Purple shampoo is supposed to help counteract brassiness and add shine to blonde or gray hair. But sometimes it seems to do the opposite, leaving hair darker and duller instead of lighter and brighter.
There are a few possible reasons why purple shampoo turns hair dark. If purple shampoo has made your hair dark, you can fix it easily without bleaching or dyeing your hair.
We have covered some of the easiest at-home techniques to fix hair that turned dark after using purple shampoo in this article, but before that, let’s take a look at the causes.
More than any product flaw, senior stylist Emma Baxendale sees over-toning cause this:
Adding too much purple/blue pigment into the hair and overtoning creates a dull ash look. This is because ash tones absorb light instead of reflecting light, creating a much darker look because all of the yellow/gold pigment has been neutralised too much, and when you are ‘neutralising’ a tone, you are effectively creating ‘brown’ by mixing opposite colours on the colour wheel.
Why Did Purple Shampoo Turn Your Hair Darker?
The first thing you should know is purple shampoo does not lighten or darken hair permanently. Your hair looks darker due to a buildup of purple pigment.
Purple shampoo is a product that works on post-dyed or post-bleached hair to help tone down brassiness.
If you look at the color wheel, purple is the opposite color of brassy tones like orange and yellow. The pigments in purple shampoo are great at neutralizing any yellow and orange tones from hair.
However, if you overuse purple shampoo, purple pigment can deposit on your hair strands and cause darkening. There can be other causes behind your hair looking darker.
Here are a few reasons why your hair may appear darker instead of brighter after using purple shampoo:
- You are not using natural products on your scalp to avoid any chemical build-up.
- You have hard water in the shower, and the mineral buildup makes your hair dark.
- Purple shampoo makes hair dry. It can increase the porosity in certain spots, which makes your hair appear darker.
Purple Shampoo Made My Hair Darker: How to Fix It
Purple shampoo is great for neutralizing yellow tones, but using it too much or leaving it on for too long can make your hair look dull.
Emma's fix, in the order she runs it at the salon:
I would advise using a cleansing or detoxifying shampoo for the next few washes, preferably a good quality one but if it is not budging then using an anti-dandruff such as Head & Shoulders works well to strip the hair, however, they are very drying for the hair so always follow with a conditioning treatment.
To fix your darkened hair caused by purple shampoo buildup, follow any of the methods described below.
Clarifying Wash
A clarifying shampoo is a deep-cleansing product that can help remove product buildup, including purple shampoo residues.
This is the most effective way to remove purple shampoo buildup, but it can be harsh for your hair and can fade your hair color too.
Skip the old tip about coating your hair in coconut oil first: it just forms a barrier that stops the clarifying shampoo from penetrating and doing its job. Protect the hair afterward instead with the deep conditioning step below.
Leave the clarifying shampoo in for 3-5 minutes before rinsing it thoroughly with water.
As both purple and clarifying shampoos can dry out your hair, use a deep moisturizing hair mask after a clarifying wash.
Regular Rinse and Wash
Sometimes, your hair may have absorbed more purple color if you did not rinse the product well enough.
An easy and natural way to remove the tone of purple shampoo in your hair is to use regular shampoo and conditioner with your washing schedule for 2-3 weeks.
Hop back into the shower and spend a few more minutes rinsing out the purple color to brighten your hair once more.
Tips to Avoid Further Darkening
If purple shampoo has darkened your hair, discontinuing its use is the first step to prevent any more color changes. It can sometimes have unintended effects on non-blonde or non-gray hair.
Once you have fixed the darker shade of your hair caused by purple shampoo, use a conditioning treatment that can re-moisturize your ends, roots, and shafts.
If you see yellow or brassy tones, you can start using purple shampoo again, but you will have to change the frequency, leave-in time, and concentration of the purple shampoo.
For those who have a high level of dyed hair, like a level 9 or 10 platinum blonde tone, certain purple shampoo types can be too pigmented for your hair strands.
In this case, consider choosing a lighter purple shampoo or using it less frequently.
Leave the purple shampoo in for less time when washing your hair. Use trial and error to see how long you should leave the shampoo on your hair.
Even if the box says to leave the shampoo in for 5-10 minutes, the time frame depends on your hair type and porosity.
So, if your hair is darkened after using purple shampoo, it is due to pigment buildup as purple shampoo doesn’t alter hair color.
To fix the darkened hair, use a clarifying wash, or simply return to regular shampoo and thorough rinsing for a few weeks. Adjust purple shampoo usage to prevent future darkening, especially for heavily dyed hair.
