Does purple shampoo make your hair lighter or darker?

 

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: Do you use purple shampoo before or after regular shampoo?

 

In summary, purple shampoo maintains the color level you have in your hair. Do you know what color level you have?

If you still don’t know your color levels, don’t worry. I’ll give you a master’s class later.

 

But first, I want to make sure we are on the same page.

 Purple shampoo doesn’t make your hair lighter or darker. It simply neutralizes the brassy or yellow undertones that may result after bleaching or coloring. 

 

So, if you are looking to lighten or darken your hair, you’ll need to use other products.

If you want to lighten your hair and take it from, for example, a dark brown to a very light blonde, you’ll need to bleach it.

Alternatively, to darken your hair, the solution is to tint it three or four colors darker.

So, let’s recap.

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Purple shampoo doesn’t make your hair lighter or darker because it’s a toning shampoo

To lighten or darken your hair, the product you apply must penetrate inside the hair shaft. Instead, purple shampoo only deposits a film of pigments on the outermost part of the hair.

It also contains purple pigments that neutralize yellow undertones.

 

Each hair color has a specific number on the color scale.

The scale is universal and goes from 1 to 10:

 

When you lift and bleach your hair, unwanted shades like yellow, brassy, or red can emerge. In this case, we’ll talk about yellow.

If you’re transitioning to blonde, yellow undertones will emerge after bleaching.

 

The numbers with more yellow in them are:

That’s the color level of your hair. It’s the number of the color of your mane.

 

Purple is used to neutralize the unwanted yellow that remains after bleaching or coloring your hair blonde. It’s because purple is the opposite of yellow and it neutralizes it.

It means that the yellow disappears with each application, and your hair gets ashy undertones.

It doesn’t mean changing the color level of your hair.

 

Here are some examples:

Can you see?

 

The purple shampoo doesn’t make your hair lighter or darker because it only neutralizes the unwanted colors for a sophisticated blonde.

It brings me to explain how purple shampoo works on hair.

 

How purple shampoo eliminates unwanted yellow undertones without changing the color level

The purple shampoo creates a film of pigment that is deposited on your hair. It gradually removes unwanted undertones and prevents them from reappearing.

It means that you add pigments every time you wash your hair, and your color is neutralized for longer.

 

 Purple shampoo can’t make your hair lighter or darker because the pigments don’t penetrate the hair  like the pigments in permanent hair dyes or bleach.

On the other hand, purple shampoo doesn’t contain any damaging chemicals such as sulfates, parabens, developer, or ammonia.

 

How to apply purple shampoo

Now that you know that purple shampoo will not change the level of your color, you can start using it with no fear.

You can use the purple shampoo to wash your hair after bleaching it, or you can continue to use it after a color service that leaves unwanted yellow undertones.

 

It also works on any color service such as balayage or highlights. The application is very simple. The frequency depends on each brand’s instructions.

 My advice is to read the manufacturer’s instructions very carefully and start using the products gradually. 

 

If you notice that using the purple shampoo once a week helps your color stay free of unwanted yellows, add it into your hair beauty routine.

Although it has pigments and is different from regular shampoos, it also contains cleansing agents to clean your hair.

 

Here’s the step-by-step:

 

 Keep in mind that this is a general step-by-step. Each manufacturer has its own exposure times and frequency of use. 

I recommend that you follow the instructions for the best results.

 

I’ll also make further recommendations.

Apart from following the frequency of use of the purple shampoo, respect the exposure times.

If you overdo it, even though your hair won’t get lighter or darker. Instead, you may end up with purple hair.

Don’t panic!

That color will disappear after a few washes because the pigments don’t penetrate deep into the hair.

 

Conclusions

Purple shampoo can’t make your hair lighter or darker because it only neutralizes the unwanted yellow undertones that appear after bleaching or dyeing your hair.

Respect the exposure times and frequency of use, and your hair will be free of unwanted brassiness for longer.