Many people admit that they use purple shampoo to color their hair. But can you dye your hair with purple shampoo? The answer lies in this article.
Several Tiktok videos suggest using purple shampoo to dye hair. As a result, many people have followed the trend. Some saw their hair colored perfectly, thus spreading the phenomenon around on all social media channels.
Meanwhile, others doubt this dying method. Professionals even mocked those who poured the whole bottle of purple shampoo on their hair and left it to sit there for over 16 hours.
Bombarded with all the information, you may wonder: “Can you dye your hair with purple shampoo?”. Find out our detailed explanation below to make a rational decision!

It is controversial whether you can dye your hair with purple shampoo.
Can You Dye Your Hair With Purple Shampoo?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Purple shampoo cannot dye your hair as much as permanent hair dye does.
If you let the purple shampoo stay on your hair for a long time, the shampoo will leave some violet stain on your hair. This phenomenon makes many of us misunderstand and start believing in the dying power of purple shampoo.
As a bit of clarifying shampoo rinses off the stain, your hair will gradually return to its original color.
However, if you still want to try this at-home hair coloring method, will it have any negative impact on your hair? Also, if not hair coloring, what is the purpose of purchasing purple shampoo?
Keep reading! You will debunk the myths behind purple shampoo and explore the appropriate way to use this hair care product.
What Is Purple Shampoo Originally Used For?
Purple shampoo was first created based on color theory. This theory argues that if the two complementary colors (two opposite colors on the color wheel) are combined, they will make each other look less vibrant.

Yellow and purple are opposite colors on the color wheel.
Thus, when you add purple haircare to brassy hair, the purple pigments counteract the yellow tone. So, if your hair gets a little bit too orange, yellow, or brassy due to exposure to heat from UV rays or curling iron, purple shampoo is all you need to get your fancy blonde hair back.
The purple elements in this type of shampoo will soften the warm tone of your hair’s yellow shade. As a result, your hair will look greyer and more platinum-like.
Besides, if you choose a product made of a considerable proportion of violet pigments, its color-correcting ability will be significantly amplified.
Therefore, instead of heading toward the salon for hair toning, you can fix your hair problem right at home by utilizing purple shampoo.
What If You Try To Color Your Hair With Purple Shampoo
As purple shampoo does have the power to tone your hair, it is reasonable for you to take advantage of this product. However, take into consideration some of this method’s downsides before you make the final decision.

Leaving purple shampoo on your hair for so long can be harmful.
First of all, as said, this new color will not last as long as when you dye your hair with a conventional hair dye. Though it can be an experiment that may bring a different hair look, this practice cannot replace the traditional process.
You can only witness the apparent impacts of purple shampoo on blonde or light brown hair. For those with dark or brown hair, it requires bleach before you can start coloring your hair with purple shampoo.
Moreover, even if your hair is blonde or light brown, the product chosen should contain a tremendous amount of purple pigments to take effect. Also, you have to apply purple shampoo on dry hair and let it sit for a dozen hours.
In the end, the result you get back is usually just lilac hue or lavender hue. Yet, to sustain this color, you must continue to use purple shampoo regularly. If you use regular shampoo, the color will wash off quickly.
The experts’ advice
Since you have to pour a ton of purple shampoo on dry hair to complete a lilac hue hair look, many experts have advised that this method might result in dull and lifeless hair.
Besides, because you do not know the correct formula to color your hair using purple hair care products, you might use too much shampoo or leave it on for too long. These incidents may cause you disasters as the color can turn out to be a weird shade of purple, or your hair is severely dehydrated.
Thus, in the long run, if you want to maintain purple hair color, hair salon service is a better choice.
How To Use Purple Shampoo Properly
As you now understand the power of purple shampoo correctly, it is time to know the proper way to use this hair care product.
First and foremost, you might want to purchase a set of both purple shampoo and purple conditioner.
While the shampoo helps clean all the brassiness, the purple conditioner plays an essential role in moisturizing your hair and enhancing the impacts purple shampoo has on it.

Purple shampoo can result in excellent hair colors if you use it right.
Here are the steps to use purple shampoo at home:
- Wetting your hair under slightly warm water.
- Lather the shampoo on your hair gently. It would be best if you spent some more time rubbing the shampoo into your problematically brassy or yellowish hair areas.
- Don’t forget to apply the shampoo from root to tip so that you can refrain from hair damages.
- Next, you should wait for some minutes to let the purple pigments blend into your hair. Note that depending on your hair conditions, the waiting time may vary. It is recommended to carefully read the product’s instructions since different brands might have different formulas, thus differing in the waiting time.
- For natural blonde hair, it takes you only 2 to 3 minutes.
- In case of having color-treated brassy or gray hair, you may need to let it sit for about 15 to 30 minutes.
- After that, you can rinse all the shampoo off and begin to condition your hair as usual.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I apply purple shampoo?
It is hard to say a specific frequency since it relies on your hair brassiness and what you expect your hair to become. However, one pro tip for you in the first rollout is to try purple shampoo only once a week.
Then, you can use regular shampoo to wash up your hair on the other days of the week.
A low frequency at first will allow you to observe the effects these products have on your hair and make any necessary adjustments if the shampoo does not yield the result you expect.
Then, after familiarizing yourself with the product, you can consider using it 2 or 3 times per week.
Can I use purple shampoo for dark or brown hair?
Yes. The purple shampoo has never been reported to damage your dark or brown hair. Nonetheless, its effects will not be as visually compelling as they are on blonde hair.

Blue shampoo might be your choice if you have brown/dark hair.
If you want to deal with brassy tones in your brown hair, you can do quick research on blue shampoo. While purple shampoo cools down the yellow tone of the blonde, the blue shampoo works best with brunettes as it neutralizes unwanted red and orange tones.
What should I do if I let it sit for too long?
Don’t worry. If you accidentally leave the purple shampoo on longer than you want, grasp a bottle of clarifying shampoo.
Clarifying shampoo will wash the silver shade of your hair and lessen the damage that purple shampoo has inflicted.
Final Thoughts
With all the information presented, we hope you have found the trustworthy answer to the question “Can you dye your hair with purple shampoo.”
Despite incredible effects on hair color toning, it is vital to recognize that purple shampoo cannot replace hair dye to transform your hair’s color. However, if you want to rinse the brassiness off your blonde hair, this product should be good to go.
Leave a Reply