonde hair while eliminating yellow undertones. Infused with an innovative microPROtec complex which is made up from dyes, which helps to restore colour evenly.
But that’s not the only stand-out ingredient. Infused with Luminescence, this formula works to transform external UV light into the hair for glowing strands. For best results, leave it in wet hair for up to five minutes before rinsing – and remember it’s recommended to use gloves!
Buy if: Bright glossy hair is on the agenda
Avoid if: You’re more focused on combating brassiness over adding brightness
RRP: £26.45 Features: Vegan formula, free from sulphates, parabens and silicones; refillable
The salon-first brand boasts a vegan and natural formula and is one of the best purple shampoos for a gentle cleanse that will leave strands glowing. The formula removes brassy tones using purple sweet potato extract, a natural (and vegan) source of violet pigment, which not only works against any brassiness but acts as a protecting anti-oxidant for your hair.
And that’s not even the best part – because of the natural pigment, you can use this purple shampoo as often as you need to. So, if you regularly battle greasy roots and have to alternate the days you use purple shampoo, you can use this one as many times as you like and it will continue to cool yellow undertones and give you radiant hair in one wash. With a spicy and fruity scent, this is hands down the best smelling purple shampoo.
Buy if: You prefer a vegan and natural-led formula
Avoid if: You’re looking for high-street price tags
RRP: £9.99 | Features: The PLEX-REPAIR™ ingredient, which strengthens and tones hair
If you bleach your hair, you may struggle with breakage, so this formula should be on your radar. This may be one of the most affordable purple shampoo options on the market, but it makes big promises. Not only can it banish yellow and brassy tones in one wash, but it also claims to reduce breakage in the hair by 90%.
How so? The brand's PLEX-REPAIR™ ingredient is made to strengthen strands from their core, for healthier and stronger hair. This is another one with strong violent pigments, so if you have gloves nearby, it’s recommended that you use them.
Buy if: You want to both prevent breakage and banish brassiness
Avoid if: You don’t have damaged hair and would prefer a shine boost
RRP: £15 Features: Formula helps restore hair to optimal pH.
A professional formula without the salon price tag, this purple shampoo is specifically formulated for lightened and grey hair and is the best purple shampoo for actually retaining colour as well as reviving it. It works to restore hair to its optimal pH level, thanks to the brand's patented pH 4.5 Balancer Technology. This freezes the colour pigments inside the hair strand, which in turn prevents colour from fading.
As well as maintaining, it helps to revive cool tones and neutralise warm undertones while effectively cleansing hair. The formula is infused with the brand's Cell Equaliser Technology, which seals the outer layer to protect strands against blow drying and environmental aggressors. What's not to love?
Buy if: You have lightened hair and want your colour to last
Avoid if: Your colour has already faded, so longevity isn’t as important to you
How we tested the best purple shampoo
Two of the purple shampoos that we tested for this guide
The woman&home beauty team includes members with various unnatural blonde hairstyles. This includes brunette with balayage, naturally mousy blonde packed with ultra-bright and fine highlights, and bleached, warmer-toned blonde that's prone to brassiness.
To see which purple shampoos really worked, we each tested a selection of products. We looked at factors like how our hair felt after washing and if it did a good job of cleaning as well as toning, paying attention to the kind of toning effect it had – silver, white or champagne, for example.
Generally, we find that most purple shampoos yield visible results after a single wash, but we tested these shampoos over multiple washes to be able to assess its true toning abilities. After seeing the results, these are the purple shampoos we would recommend to anyone to help grey or blonde hair look its best.
How to pick the best purple shampoo for you
Though it's primarily marketed at bleached blondes, purple shampoo also works well on grey hair, balayage hair and highlights (cool-toned brunettes should seek out blue shampoo for brown hair instead). Choosing the best purple shampoo requires considering your hair type. Have you got frizzy hair or a long hairstyle that requires extra nourishment to prevent split ends? Are you a regular swimmer and need something to help you nail how to get chlorine out of hair? Some purple shampoos include hydrating or repairing ingredients, while others focus purely on packing in as much pigment as possible.
They can also vary hugely in price, but does spending more really get you the best purple shampoo? The short answer is not necessarily – where your product sits on the price scale will most likely be reflected in the extra ingredients and luxurious packaging, but rarely in the strength of pigment. If all you want is to tone down warmth in the hair, affordable purple shampoos can be as effective as more luxury options in doing so.
What does purple shampoo do to hair?
According to Michael Shaun Corby, Global Creative Director at Living Proof, the premise is simple. "Purple is on the opposite side of the wheel from yellow, which means they are complementary colours," he explains. "You might remember from school that complimentary colours cancel each other out. This means that purple shampoo neutralises any yellow tones in your hair, leaving hair looking cleaner and brighter."
Does purple shampoo make your hair lighter?
A common misconception is that purple shampoo makes your hair lighter – but this just isn't possible without bleach. "Even the best purple shampoo isn’t a lightener," Corby confirms. "Instead, it neutralises brassiness in light-coloured hair. Purple shampoo pushes these yellow tones aside to reveal a cleaner, brighter hair colour, which may be why it appears lighter. Another benefit of purple toning shampoo is its ability to do away with dull hair. A hair toner can give hair back its lustre and natural sheen."
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