Blondies! We Tested and Love These 8 Purple Shampoos That Fight Brassiness (2025)

Our Top Picks

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Citrus | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This formula gets top honors from us for its rich, hydrating formula—and, of course, the fresh blonde shade it leaves behind. Formulated with keratin protein for softer hair and violet pigments to balance brassiness, this pick from Nexxus checked all of our boxes while testing. It has a perfect lather and is easy to spread on the scalp, and it didn’t stain our hands at all while washing. Our tester, Ciara, loved that it cleansed thoroughly but didn’t leave her hair fine feeling dry and lifeless (as many purple shampoos are guilty of doing). In fact, she noticed that our hair felt even more nourished and healthy than it did with her standard shampoo. Ciara saw a noticeable difference with each use—her hair color just looked better and better. Brassy and yellow shades that were present before completely disappeared.

Ciara, tester with fine hair bleached blonde highlights: "I'm due for a highlight refresh, and this shampoo made me feel more confident by making my highlights look lighter in the last couple of weeks before my hair appointment."

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Amber, magnolia, and pear | Size: 10 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you frequently dye your hair blonde, it’s pretty easy to make your way through bottles of purple shampoo—so you’ll want one that you don’t have to budget for. We recommend this one from Kristin Ess, which you can get for under $15. It can be used on both blonde and brunette shades to keep the color fresh and is a great pick if you like having an ash-blonde tone to your hair. Our tester, Alicia, loved that it didn’t stain her hands or leave an unpleasant smell behind. Best of all, it gave her a light and bright shade of blonde without any brassiness. While it did feel a bit drying, she counteracted it with a nourishing hair mask.

Alicia, tester with wavy hair and bleached blonde highlights: "I am thrilled with the bright and light shade of blonde my highlights have now since using this purple shampoo. It definitely helped to counteract the brassy tones my highlights were having."

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Amber vanilla | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Purple shampoos aren’t always the most hydrating products—many options are known to strip the hair of its natural oils. However, this nourishing pick from Amika is just what bleached or damaged hair needs—our tester, Elise, was shocked at how soft her hair felt after rinsing it out, thanks to ingredients like quinoa protein and plant butters (mango and shea). While the shampoo itself is very pigmented, it never stained or turned Elise's hair purple. It’s a great shampoo choice if you want your color to look cool and frosty, especially if you have gray or lavender tones. Our favorite part of using this shampoo was that our shade seemed to get brighter and brighter each day after washing—leaving Elise with hair that looked fresh and healthy.

Elise, tester with long, bleached gray/blonde hair: "I can confidently say that this shampoo is worth the splurge. It leaves my hair cooler-toned, softer, and more moisturized than all the others; it's easier to wash out and doesn't stain."

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Floral | Size: 8.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Purple shampoo isn’t only for blondes—it’s a great way for those with natural grays to keep brassiness at bay. Better Not Younger’s sulfate-free shampoo was formulated with aging hair in mind, containing ingredients that will hydrate and strengthen the hair (including biotin and bamboo extract). Our tester, Holly, loved its smell and soft lather. She left it in for four minutes so the formula could absorb into her hair, and it didn’t leave any staining or purple tints behind. With continued use, Holly saw that her naturally gray hair was softer, smoother overall, and even looked thicker and more voluminous. The best part? The yellow tones in her hair have noticeably faded, leaving behind color that looks bright and fresh.

Holly, tester with thick, naturally gray hair: "Much to my surprise, this shampoo reversed the brassiness I noticed in my hair color. After weeks of use, my hair feels more silky and manageable, too."

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Clean | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you want to look like you just left the salon every time you wash your hair, you’ll love this purple shampoo from dpHUE. After use, our tester, Grace's, hair was smooth, soft, and shiny with a luminous color. The paraben- and sulfate-free formula has violet pigments and silk proteins to nourish and tone brassiness, and it didn’t strip her hair even after two shampoos. It also has a great, clean scent, making using it daily an even better experience. Grace loved that it evened out the tones of her hair without a purple tint. Also nice: It's great for those with fine, delicate hair since it cleanses gently without stripping the scalp.

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Unscented | Size: 8 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you have blonde highlights and think you can get away with using a regular shampoo only, think again. Adding a toning purple shampoo into your wash day routine can extend the life of your color, so you can add some time between salon touch-ups. We tested this shampoo from IGK on highlights, and we saw a noticeable difference each time. There were no instructions about leaving it in for a certain time period, so we just washed it out immediately— and it was still able to lift brassiness with each wash. It has a hydrating formula that doesn’t irritate the scalp, but it still cleans as well as your standard shampoo. After multiple uses, our tester, Cara, noticed that her hair felt softer and less dry.

