Lifting your hair to a lighter, blonder hue is a worthy commitment. The lightening process leaves the hair porous and more prone to damage, often leading to unwanted dullness and yellowish undertones. That's where purple shampoo comes in—an at-home solution to keep your hair looking bright and balanced between salon appointments.
"Purple shampoo works by neutralizing any unwanted yellow or warm tones to your blonde or gray hair," explains Carolyn J. Gahan, a hairstylist with extensive blonde and hair-lightening experience. Finding a purple shampoo that complements your hair type isn't exactly straightforward (a simple Google search will garner hundreds of results).
To help you narrow the results, we conducted hours of research and tested dozens of picks ourselves. We used each purple shampoo multiple times over six weeks, noting how well they lifted brassy tones, hydrated the hair, and more. We then consulted multiple stylists and color experts for professional insight and recommendations to compile this list.
Best Overall
Nexxus Blonde Assure Shampoo
Cleanses buildup well without over-drying or causing irritation
Nourishing formula
Saw noticeable results with each use
Chemical-like smell
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Citrus | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
This formula gets top honors from us for its rich, hydrating formula—and, of course, the fresh blonde shade it leaves behind. Formulated with keratin protein for softer hair and violet pigments to balance brassiness, this pick from Nexxus checked all of our boxes while testing. It has a perfect lather and is easy to spread on the scalp, and it didn’t stain our hands at all while washing. We loved that it cleansed thoroughly but didn’t leave our hair feeling dry and lifeless (as many purple shampoos are guilty of doing). In fact, we noticed that our hair felt even more nourished and healthy than it did with our standard shampoo.
The best part of using this shampoo was that there was a noticeable difference with each use—our hair color just looked better and better. We were able to keep blonde highlights looking fresh until the next appointment (and they were fading at the beginning of the testing period). Brassy and yellow shades that were present before completely disappeared. We also loved that we didn’t have to alternate shampoos in fear of our color becoming too cool—it never turned the hair purple while using.
Who It’s For
This is a great purple shampoo for blondes all around, but we especially recommend it for fine hair types. While it’s a powerful cleanser and toner, it stays lightweight and doesn’t leave any residue behind.
Best Budget
Kristin Ess The One Shampoo
Works on both blonde and brunette tones
Kept hair smooth even after heat styling
Washes out easily, doesn’t leave any residue
Can be a little drying
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Amber, magnolia, and pear | Size: 10 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you frequently dye your hair blonde, it’s pretty easy to make your way through bottles of purple shampoo—so you’ll want one that you don’t have to budget for. We recommend this one from Kristin Ess, which you can get for under $15. It can be used on both blonde and brunette shades to keep the color fresh and is a great pick if you like having an ash-blonde tone to your hair.
During testing, we loved that it didn’t stain our hands or leave an unpleasant smell behind and that it gave us a light and bright shade of blonde without any brassiness. While it did feel a bit drying, our hair felt soft and balanced overall when paired with a hair mask. But, it didn’t cause any scalp irritation or leave a residue, and our hair was smooth and shiny afterward—even once it was heat-styled.
Who It’s For
This is a great pick for oily hair types, as it cleanses deeply to remove oil, sweat, and build-up from the scalp—without causing irritation.
Best Hydrating
Amika Bust Your Brass Shampoo
Made hair softer and shinier
Repairs and strengthens
Also tones gray and lavender shades
Scent may be too strong for some
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Amber vanilla | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Purple shampoos aren’t always the most hydrating products on the market—many options are known to strip the hair of its natural oils. However, this super-nourishing pick from Amika is just what bleached or damaged hair needs—we were shocked at how soft our hair felt after rinsing it out. It contains quinoa protein and plant butters (mango and shea) to moisturize and strengthen the hair.
While the shampoo itself is very pigmented, it never stained or turned our hair purple. Although we loved how well it lathered, the strong scent might be too strong for some. It’s a great shampoo choice if you want your color to look cool and frosty, especially if you have gray or lavender tones. Our favorite part of using this shampoo was that our shade seemed to get brighter and brighter each day after washing—leaving us with hair that looked fresh and healthy.
