Purple Vs Blue Shampoo: How To Pick (And Use) The Right One To Keep Your Hair Colour Fresh

If you’ve noticed purple and blue shampoos taking over your feed (and your favourite salon shelves), you’re not imagining it. These colourful formulas have become a haircare essential, and if you’re rocking any kind of blonde, silver, bronde, or even balayage, you’ll want to pay attention. No longer just a professional secret, these shampoos are now the low-maintenance lifesavers that keep your colour looking fresh and vibrant, reducing the need for salon appointments. But how do they actually work—and which one should you be using? Read on for all the deets.

Meet Toning, The Secret Sauce To Dreamy Hair Colour

Toning is basically the art (and science) of correcting or enhancing the shade of your hair, after it's been coloured. When you get highlights, balayage, or a full head of blonde, your colourist often follows up with a toner—a sheer, pigment-packed formula that either neutralises unwanted hues or adds a specific tone; think ash, beige, or pearl. This is because hair of various natural textures, pigments or density catches onto dyes differently and could use some help in order to achieve the exact look you're going for.

Toners are what keep your blonde from looking too yellow, your brunette from looking too warm, and your fashion colours (like platinum or lilac) from going dull. The only catch? Toners fade over time, especially with washing and exposure to sunlight. 

A Micro Lesson In Shampoo Science

At its core, this is all about neutralising unwanted tones. Hair colour has a habit of changing over time—especially if you spend a lot of time in the sun, swim often, or just live your life between touch-ups. Blonde hair can start looking yellow or brassy; brunette hair with highlights can start turning orange. That’s where purple and blue shampoos come in.

Purple shampoo uses violet pigments to cancel out yellow tones in bleached hair (I should've prepared you for a throwback to learning the colour wheel). Blue shampoos, on the other hand, neutralise orange and red tones that creep into darker hair colours. Using the right one keeps your colour cooler, fresher, and prim-looking without endless toner sessions at the salon.

Knowing Which One You Need

This depends entirely on the hair colour you decide to get. Let's break it down.

• Purple Shampoo: Ideal for blondes, salt-and-peppers, and anyone with cool-toned highlights. It stops your blonde from slipping into yellow territory and helps icy colours stay, well, icy.

• Blue Shampoo: Ideal for brunettes with balayage, highlights, or lighter ends. It knocks out those sneaky orange tones that tend to show up weeks after colouring. Personally, I used this to correct a botched Mocha Brunette that turned out entirely orange, and it worked like magic.

If you’re somewhere in between (say, ash bronde or mushroom brown), you might even want both on rotation—just not on the same day!

When And How Should You Use It?

More is not more here. Most people find that once a week is perfect. Think of them as a targeted treatment— not your everyday, throw-it-in-and-go shampoo. 

Now, don't go bringing the purple and blue shampoo out to play as soon as your colour job is done. It's best to wait about a week or two post colouring before you use these. Freshly coloured hair needs a little time to settle and seal in the pigments properly. Jumping in too early with toning shampoos might mess with that perfect salon finish.

You'll know it’s time when you start spotting signs like dullness, brassiness (yellow and orange streaks), or your hair just looking a bit meh instead of vibrant and shiny. That’s your cue to lather up.

The good news is that there aren’t any scary side effects to worry about. However, these shampoos can tend to be slightly more drying than your regular formulas (especially if they’re toning-focused.) Overdoing it can also give your hair a slightly purple or blue tint—not a disaster, but probably not the look you’re going for unless you're aiming for full Euphoria vibes. So, start slow and see how your hair responds.

Now, for a little how-to guide, emulsify and massage it in like you would a normal shampoo. Depending on the intensity of the orange or yellow tones you're dealing with, leave it in for 2-5 minutes. I always follow the shampoo rinse up with an intensively hydrating treatment, like the Treecell Forte Ampoule Treatment. This reverses any dryness and frizz that the toning could potentially cause.

Final Takeaways

Using purple and blue shampoos can be a pretty darn convenient DIY solution, and save you tons of time and money. As opposed to monthly salon appointments, it's a one-time investment, low maintainence habit that will keep you looking high maintainence. These are no longer optional, if you care about keeping your colour salon-fresh with minimal effort. They’re quick, effective, and can make all the difference in making it look like you just got out of a hair appointment, even if the last time you sat in the chair was Christmas. Just make sure you’re picking the right one for your needs—and don’t forget that moisture is your hair’s best friend.

Scroll for some of my favourite purple and blue shampoos that you can shop now!

Milk Shake Cold Brunette Shampoo

Brunettes battling brassiness, this one’s for you. It uses blue pigments to cancel out unwanted orange tones, keeping your colour rich and cool-toned. It also extends the life of cool-toning treatments. Plus, it’s packed with milk proteins and fruit extracts to leave your hair soft, shiny, and seriously healthy.

Available here.

ALFAPARF MILANO Semi Di Lino Brunette Anti-Orange Low Shampoo

This gentle, sulphate-free shampoo is a game-changer for dark brown hair hues fighting orange tones. It’s loaded with blue pigments to cool down warmth while keeping your hair soft, shiny, and vibrant—basically, it’s a salon touch-up in a bottle.

Available here.

Moroccanoil Color Care Purple Shampoo

Blondes and silvers, meet your new MVP. This knocks out yellow tones quicker than you can say "toner" with violet pigments, while argan oil keeps your hair feeling silky, hydrated, and fresh-out-of-the-salon shiny.

Available here.

Kérastase Blond Absolu Bain Ultra-Violet Purple Shampoo

If you’re chasing that perfect icy blonde, this one’s a must. Kérastase’s Bain Ultra-Violet uses powerful violet pigments to neutralise brassiness, while hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower keep your hair soft, strong, and seriously luminous.

Available here.

TIGI Bed Head Serial Blonde Purple Toning Shampoo

For blondes/platinums who like their colour bold and bright, this one delivers. It zaps away brassiness while boosting shine and strength, leaving your hair looking fresh, cool-toned, and full of life.

Available here.

Olaplex Nº.4P Blonde Enhancer™ Toning Shampoo

For all my blonde and grey haired beauties, this one's a must in your arsenal if you're looking to repair and maintain damaged hair, while also keeping it looking fresh and lustrous. This non-drying, deep cleansing formula is a real boon.

Available here.