The best purple shampoos to beat brassiness and boost shine – tested by our beauty team
The best purple shampoos for fresh blonde, balayage and greys
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 simple brief, right?
There are only so many types of purple shampoo and people who want to buy them. If you're looking for the best purple 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. So, it's still helpful to get an expert steer on which are worth your time, and which are better off down the plughole.
Having experimented with a roster of buys at varying price points (and wreaked havoc on our bathroom tiles in the process) we can confidently say the 12 products in this guide are the best purple shampoo options out there.
The best purple shampoo, chosen by our beauty team
Why you can trust Woman & Home
Best overall
RRP: £28.25 Features: Hydrating hyaluronic acid, can be used frequently, handy refill bottle available.
"This takes the top spot for versatility, effectiveness, and ability to adapt to anyone's needs. 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,” says senior beauty editor Rhiannon Derbyshire.
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. Price-wise this isn't hugely affordable, but as with all Kerastase'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’re looking for a great lather and a nourishing formula that can be used frequently
Avoid if: You don’t want to spend too much on a shampoo
Best heavy duty
RRP: £8.50 Features: Works for all hair types, very effective and a little goes a long way.
"The second I notice yellow or brassy tones in my hair, I run to grab this shampoo. 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,” says Beauty writer Amelia Yeomans. “I do find it to be slightly stripping on my very dry and brittle hair. 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 an affordable purple shampoo
Avoid if: You struggle with really dry strands
Best salon quality
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. The thick vegan-friendly cream 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 don't want to spend over £20.
Best for dry hair
RRP: £9.50 Features: Bonding and anti-brassiness technology
“The bright violet tone was to be expected, but what I didn't expect was how soft my hair felt afterward. 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. From just one use my hair looked brighter but also felt smooth and sleek. If you try one purple shampoo, make it this one,” recommends our Senior Beauty Editor, Rhiannon.
Buy if: You have textured hair
Avoid if: Some users report that this gives the fingers a slight tint
Best natural
RRP: £22.50 Features: Silicone free, 96% naturally-derived, vegan friendly.,
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,” Beauty editor Fiona McKim says. “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 enjoy a shampoo that really lathers up
Best for platinum hair
RRP: £23 Features: Repairing and strengthening
Ambika’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. 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,” says Senior beauty editor Rhiannon Derbyshire.
Buy if: Repairing is important to you, as this shampoo promises to prevent breakage
Avoid if: You have drier hair, as this is said to be quite drying on some hair types
Best for grey hair
RRP: £6.99 Features: Silvergloss technology for shine and specialised for grey hair
“It’s refreshing to see a violet wash catering specifically to the grey-haired market and doing it very well. 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 sudsy lather and pleasant shimmer on the hair after drying. 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 gray-blended colors like herringbone highlights,” says Beauty editor Fiona McKim.
Buy if: You have grey strands and want a specialised purple shampoo that will boot shine and tone, has a pleasant lather and an affordable price tag.
Avoid if: You don’t enjoy a pale purple pigment.
Best professional
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. The benefit of this is, of course, ultra-effective icy toning with just one wash. The formula also boasts a PH-balance and wheat proteins for condition. While I didn't have silky soft hair afterwards, it was manageable and didn't feel remotely brittle,” says senior beauty editor Rhiannon Derbyshire. “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,” she recommends.
Buy if: You want a very intense formula
Avoid if: You want an easy wash and go, with this professional grade pigment you need to be careful to wash it from your ears after using
Best brightening
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 that helps to restore colour evenly. That’s not the only stand out ingredient, infused with Luminescence the formula works to transform external UV light into the hair for glowing strands. For best results, leave in wet hair for up to five minutes 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 than adding brightness
Best vegan
RRP: £26.45 Features: A vegan formula, free from sulphates, parabens and silicones, refillable bottle
The salon-first brand boasts a vegan and natural formula and is one of the best purple shampoo's for a gentle cleanse that will leave strands glowing. The formula removes brassy tones, using purple sweet potato extract as 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 suffer with greasy roots and have to alternate the days you use purple shampoo–this one you can use as many times as you like and it will continue to cool yellow undertones and give you radiant hair in one wash. With a spiced fruit scent, this is hands down, the best smelling purple shampoo.
Buy if: You prefer a vegan and natural formula without sulphates and silicones.
Avoid if: You’re looking for something with a high-street price tag
Best affordable
RRP: £9.99 Features: The brand's PLEX-REPAIR™ ingredient strengthens the hair as well as toning.
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, but it makes big promises. Not only can it banish yellow and brassy tones in one wash, but it also claims to reduce breakage by 90%. How so? The brands 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 to use them.
Buy if: You want to prevent breakage as well as banish brassiness
Avoid if: You don’t have damaged hair and prefer to focus on shine
The best for shine
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 brands Cell Equaliser Technology, which seals the outer layer of hair to protects 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 making the colour last longer isn’t as important to you
How we tested the best purple shampoo
The w&h beauty team comprises unnatural blondes of varying levels. 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 what type of toning effect it had, i.e. silver, white, or champagne. We tend to find that most purple shampoos show results after just one wash, but we tested these shampoos over multiple washes to get the true toning effect. After seeing the results, these are the purple shampoos we would recommend to anyone to help gray or blonde hair look its best.
How to pick the best purple shampoo for you
While primarily marketed at bleached blondes, purple shampoo also works well on grey hair, balayage hair, and highlights, while brunettes should seek out blue shampoo for brown hair. Choosing the best purple shampoo means thinking about 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? you need something Some purple shampoos include hydrating or repairing ingredients, while some are purely focused on packing in as much pigment as possible.
How much you can spend is also an important consideration. They can vary hugely in price, but does spending more really get you the best purple shampoo? The short answer is no – where your product sits on that price spectrum will probably 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 luxury brands.
What does purple shampoo do to hair?
Now, the science bit. 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 colors. You might remember from school that complimentary colors cancel each other out. This means that purple shampoo neutralizes 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 - this just isn't possible without bleach. Corby explains, "Even the best purple shampoo isn’t a lightener, instead, it neutralizes brassiness in light-colored hair. Purple shampoo pushes these yellow tones aside to reveal a cleaner, brighter hair color, 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 luster and natural sheen."
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
As woman&home's Beauty Channel Editor, Fiona Mckim has tried more products than she’s had hot dinners and nothing makes her happier than raving about brilliant finds on womanandhome.com or her instagram grid (@fionamckim if you like hair experiments and cute shih-tzus). Fiona joined woman&home as Assistant Beauty Editor in 2013 under industry legend Jo GB, who taught her everything she needed to know (learn about ingredients and employ extreme cynicism). She has since covered every corner of the industry, from interviewing dermatologists and celebrities to reporting backstage at Fashion Week and judging the w&h Beauty Awards.
- Amelia YeomansSenior writer
-
Duchess Sophie's chunky gold earrings she wore in 2004 are right on trend 20 years later
The Duchess of Edinburgh has proved that statement gold earrings are a timeless jewellery essential as her pair from 2004 are right on trend
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
14 chic short nail designs to wear this spring - for a stylish and comfortable look that will stand out this season
Short nails for spring are in high demand and it's no wonder when you see the plethora of both subtle and bold designs the season has to offer...
By Naomi Jamieson Published