Going blonde is like opening yourself up to a world of glitz and glamour. Your hair is striking and fabulous like those models in the magazines, and it’s oh-so Instagram selfie-worthy!
But being a certified blondie isn’t all fun and games. You have to put in a lot of work to maintain your new blonde locks to keep them golden and glimmering.
And if there’s one product that’s going to help you do it, it’s purple shampoo. Not just any purple shampoo—the sulfate-free kind. 
Switching over to a sulfate-free purple shampoo will do wonders for your blonde hair. It maintains the vibrancy of your color while toning it so that it doesn’t look too brassy and warm.
It’s the key to keeping your blonde waves gorgeous and salon-beautiful. 

What is purple shampoo for?

Purple shampoo is a must-have if you’re a blondie. It’s a shampoo that contains special violet micro-pigments that neutralize brassiness in the hair.
Translation: these pigments wash away any warm tone that makes your blonde hair look unflatteringly warm and yellowish.
Why purple? It’s simple. On the color wheel, the colors that sit right across from each other cancel each other out. That’s just the rules of color theory.
So when you have something yellow (your brassy hair), you can cancel it out with something purple (the pigments in your shampoo).
When you first get your hair colored in the salon, your colorist probably toned your hair with a violet solution to remove any kind of overly gold tones peeking through, leaving your locks ashy.
But over time, your shampoo might wash away this glossy tone, allowing brassiness to show up.
Brassiness can also peek through if you don’t take care of your hair properly.
The more you heat-style, go out without heat protectant, and expose yourself to water with hard minerals, your hair might get more and more brassy—and that’s never a good look on anyone.
While you can purchase professional-level toner and apply it at home, it can be too much work. So if you want a more convenient option, purple shampoo is the way to go.
It’s just like your regular shampoo, except it deposits purple pigment in your hair as you wash to eliminate any yellows and golds that are destroying your hairstyle.
Blondes love purple shampoos because they’re super convenient. All you have to do is use it in the shower three times a week to maintain your cool blonde color.

Why is a sulfate-free shampoo better for blonde hair?

When buying a purple shampoo, make sure the formula you end up getting is sulfate-free.
What are sulfates, you ask? These are the harsh cleaning ingredients you find in many shampoos and soaps. They’re responsible for creating that lather of fat bubbles when you shower.
Sulfates are very stripping, so they can dehydrate your hair and eliminate the natural moisture keeping your hair shiny and smooth.
And if you’ve bleached and colored your hair blonde, you need that moisture because your hair is likely damaged and thirsty for hydration.
Using a sulfated shampoo is also a massive no-no for color-treated hair. Aside from stripping your strands of moisture, it can also wash away your hair color, allowing it to fade faster.
You’ll find that if you switch to a sulfate-free shampoo, your blonde hair will last a lot longer. Cutting out sulfates from your routine will always mean extending the lifespan of your color.
Here are some of the best sulfate-free purple shampoos you can check out today:

Luseta Purple Shampoo

This Luseta shampoo was designed specifically for blondies and grey-haired ladies that want to cut down yellowness in their tresses. It helps repair split ends and adds a beautiful gloss to your locks.
Aside from violet pigments that cut down brassiness, it’s formulated with proteins that fortify the hair, as well as coconut oil that nourishes and moisturizes it deeply. 
It will leave your hair strong and moisturized, which is great if you’re nursing your hair to health after your dye job.

Pravana The Perfect Blonde Purple Toning Shampoo

Pravana’s toning shampoo is formulated with a special dual ultra-violet dye system, making it super efficient in eliminating brassiness in your hair with its purple pigments.
It also has optical brighteners that leave your locks looking light-reflective and full of dimension.
The shampoo is infused with wheat, silk amino acids, and keratin to strengthen your hair and make it more resilient against damage. They also work to keep your locks smooth and silky to the touch.

L’Oreal EverPure Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoo

This purple shampoo by L’Oreal is one of the holy grails you’ll find at the drugstore. It’s made with purple dye and hibiscus extracts that tone your hair properly, zapping away brassiness and yellow tones in one wash.
It also leaves the hair super moisturized and soft, which is excellent for bleached and fragile hair. It’s a great shampoo that cleanses the hair properly without leaving your hair too squeaky clean.
This vegan formula doesn’t contain harmful ingredients that can irritate your scalp, such as parabens and harsh salts.

Framesi Color Lover Dynamic Blonde Purple Shampoo

This Framesi shampoo contains purple pigments to wash away brassiness in your blonde hair, leaving it brighter, whiter, and ashier. In fact, it extends the lifespan of your hair color to 95% longer.
It also has quinoa proteins and other conditioning agents that make your hair soft yet strong and bouncy.
This shampoo has an earthy, woodsy, spicy scent that you’re sure to love if you’re into unique and musky scents. They’ll leave your hair looking fresh and smelling super good!

Not Your Mother’s Blonde Moment Purple Shampoo and Conditioner

This shampoo by Not Your Mother’s contains violet rice extracts that help tone your blonde hair while strengthening it and preventing breakage.
The formula can be enjoyed by blondes of all hair types, from those with straight hair to others with coily, springy curls.
This fabulous shampoo comes with a matching conditioner containing the same purple pigments to neutralize warm tones in your blonde locks while softening and smoothing out frizz.

