I’ve been blonde to some degree for the entirety of my 28 years of life, but started bleaching my hair three years ago. And as a double-processed blonde, I’ve dabbled in some science for the sake of maintaining the integrity, health, and color of my hair. Through my studies (read: asking our beauty editor, Chloe), I’ve learned that not only do I have to eschew regular shampoos because of the way they could dull my color, but I also had to worry about things like sulfates, tonality, UV protection, breakage, and most of all, how to maintain a color that simply never seemed white enough for me. That’s when I started experimenting with purple shampoos and conditioners, and now I can confidently say I have tried just about every single one ever invented. (Thankfully, I didn’t encounter any chemical explosions during the process.) Photo: Imaxtree
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“Violet tones neutralize or remove orange and yellow, or as you call brassy tones, that may develop with time in color-treated blonde hair,” says Joseph Cincotta, a cosmetic chemist, who warns that these dyes might cause a temporary blue hue on extra-porous hair. “Typically, water-soluble dyes that are used in shampoos will last until your [next] shampoo. Conditioners and toners may also contain temporary dyes that could last three shampoos.”
Ahead, my ranking and reviews of five of the best purple shampoos and ...