Cara, tester with wavy, highlighted hair: "I really like how clean my scalp feels after using this and how bright my blonde looks. My hair looks like it did when I first got it done."

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: No | Scent: Unscented | Size: 8.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Thick hair needs hydration more than anything, and this purple shampoo from Kérastase has hyaluronic acid to do exactly that. It’s also formulated with antioxidant-rich flower extracts to protect the hair from damage. Our tester, Sarah, loved that it was easy to spread around the hair and the scalp, so she didn’t need to use an excessive amount to cover her long, thick hair. It also did an amazing job of cleansing without overdrying or leaving a residue behind. Sarah left the shampoo on for five minutes and it gave her bleached color an icy finish. While you can use it as a standalone shampoo, we recommend following up with your standard shampoo if you have a good amount of scalp buildup or do intense, sweaty exercise.

Sarah, a tester with thick, bleached blonde hair: "I like my hair really icy, and this did a great job of achieving that. Plus, a little goes a long way, ensuring the bottle lasts a while."

Hair Type: All | Sulfate-Free: Yes | Scent: Pear, rose, and sandalwood | Size: 9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Purple shampoos are infamous for causing irritation and dryness, so finding one that caters to sensitive scalps is not always easy. However, this pick from Pureology was one of the least irritating options we tested—it didn’t make our tester Danielle's scalp tingle. The sulfate-free formula has a rich lather that cleanses deeply without leaving a residue, and Danielle said her hair felt clean for a while after using it. It lifted the brassiness in blonde tones as promised, and the great scent was another bonus. Danielle loved that it came with so much product (you can get around 75 shampoos—depending on length and texture, of course—in a single bottle).

Danielle, tester with wavy, highlighted hair: "I like how my hair looks. I would recommend this to someone looking for a staple purple shampoo."

FAQ

• What are the benefits of purple shampoos for blonde hair?

  Purple shampoo neutralizes any unwanted yellow or warm tones that can crop up with bleached blonde or otherwise chemically lightened hair. They can offer a brightening effect while bringing out a cooler hue, allowing you to potentially go longer between salon color treatments.

  As Gahan explains, "Purple sits directly across from yellow on the color wheel, which means it will correct and cool down the hair with the slight purple pigment in the shampoo." She notes that if you're rocking a darker blonde color or are looking to correct an orangey tint, a blue-based shampoo (as opposed to violet) might be a better option.

• How often should you use purple shampoos for blonde hair?

  This depends on the specific formula, as well as the current color and condition of your hair. Some purple shampoos can be drying, and if you use them too often, you can risk over-toning. "Overuse can cause the hair to look dull or purple in appearance," says Gahan.

  For these reasons, lathering up with a violet-pigmented wash two or three times a week is often best. However, some formulas are gentle and subtle enough for daily use.

• What is better for brassy hair: blue or purple shampoo?

  It depends on the color of your hair and what tones you want to get rid of. For light blonde, platinum, or silver hair with unwanted yellowish tones, purple shampoo is best. As noted, purple counteracts yellow because it's directly opposite on the color wheel. If you have darker blonde, ombré, or balayage hair and want to remove orangey, brassy, or reddish tones, go with blue shampoo.

• Do I need both purple shampoo and conditioner?

  Probably not. There's no shortage of purple hair care products to fight brassiness and yellow tones, but you don't need to use them—let alone all at once. A purple shampoo should be enough to achieve the desired results, and you can follow it with a non-pigmented deep conditioner to replenish lost moisture and nourish your strands. (Dry, brittle hair is common among the bleached set.)

• What is the difference between toner and purple shampoo?

  A purple shampoo is a toning shampoo, but it isn't a toner. A toner is a color product that's mixed with a developer. It's left on the hair for a set amount of time to allow it to process, then rinsed out. (Toners are most often applied in salons by professional colorists, but some at-home kits are available.) A toning shampoo, on the other hand, is milder than a toner and doesn't require a developer.

• Will purple shampoo lighten hair?

  Not exactly. Purple shampoo doesn't lighten hair—that can only be done with a bleaching agent. This type of hair wash calls on violet pigments to cancel out yellow tones. As a result, your hair will become brighter and cooler-toned, making it appear lighter.