ArtNaturals Purple Shampoo

If you’re looking at a more organic formula, you’ll love this purple shampoo from ArtNaturals.
It’s made not only for toning your blonde hair, but also to protect against UV rays and hard minerals like chlorine, which can destroy your hair color and make it fade faster.
The shampoo is also infused with coconut extracts that nourish the hair and add hydration to bring your locks back to life. Meanwhile, vitamin E stimulates your hair follicles, calms the scalp, and encourages growth.

Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Purple Shampoo

This shampoo by Pureology does everything you want for your blonde hair. It eliminates brassiness to bring your hair back to that ashy, flattering tone while strengthening your bleached, probably damaged hair.
To top it all off, it even protects your hair color to make sure it lasts long, thanks to sunflower seed oil and vitamin E. These two ingredients also help moisturize the hair without leaving it feeling too greasy.

Marc Daniels Lush Luminous Blonde Purple Shampoo

This concentrated purple shampoo by Marc Daniels does a fantastic job at getting rid of warmth and gold tones in the hair.
So much so that it’s suitable not only for blondes, but also for those with grey, white, and silver hair.
It’s made with high-quality blue cypress oil that helps cancel out brassiness while providing light hydration to your locks. 
It also features pro-vitamin B5, a popular hair vitamin that fortifies the hair and brings it back to life from dullness.

Ethique Tone It Down Purple Shampoo Bar

If you’re trying to cut down on plastic waste and are open to trying something a little different, this purple shampoo bar by Ethique might intrigue you. 
It’s like a regular purple shampoo but compact and shaped into a tiny yet powerful square. It keeps brassiness and stark yellow streaks in your hair at bay.
It’s made with exotic babassu and jasmine oils to cleanse and hydrate your hair. On the other hand, beetroot extracts increase your hair color’s longevity.

ColorProof SignatureBlonde Violet Shampoo

ColorProof prides itself on this purple shampoo formula, which is rich in sunflower seed extracts. This ingredient protects against UV rays, which extends your color and keeps it vivid and glossy for longer.
Aside from correcting brassiness, this violet shampoo also hydrates the hair, so it never feels stripped of moisture.
It softens the hair so much that you’ll only be left with locks that are smooth, silky, and gorgeously shiny. 

Fanola Free No Yellow Shampoo

Fanola is a famous hair care brand for toning shampoos, but they didn’t offer sulfate-free shampoos for the longest time.
However, this no-yellow shampoo is finally one created without harsh sulfates, so they’re super safe to use on your blonde-colored locks!
It’s formulated to perform professionally, with special violet pigments that efficiently wash away brassiness to tone your hair blonde hair correctly and give it a silvery undertone.

Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo

If you want a more luxurious toning experience, you can opt for the Moroccanoil purple shampoo. 
The color-safe formula contains violet pigments that wash away unwanted tones like yellow and yellow-orange to keep your blonde hair looking luscious and fresh.
It’s designed with the brand’s unique ArganID technology, which allows the formula to inject argan oil into your hair.
This makes your hair super nourished and plump, all while adding a brilliant, luminous shine to your locks that can boost your confidence.

SexyHair Bright Blonde Violet Shampoo

This shampoo by SexyHair cleanses the hair gently yet thoroughly to ensure that your scalp isn’t irritated and your blonde hair doesn’t lose its color.
It’s infused with purple pigments to fight against brassiness so that you can go back to your cool blonde look.
It’s also formulated with quinoa to repair and fortify your hair, which is very important when it comes to caring for damaged, bleached hair.
There’s also some chamomile and honey in the formula, which aid in keeping your blonde color vibrant and brilliant. They also add a glossy shine to your hair, making it look and feel healthy.

amika Bust Your Brass Cool Blonde Shampoo

amika’s purple shampoo for blondes is made with deep, ultra-violet pigments that wash away any sign of harsh brassiness, no matter how small.
It contains wild cherry bark extracts to help extend the life of your color, so it doesn’t fade too early. It’s also rich in amino acids and vitamins A, D, and B to keep your damaged hair strong and beautiful.
This shampoo contains avocado oil and sea buckthorn oil, which help nourish your locks to restore their healthy moisture levels. They also leave your tresses smooth and shiny.

Joico Blonde Life Violet Shampoo

This purple shampoo by Joico is rich in moisturizing oils that leave your hair feeling conditioned and smooth.
It has monoi oil, coconut oil, tamanu oil, and amino acids that smoothen the hair and leave it hydrated all day long.
It’s also designed with a unique SmartRelease technology that releases goodies like keratin and rosehip oil into your hair strands, making them even more smooth and luscious.
The violet pigments in the formula banish yellow tones for good so that you can go back to flaunting your blonde hair without worrying about brassiness.

Conclusion

When caring for your blonde hair, there are two essential things you need to remember. One is that you have to tone your hair to keep your cool and ashy blonde color.
The other is that you should avoid sulfates, so you don’t wash out your hair dye prematurely.
As long as you get a shampoo that does both of these, you’ll be good to go and can enjoy flaunting your blonde hair like it’s nobody’s business. 
So instead of picking up your regular schmegular shampoo in the grocery aisle, switch over to sulfate-free purple shampoo.
It’s better for your blonde hair and will make it look cool, vibrant, and flattering for as long as possible.