Finding the best shampoo to keep your grey hair looking bright and bold but without any yellow undertones or brassiness is no mean feat. If you have yet to find a solution, it might be time to start your search for the best shampoos for grey hair, otherwise known as, purple shampoo. Although it sounds counterintuitive to use a colour-based shampoo to banish unwanted colour in your hair, the science behind it is smart. “It all comes down to the colour wheel,” explains Nicholas Fletcher-Holmes, Goldwell creative and education ambassador. “Purple sits opposite yellow, so when you use a purple shampoo, the pigments cancel out yellow tones. The result? Hair that looks brighter, cooler and more radiant.” The same advice goes if your blonde hair is becoming yellower than you’d like, which can happen once regular washing, UV damage and heat styling have taken their toll.
As for how to use your purple shampoo once you find the right formula? It’s simple, either use it daily to maintain salon-fresh colour or intensively over a few days as a treatment to quickly neutralise yellow tones and get your hair colour back to its best. Either way, it’s a simple swap for your regular shampoo but one that will yield big rewards.
Here’s Vogue’s pick of some of the best shampoos for grey hair.
Why do I need to use a purple shampoo?
“Purple shampoos are a lifesaver for grey and silver hair,” says Fletcher-Holmes. “The violet pigments neutralise yellow and brassy tones, restoring a clean, fresh finish to your colour. It’s a simple way to keep your hair looking vibrant between salon visits.”
How do purple shampoos work?
“Purple shampoos leave behind a veil of purple pigment on the hair, which counteracts the yellow tones. It’s the same concept as the old-fashioned ‘bluing’ that your grandmother used when washing her whites, and many modern teeth whitening treatments are purple for the same reason,” explains Adam Livermore, Oribe Global Artist. “Purple neutralises yellow. But it’s a good idea to use a clarifying shampoo now and again so that purple pigment doesn’t build up on the hair and make it dull.”
L'Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Anti-Brassiness Purple Shampoo
Why we love it: If you struggle to keep your grey or blonde hair fresh and bright between salon visits, this shampoo helps counteract brassiness and refreshes colour quickly. While the violet pigments counteract any unwanted yellow tones, the signature Elvive formula leaves hair glossy, soft and manageable too.
Goldwell Dualsenses Blonde And Highlights Anti-Yellow Shampoo
Why we love it: One of the issues with grey hair is that it can quickly become dull with constant washing and heat styling. This clever colour-correcting shampoo contains a unique FadeStopFromula complex to help reduce fading alongside Luminescine technology and a microPROtec complex which reflect light and create instant shine.
Good for: Hair that’s become lacklustre and dull
Kérastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra Violet Shampoo
Why we love it: As well as correcting yellow tones in grey, silver or blonde hair, this shampoo is packed with plenty of protective, reparative extracts like hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower to combat damage caused by pollution and other external aggressors, all of which can drain luminosity.
Good for: High performance cleansing and colour restoration
Olaplex No.4P Blonde Hair Hydrating and Brightening Purple Toning Shampoo
Why we love it: In addition to dealing with issues with fading and yellowing, grey hair can easily become dry and brittle. Powered by Olaplex’s signature bond building technology, this purple shampoo helps strengthen and repair damaged strands while neutralising brassiness and restoring hydration.
Good for: Hair that’s damaged and dulling
Redken Color Extend Blondage Shampoo
Why we love it: While ultraviolet pigments help banish yellowness from the hair, the Triple Acid Protein Complex contained in the formula offer intensive nourishment and conditioning to help prevent breakage. With continued use, colour is more vibrant and shine is improved.
Good for: Improving the resilience of your hair
Aveda Blonde Revival Purple Toning Shampoo
Why we love it: Illuminate the bright tones in your grey hair with this gentle but effective purple shampoo. As well as neutralising any unwanted tones, it adds shine and is sulphate-free, meaning it won’t strip the hair of any necessary lubricating oils.