Who It’s For
If you are prone to breakage or trying to repair your hair after damage, this purple shampoo can strengthen and nourish for stronger, healthier strands.
Best for Gray Hair
Better Not Younger Silver Lining Purple Brightening Shampoo
Adds volume and shine
Made hair feel more silky and manageable
Strengthens
Bottle is difficult to twist open
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Floral | Size: 8.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Purple shampoo isn’t only for blondes—it’s a great way for those with natural grays to keep brassiness at bay. Better Not Younger’s sulfate-free shampoo was formulated with aging hair in mind, containing ingredients that will hydrate and strengthen the hair (including biotin and bamboo extract). While testing, we loved its lovely smell and soft lather. We left it in for four minutes so the formula could absorb into our hair, and it didn’t leave any staining or purple tints behind.
With continued use, we saw that our hair was softer and smoother overall and even looked thicker and more voluminous. The best part? The yellow tones in our hair have noticeably faded, with color that looks bright and fresh.
Who It’s For
You’ll love this purple shampoo if you have flat hair that needs a little bit of a lift. It works to add volume and shine, leaving a silky finish after washing.
Best Shine-Enhancing
dpHUE Cool Blonde Shampoo
Vegan formula
Salon-quality results
Great smell
Could be more hydrating
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Clean | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you want to look like you just left the salon every time you wash your hair, you’ll love this purple shampoo from dpHUE. After use, our hair was smooth, soft, and shiny, with luminous color. The paraben- and sulfate-free formula has violet pigments and silk proteins to nourish and tone brassiness, and it didn’t strip our hair even after two shampoos. It also has a great, clean scent, which makes using it every day an even better experience.
During testing, we loved that it evened out the tones without tinting our hair purple, and that it was easy to lather and spread around the hair. You can also leave this formula in your hair for up to five minutes for more intense color.
Who It’s For
Those with delicate or fine hair—this is the purple shampoo for you. It cleanses gently without stripping the scalp, resulting in super soft hair.
Best for Highlights
IGK Blonde POP Shampoo
Safe and effective for chemically treated hair
Hydrates for hair that looks smoother overall
Cleanses the scalp well
Can slightly stain the shower
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Unscented | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you have blonde highlights and think you can get away with using a regular shampoo only, think again. Adding a toning purple shampoo into your wash day routine can extend the life of your color, so you can add some time between salon touch-ups. We tested this shampoo from IGK on highlights, and we saw a noticeable difference each time.
There were no instructions about leaving it in for a certain time period, so we just washed it out immediately— and it was still able to lift brassiness with each wash. It has a hydrating formula that doesn’t irritate the scalp, but it still cleans as well as your standard shampoo. After multiple uses, we noticed that our hair felt softer and less dry.
Who It’s For
This is a great option for those who wash their hair multiple times a week, as it doesn’t need to be left in to show results. It also doesn’t irritate or dry out the scalp.
Best for Thick Hair
Kérastase Bain Ultra-Violet Purple Shampoo
Only need a little bit for a lot of hair
Can leave on longer for a cooler tone
Doesn’t leave a residue
Have to follow up with a normal shampoo if you have a lot of product buildup
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: No | Scent: Unscented | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Thick hair needs hydration more than anything, and this purple shampoo from Kérastase has hyaluronic acid to do exactly that. It’s also formulated with antioxidant-rich flower extracts to protect the hair from damage. When we tested it for ourselves, we loved that it was easy to spread around the hair and the scalp and that you didn’t need to use an excessive amount to cover long, thick hair. It also did an amazing job of cleansing without drying out the hair or leaving a residue behind.
We left the shampoo on for five minutes and it gave our bleached color an icy finish, and our hair still looked as healthy and shiny as ever. While you can use it as a standalone shampoo, we recommend following up with your standard shampoo if you have a good amount of scalp buildup or do intense, sweaty exercise.
