Using purple shampoo on blonde hair

Blonde seemed like such a good idea, didn’t it? Until that perfectly cool hue turned into a brass band. Whether you are bleaching your hair at home or having it professionally done, lightened hair tends to skew brassy yellow over time. You have probably heard that the solution to yellowing hair lies in purple shampoo, but why?

Who is purple shampoo really for? Why is purple shampoo so…purple? And why isn’t anyone talking about purple conditioner? (hint: they should be).

Read on to set yourself straight on purple shampoo for blondes. For starters, let’s look at purple shampoo and purple conditioner on the color wheel.

Purple shampoo versus Violet shampoo

Diving into color wheel specifics can be helpful when you are seeking the perfect blonde. We are using the phrase “purple shampoo” pretty generally. Though close neighbors on the color wheel, violet has a bit more blue, while purple has a dash more red. You can guess what that means when you are seeking to “cool down” your brassy yellow tones. The extra blue calms yellow and orange tones more directly.

In formulating HELIO violet shampoo and HELIO violet conditioner, we took into consideration what was actually happening in our flagship SEVEN salon and other salons around the country. We saw a need for cooler blonding and crafted our deeply saturated violet shampoo and violet conditioner to meet that need.

Purple shampoo is not just for bombshell blonde

The lighter your hair, the more immediately noticeable the results of HELIO violet shampoo and violet conditioner will be, but you don’t have to be fully blonde to reap the rewards. The brighter strands in your balayage or highlights will all benefit.

Does blonde hair need purple conditioner too?

Why doesn’t anyone ever talk about purple conditioner? Let’s put a stop to that right here. Bleached hair is damaged hair. If you have lightened hair, you need repair. HELIO violet conditioner gives you the opportunity to repair your hair while simultaneously locking in the impact of your toning treatment with a high saturation of violet. If you are in need of blonde toning + extra hair repair, do a light, quick wash with Helio violet shampoo. Be generous with your Helio violet conditioner as a follow up, clipping hair out of the way while you let it do its work for 10 minutes, then thoroughly rinse. 

Does purple shampoo color your hair purple?

Well…the wrong purple shampoo actually can over-color, so picking the right one and reading the directions is key. Though deeply saturated with cooling violet tones, HELIO violet shampoo and violet conditioner are formulated not to over-deposit color. The shampoo pulls blondes from brash to ash. The conditioner continues the cooling process, locks in the color balance, and heals the cuticle. But neither will leave a purple reminder that you’ve used them.

How often should you use purple shampoo and conditioner?

After your color service, your colorist will likely treat you with a toner before you leave the salon. To ensure your blonde stays bright, light, and cool, you will need to follow up at home. We recommend using HELIO violet shampoo and violet conditioner 1-2 times per week for regular maintenance. For anyone needing extra strengthening and healing (and if you have bleached your hair this is likely), we suggest alternating washes between HELIO and the KENTE BOND system which uses smart ingredient technology to repair bleached, damaged hair. Whether you have used HELIO or BOND, lock in the shine and close your cuticle with BOND reparative spray before styling.  

Sulfates and blonde hair

This one is important. No sulfates for you, blondey! The two big bad sulfates commonly found in purple shampoo (and all shampoos for that matter) are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES). They are used widely in personal care products because they are inexpensive and create a big lather. But these two sudsers can strip already compromised hair, irritate your scalp, fade your color, and worse. HELIO violet shampoo (and all of SEVEN haircare’s products) are always formulated without SLS and SLES. Your hair deserves that.