What is Blue Shampoo?
Blue shampoo contains blue-violet pigments that are deposited into the hair when you shampoo. It neutralizes the brassy tones that occur when hair is lightened.
How Does Blue Shampoo Work?
Every hair color has underlying warm tones that are exposed when hair is lightened with hair color or bleach. Lighter hair color has underlying yellow tones when lifted. Darker hair color has underlying orange tones.
So if you have blonde highlights or you lighten your hair to an all-over blonde, you may notice the lightened hair may become dingy and yellowish over time as repeated shampooing, the sun and thermal tools all strip away the cool tone and expose the underlying warmth.
If you are brunette and you have highlights or have lightened your allover hair color, you may notice that over time, your hair begins to look brassy.
If you look on a color wheel, you will see that every color can be neutralized by its opposite. Blue is the opposite of orange, so a blue shampoo will cut through the brassiness in lightened brunette hair and restore it to a cool or neutral tone.
Who Needs Blue Shampoo?
If you are a brunette, and you have lighter balayage, ombré or conventional highlights; if you’ve lightened your dark brown hair completely, or if you have a combination of lighter hair with highlights, blue shampoo is your solution for brassiness. It will get rid of those unwanted orange tones, and it will brighten up your hair color overall.
What is the Difference Between Blue Shampoo and Purple Shampoo?
It all goes back to that color wheel. If you study your wheel, you notice that purple is the opposite of yellow. Knowing that lighter natural hair colors tend to become yellow as they lift, hairstylists recommend using a purple shampoo to cancel the unwanted yellow tones. Bottom line? If you’re blonde, opt for purple shampoo. If you’re brunette and you want to maintain cool, brass-free hair color, reach for blue shampoo.
How Often Should I Use Blue Shampoo?
Hairstyling pros recommend sudsing up with blue shampoo once a week to cancel orange or red tones out of brown hair color. For more toning, leave it in your hair for two or three minutes before rinsing. Don’t worry if your blue shampoo hits the shower tile–it will rinse out. You may wish to use gloves when shampooing to protect your skin.
What’s a Good Blue Shampoo to Use?
Ask hair pros like Niza Lideo to recommend a full system that will not only tone brassy brunette hair color but will also strengthen and condition the hair.!
