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Key ingredients:<\/strong> Ocean Silk Technology (red algae extract) | Who it’s for:<\/strong> dry hair, fine hair, thin hair<\/p>\n Purple shampoos are exactly what they sound like: a shampoo with a purple tint. Cosmetic chemist Ginger King notes that the thinking behind purple shampoos is based on the color-wheel theory, the same principle people use for color correction in makeup (and one you may remember from elementary school art class). This theory states that colors on opposite sides of the color wheel\u2014 also known as complementary colors\u2014neutralize each other. Considering that purple is the opposite of yellow on the color wheel, colorists apply this theory to hair to successfully balance out brassy tones. “Purple tones cancel out any unwanted brassy yellow tones and maintain brightness between highlighting appointments,” explains Felicia Dosso, a colorist at New York City-based Nunzio Saviano Salon.<\/p>\n Though King agrees that purple shampoos typically work best on silver or blonde hair, Dosso notes that brunettes can also enjoy their color-cooling benefits. “The main complaint brunettes have is their hair turns brassy, so I always recommend purple shampoo to my brunette clients too,” says Dosso. “I suggest using once a week as needed to negate that.”<\/p>\n With that being said, brunettes, dirty blondes, and other darker blonde tones (think less Marilyn Monroe and more Gigi Hadid’s honey blonde) may want a blue shampoo instead. Since darker shades have a deeper warmth to their color, they don’t yellow\u2014instead, they turn orange. Blue is a complementary shade to orange, which makes it ideal for toning dark blondes and brunettes.<\/p>\n No matter your hair color, Kiyah Wright\u2014a hairstylist and owner of Muze Hair in Los Angeles who works with Jennifer Hudson, Tyra Banks, and Laverne Cox\u2014advises clients to be careful when using certain purple products though because they can stain. “If you have icy-blonde hair and leave a purple shampoo on for too long, your hair will have a blue-purple tinge,” Wright cautions. So be sure to read the instructions carefully and make sure you time your session accordingly.<\/p>\n We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While certain products can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn\u2019t want to pick up a purple shampoo that\u2019s only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that\u2019s never been tested by anyone with curls\u2014right?<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFrequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What is purple shampoo, and how does it work?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Who should use purple shampoo?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Meet the experts<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
How we test and review products<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n