Good for: A gentle, everyday cleanse
Amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Shampoo
Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Repair Shampoo
Why we love it: In addition to neutralising violet pigments, this daily use shampoo contains quinoa protein and conditioning plant butters to deliver a hefty hit of hydration. It’s infused with the brand’s patented bond cure technology which helps minimise breakage and improve strength and resilience in each strand.
Philip Kingsley Brightening Daily Shampoo
Why we love it: If your silver or blonde strands are becoming discoloured and you want to keep things fresh, this shampoo is formulated with optical brighteners and violet hues that refreshes and brightens colour without depositing any violet colour onto the hair itself. As well as reviving the colour, the formula offers intense moisturisation and improves shine.
Good for: Those looking to revive their colour and boost shine
Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo
Why we love it: Formulated with a host of brightening, anti-yellow pigments such as pure violet pigment and reflective pearls, this shampoo for grey hair also contains lemon, ginger root and chamomile to optimise shine and luminosity. Purple orchid flower is also included to help repair any oxidative damage, as is Swiss garden cress sprout extract, and Oribe’s signature complex of watermelon, lychee and edelweiss flower extracts. UV protection adds a final protective flourish to ensure hair is well protected after use.
Good for: Hair that’s prone to damage as well as fading
Aussie SOS Blonde & Hydrate Shampoo
Why we love it: A great affordable option to keep your silver, grey or blonde colour looking fresh between salon treatments. As well as brighter, boosted colour with no brassy undertones, the Australian superfoods in the formula ensure hair is transformed from dry and brittle to nourished and glossy.
Good for: An affordable colour boost between salon visits
FAQS
Why does grey get brassy?
Just as brunettes tend to lose shine over time, those with grey and silver hair face colour fading which can then be impacted by external elements. The same goes for blondes, too. “Grey and silver hair lack natural pigment, which makes them more porous and prone to picking up environmental elements like pollution, smoke, or minerals from water, ” says Fletcher-Holmes. “Over time, these can cause yellow or brassy tones to develop. Oxidation, caused by exposure to air and UV rays, can also yellow the natural keratin in your hair, giving it that unwanted warmth.” If you are someone who uses keratin treatments to straighten out natural waves or curls, you also need to be careful. “Keratin treatments can turn grey hair yellow because natural keratin protein is yellow,” warns Livermore.
What do heat and UV do to grey hair?
Heat styling an excess exposure to UV, pollution, sea water and the like is a problem for all hair shades, but those with grey hair face extra problems because of its inherent texture. “Grey hair is more vulnerable to damage because it often has a coarser texture and less natural protection from melanin. UV rays can break down proteins in the hair, leading to yellowing over time, while excessive heat can scorch the strands, making brassiness even more noticeable,” says Fletcher-Holmes.
How else can I stop grey hair from yellowing or going brassy?
As well as switching out your regular shampoo for a purple one, there are other practical steps you can take such as using nourishing treatments like oils and serums to maintain optimum health. “Filter your water,” says Fletcher-Holmes. “Using a shower filter can reduce mineral deposits from hard water that might cause brassiness.” Reducing your hair’s exposure to UV rays is also important, so if you do find yourself in direct sunlight, make sure you protect against discolouration by wearing a hat and using a specifically formulated for hair. As for heat styling, it pays to take extra precaution. “All hair needs to be protected from hot tools and UV exposure, but grey hair is naturally coarser, which means people tend to get more aggressive when styling it. So protection is important,” says Livermore.
What should I look for when choosing a purple shampoo?
According to Fletcher-Holmes, there are a few key components that any good shampoo for grey hair should contain. As well as one that advertises itself for regular or daily use, look for one that can boost hydration. “Grey hair can be drier, so look for shampoos with added care benefits,” he says. If your scalp is sensitive or you want to protect your hair’s natural oils, opt for a sulphate-free formula, he adds. “Look for something that isn’t too heavily pigmented, so it doesn’t stain your hair purple,” adds Livermore.
Article taken from Vogue
Article written by Georgia Day