Who It’s For
We recommend this shampoo for dry, thick hair types. It’s formulated with hyaluronic acid to add hydration back into your strands.
Best for Sensitive Scalps
Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Shampoo
Cleanses thoroughly without irritating or drying out the scalp
Effective on all hair types and textures
Able to protect hair from damage
Has a great smell that we wish lasted longer
Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Pear, rose, and sandalwood | Size: 9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Purple shampoos are infamous for causing irritation and dryness, so finding one that caters to sensitive scalps is not always an easy feat. However, this pick from Pureology was one of the least irritating options that we tested—it didn’t make our scalp tingle after leaving it in for a couple of minutes. The sulfate-free formula has a rich lather that cleanses deeply without leaving a residue, and our hair felt clean for a while after using it. It also didn’t cause any dryness, and our strands were soft and smooth to the touch. It lifted the brassiness in blonde tones as promised, and the great scent was another added bonus. We also love that it comes with so much product (you can get around 75 shampoos—depending on length and texture, of course—in a single bottle).
Who It’s For
If your scalp frequently gets irritated by hair products, you won’t have to worry with this shampoo. It cleans thoroughly and won’t cause dryness or tingling for sensitive scalps.
What to Look for in a Purple Shampoo
- Purple tone: Purple tones and violet pigments aren't all the same, so they can have varying effects at neutralizing unwanted warmth. For example, violet is great at counteracting yellow tones in light blonde hues. "If your hair is more of a brassy orange or warm brunette, purple is too light," says Sabrina Yamani Yamga, an award-winning colorist and extension specialist at SPACE by Alex Brown in Chicago. "So you'll want to opt for a blue shampoo." In some cases, Shelly Aguirre, a professional stylist of Chicago's Maxine Salon, will show her clients the products against a white background so they better see the difference in tones.
- Blonde tone: Your particular shade of blonde matters, as well as if you dye or bleach your hair or have naturally light-colored locks. For instance, very light blondes will want something that minimizes yellow and brings out cool tones. "When it comes to that beautiful, silver, gray hair that can make someone actually look younger and hip, tonality is key," says Aguirre.
- Nourishing ingredients: As Yamga notes, purple shampoos can be drying, so look for products containing hydrating ingredients like argan oil, shea butter, and keratin amino acids. These are meant to ensure hair is soft, smooth, and shiny after washing.
- Sulfate-free formula: Dying and bleaching your hair can really do a number on it, and sulfates can worsen things by drying it out. With this in mind, you might want to opt for a sulfate-free purple shampoo, particularly one without sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). They're more gentle on your strands while still effectively getting rid of unwanted brassy, orange, and yellowish tones.
- Application: When buying shampoo, be sure to note the recommended use. Some are gentle enough for daily use, while others may be too drying or intensely pigmented and are best used two or three times a week. Purple shampoo is generally applied like regular shampoo. Squeeze one or two tablespoons into your hand, then lather it onto wet hair in the shower, making sure to evenly coat the entire length from root to tip. But unlike regular shampoo, you're often supposed to leave it on slightly longer—usually two to five minutes—before rinsing. Be sure to check the brand's specific instructions to avoid leaving the shampoo on too long.
Why Trust Byrdie
Shannon Stubbs is the commerce updates writer at Byrdie, where she covers beauty. She’s frequently trying new skincare and makeup products to recommend the best of the best to readers. She updated this article with tested insights and additional product information. Theresa Holland updated this list with additional buying tips and expert insights.
Team Byrdie worked with experts to ensure the best picks in this category:
- Carolyn J. Gahan, a creative colorist with extensive blonde and hair-lightening experience.
- Sabrina Yamani Yamga, an award-winning colorist and extension specialist at SPACE by Alex Brown in Chicago.
- Shelly Aguirre, a professional stylist of Chicago's Maxine Salon with over a decade of experience teaching at salons and tradeshows.
According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any probiotics from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com and we will evaluate the product ASAP.