Bye Bye Brassy-Locks!

One of the biggest challenges of being a chemical blonde, is brassiness. Usually a few weeks after a nice dye-job from your stylist, your blonde locks can start turning a yucky orange color.

Brassiness can result from the chemicals in the water, the type of dye used, and the type of shampoo/styling products that are used on your hair.

I was noticing on the 5th week that my hair would start to turn an orange color, even if I used the Paul Mitchell products. I started to google the cause and a resolution. It appears that my low-lights have been making my hair brassy. Some people suggested going to the salon and they can put a toner on the hair. I was looking at pricing in my area, and it was a little too high for me. Instead I would dye my hair again. Then I came upon purple shampoo. 

I have used purple shampoo in the past, but it was a lighter purple and made my roots darker and my hair turn a greenish tint. I was really apprehensive when it came to purple shampoo, I didn't think it would make such a difference in my hair, but it really did! I found a great product from Sally's Beauty supply, it was inexpensive, and had a rich royal purple color to it. The pricer brand is Clairol's Shimmer Lights Conditioning Shampoo. Also note, purple shampoo can also be referred to as violet shampoo. 

Now that I started to wash my hair with purple shampoo (once a week) I notice my highlights are more vivid and my low lights stand out. Before using purple shampoo, my hair looked all one color and it was turning an orange/yellow tint. 

For about 4 weeks, I have been using purple shampoo. I use the purple shampoo before my regular daily routine. I lather the shampoo in my hair and leave it on my hair for about 3-5 minutes. You'll want to use a nice conditioner after, because I feel like sometimes it can make my hair have major tangle issues.

If you're thinking, why purple? it's simple. If you look on a color wheel, you'll notice that on the opposite side of yellow/orange is a purple/violet color. In order to balance your hair, you'll use violet on top of yellow/orange. This theory applies to red skin, you can use a green primer. 

Royal Purple/Violet: From Sally's Beauty Supply

Try to get the darkest purple as possible, you'll notice a big difference in your hair. The darker the purple, the better the result. If you get John Frieda's purple shampoo, it's a lot lighter and may take a few uses before your hair isn't brassy.

Another tip is to not use this shampoo too often or keep it on too long. It may turn your hair a shade of purple. I stick to my once a week and it works for me. 

Try using purple shampoo before going to a professional to get it toned. You may be surprised on how much of a difference it can make on your hair in one use.