How To Use Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair (EASY Hack)

Purple shampoo is one of the most popular toning products on the market and is usually used on wet hair after coloring. But a recent trending hack suggests using purple shampoo on dry hair for more intense toning. Does this work and should you do it? Here’s what we found.

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What Is Purple Shampoo?

Purple shampoo is a toning product that is used to neutralize brassy and yellow tones in blonde, white, grey, and light brown hair.

Purple shampoo works by counteracting the orange/yellow tones that arise when bleaching hair.

Purple sits on the opposite side of yellow on the color wheel and therefore is the perfect product for the job.

So if you have recently bleached your hair and you notice yellow coloring, purple shampoo is a great at-home fix and will leave you with the blonde or ash-toned color you desire.

The important thing to note about purple shampoo is that it is a powerful product.

It has the ability to change the color of your hair, so you need to be cautious about how much you use it, how often you use it, and how long you keep it on.

Can You Use Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair?

The recent Tik Tok hack claimed that using purple shampoo on dry hair works better than when used on wet hair.

This is true as dry hair is more porous than wet hair and would therefore be able to absorb more of the purple pigments. 

So yes, you can use purple shampoo on dry hair for a quicker and more intense toning result.

It is however worth noting that dry hair doesn’t always absorb moisture evenly.

For instance, the most damaged parts of your hair will be more porous than the rest of your hair and these areas will therefore absorb more purple pigments.

As such, using purple shampoo on dry hair could potentially cause the purple pigment to deposit unevenly throughout your hair if you’re not careful with how you distribute the product.

The last thing you’d want is for parts of your hair to be toned significantly more than other areas, and having to tone your hair once more to even out the results.

Luckily, we’ve outlined the whole process below so that you don’t make any mistakes.

How To Use Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair

Here are some easy step-by-step instructions to try the purple shampoo on dry hair TikTok hack yourself:

Step 1. Choose Your Purple Shampoo

Make sure you choose a shampoo that suits your needs and hair type. Some purple shampoos have a specific formula for dry, damaged, or gray hair.

Step 2. Prep

Purple shampoo can be messy so it is important that you prep not only your surroundings but your skin.

Cover any tiles or surfaces that may get stained in the process and apply Vaseline around your hairline. This will ensure that the purple color does not stick to your skin.

It would also be a good idea to wear gloves during the process as the purple shampoo can stain your hands.

Step 3. Apply Purple Shampoo to Dry Hair

It’s time to apply the shampoo. Squeeze out a good-sized amount into your palm and apply it to your roots.

Disperse the product throughout all sections of your hair, making sure you don’t miss any important areas. Give special attention to your ends and roots.

Step 4. Brush Product Through Your Hair

Once the product has been applied, brush it through your hair several times. This will ensure that the purple shampoo is evenly distributed into your locks.

Step 5. Wait 15-20 Minutes

Leave the shampoo on for up to twenty minutes.

Watch the process as you go along to ensure you don’t start to see blue or purple tones coming through. If you do, wash out the shampoo immediately.

Although purple shampoo does not technically damage your hair, it does slightly dry it out so leaving it on for too long won’t help.

Step 6. Rinse Out Purple Shampoo

Make sure you rinse out all of the shampoo. You don’t want to leave behind any purple color-depositing pigments in your hair as this may affect the results later on.

Step 7. Condition Hair

Use your regular conditioner and ideally leave it in for a few minutes.

Purple shampoo can make hair feel a bit dry so this is an important step. If you have the time, a deep conditioning treatment would be even better.

Step 8. Dry

Finally, dry your hair as per usual and style. At this point you can assess the results and if you may need to use purple shampoo again.

We recommend applying an intense moisture conditioner or hair serum after use to make sure your hair doesn’t become brittle or frayed.

Pros and Cons of using Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair

Using purple shampoo on dry hair won’t damage or ruin your hair, however, alongside the benefits, there are of course also a few cons. We’ve outlined them for you here:

How Long Should You Leave Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair?

When using shampoo on dry hair, you should only leave it on for between ten and twenty minutes maximum. However, it’s important to note that dry hair is more porous than wet hair, and can easily be over-toned.

How Often Should You Use Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair?

For an after-coloring session, leave the purple shampoo in for the full twenty minutes. After this, you can assess the result and tone again as needed.

If you are simply looking to brighten up your highlights or if your color has gone a bit brassy, try leaving the purple shampoo in for around 5 minutes.

You can repeat this process once a week until your hair is brass-free.

The rule of thumb is to only use purple shampoo on dry hair when you start to see yellow colors coming through your bleached or highlighted hair.

Can Purple Shampoo Damage Your Hair?

Even though using too much purple shampoo or leaving it on too long can possibly create a purple hue in your hair, the good news is, it will not damage your hair follicles.

That means that if you do accidentally change the color of your hair too much, your hair will not actually be affected, you may just want to return to the hair salon to get the color you originally wanted to be dyed by a professional.

If used correctly, purple shampoo can be a great way to keep your hair looking beautiful, long after you have been to the salon.

What Happens If You Overuse Purple Shampoo?

The reason why it’s important not to overuse purple shampoo is that it can leave you with dull, darker, and even sometimes purple hair.

As it strips the brassy coloring from your light hair, you are essentially toning down the blonde that you originally dyed, and it may end up looking washed out and in the worst-case scenario, it can turn a bluish-purple color.

When using purple shampoo, it’s important that you are close to a mirror and can watch the hair to see if they are becoming dull or blue. If so, wash it out straight away.

Also, if you do not apply it evenly, using purple shampoo can lead to patchy discoloration instead of an all-over toning.

What To Do If You Over-Tone Your Hair With Purple Shampoo

So, you left the purple shampoo in too long and your hair has become over-toned or even a bit purple.

Don’t worry, your hair isn’t ruined. You can and should use a clarifying shampoo to counteract the damage.

You can alternate between this option and a moisturizing color-safe shampoo to keep your hair healthy and beautiful.

If worse comes to worst, and you simply cannot get your hair back to your desired color, you may have to reach out to a professional for a color correction.

So, Can You Use Purple Shampoo On Dry Hair?

Yes, you can, and using purple shampoo on dry hair may in fact help speed up the toning process and produce a more intense result.

Do be careful when distributing the product as dry hair absorbs moisture unevenly. This means that you could risk some sections of your hair becoming more toned than others.

But if you follow our easy step-by-step guide above, you should have no problems getting those yellow and brassy tones out of your hair in no time.

Frequently Asked Questions