How to Get Purple Shampoo Out of Hair?

Have you ever had your blonde hair turn a funky purple hue after using purple shampoo? I know I have. Purple shampoo is designed to cancel out brassy yellow tones in bleached, highlighted or blonde hair. But sometimes it can deposit way too much pigment, leaving your strands a vibrant violet.

If you’ve overdone it with the purple shampoo and want to remove the staining, don’t worry. The purple color is not permanent and there are several effective ways to get purple shampoo out of hair quickly.

What Does Purple Shampoo Do?

Before learning how to remove purple shampoo, it helps to understand what it does in the first place.

Purple shampoo is a specially formulated shampoo with blue-violet pigments that help neutralize brassy or yellow tones in blonde, bleached and highlighted hair. The violet pigments in the shampoo work to cancel out any unwanted yellow, gold or orange hues in the hair.

This helps keep blonde and silver hair looking bright and fresh. Purple shampoo helps neutralize brassiness and minimize dull or mousy tones in color-treated hair.

The violet/blue tone in the shampoo neutralizes yellow by depositing the opposite color on the color wheel onto the hair. This keeps the hair looking crisp, while avoiding the brassiness that can occur when dark pigment underneath begins to show through.

By getting rid of yellow tones, purple shampoo keeps bleached and blonde hair looking brighter and less brassy. It adds cool, ashy tones to naturally warm hair and cancels out the yellow pigment. This helps hair look its intended tone.

Why is My Hair Purple After Using Purple Shampoo?

After using purple shampoo, you may notice your hair turns a light violet or lavender hue – especially on light blonde or bleached hair. So why does this happen?

There are a few key reasons why hair can turn purple from purple shampoo:

• The violet pigments in the shampoo deposit onto the hair strands. Purple shampoo contains blue and violet pigments that sit on the outside of your hair when you apply it. Some of these pigments stay behind and stain the hair after rinsing.
• Over-depositing of pigment. It’s easy to apply too much purple pigment to your hair, especially if you leave it on too long or use a very concentrated formula. This leads to an over-deposit of violet tones.
• Not rinsing thoroughly after shampooing. Failing to rinse all of the shampoo out can leave extra violet pigments behind in your hair.
• Having porous hair. Porous hair with open cuticles more readily absorbs pigments. Those with damaged or porous bleached hair tend to have their strands stained more intensely.
• Using purple shampoo too often. Using purple shampoo too frequently causes buildup of pigment in the hair.
• Leaving purple shampoo on for extended periods. The longer purple shampoo is left on the hair, the more opportunity the violet pigments have to deposit onto the strands.

Will Purple Shampoo Wash Out of Hair?

Here’s the good news if you’ve accidentally overdone it with purple shampoo – the purple staining is temporary and will fade out over time.

The violet/blue tones applied by the shampoo sit on the outside of your hair strands. Unlike permanent hair dye, the pigments don’t penetrate or alter the inner structure of your hair.

However, as anyone who has dyed their hair knows, deposited pigments don’t wash out right away. It can take multiple regular washes for the purple staining to completely fade from lightened or blonde hair.

Those who wash their hair infrequently may find the purple lasts for several weeks. The less you wash, the longer the color remains. For some, this fading time is too long.

If your hair is strongly purple tinted, you likely want to speed up the fading so it’s not as noticeable. This leads to the pressing question – how do you quickly get purple shampoo out of hair?

How to Get Purple Shampoo Out of Hair

If you want to remove purple shampoo staining fast, try these simple methods to strip the color and get back to your regular blonde tones quickly:

Wash With Very Hot Water

Washing your hair with very hot water can help speed up fading of temporary purple hair dye and open the cuticles to release more pigment. The heat helps lift and rinse away more of the shampoo’s violet pigment.

Use a Clarifying Shampoo

Clarifying shampoos are designed to deep clean hair and remove product buildup. The sulfates in clarifying shampoos help strip away residue and pigment buildup from purple shampoo. They can dissolve and rinse away excess color.

Apply Dish Soap

Dish soap like Dawn is highly effective at cutting through oils. Using a small amount of dish soap in place of your regular shampoo can help break up and rinse away the violet pigments deposited by purple shampoo. The surfactants in dish soap cling to oil and color to wash it away.

Make a Baking Soda Paste

Baking soda is a natural cleaning and whitening agent. When made into a paste with water and applied to hair, baking soda can help draw out and lift excess violet pigment from the strands. The gritty texture also provides gentle abrasion to fade color.

Use Lemon Juice

Fresh lemon juice contains acids that can help strip away pigment and lighten hair, lifting stained hues. Dilute fresh lemon juice in water and pour over your hair, allowing it to sit for 10 minutes before rinsing. The vitamin C acts as a natural bleach.

Try a Color Removing Product

There are specialty chemical products like color strippers or removers designed to remove permanent and semi-permanent hair dye. These work by essentially bleaching the hair to fully strip out artificial pigment. Use according to package directions.

More Tips for Removing Purple Shampoo

When using any of these methods to remove purple shampoo staining, keep these extra tips in mind:

• Apply heat – Use blow drying or a hair dryer while washing stained hair to open the cuticle and quicken fading. The heat helps release pigment.
• Be patient – It may take several washes and methods to fully fade the purple shampoo color back to your regular tone. Don’t expect it to disappear right away.
• Deep condition after – Harsh stripping methods can dry your hair out. Use a hydrating deep conditioner after purpling pigment to nourish strands.

How to Use Purple Shampoo Correctly

To avoid overstaining from purple shampoo in the future, follow these tips to use it properly:

• Apply to towel-dried hair – Putting purple shampoo directly onto wet hair dilutes the pigments. Apply to damp, towel-dried hair for better absorption.
• Massage into roots first – Concentrate application on the roots and scalp area first where brassiness tends to show through most.
• Evenly apply through lengths – Then smooth shampoo down the lengths to prevent splotchy tones.
• Leave on for 3-5 minutes – This gives the violet pigments time to neutralize brassiness without over depositing.
• Rinse thoroughly – Rinse with cool water until the water runs clear to prevent staining.
• Use once or twice weekly – Limit purple shampoo use to 1-2 times per week max to prevent buildup.

Mistakes to Avoid With Purple Shampoo

To keep your hair from turning purple, avoid these common purple shampoo mistakes:

• Using like regular shampoo – Purple shampoo should not replace your regular shampoo. Use only once or twice weekly.
• Overusing too frequently – Using it too much causes staining from pigment buildup.
• Leaving on too long – Don’t let purple shampoo sit for longer than 5 minutes.
• Applying to dripping wet hair – Damp, towel-dried hair absorbs the pigment better.
• Not rinsing thoroughly – Rinse with cool water until water runs clear.
• Rubbing into dry hair – Only applies to clean, damp hair to avoid breakage.

FAQs About Removing Purple Shampoo

How do you get purple shampoo out of extensions?

Treat extensions the same as natural hair – use clarifying shampoos, baking soda, and hot water to help fade. Avoid over-washing which can damage extensions.

Does baking soda remove purple shampoo in one wash?

It often takes 2-3 washes with a baking soda paste to fully draw out excess pigment deposited on the hair.

Why did my hair turn purple even though I followed directions?

Overuse over time can cause buildup leading to unwanted staining. Porous or color-treated hair absorbs more pigment.

Will my hair be damaged if I leave purple shampoo in too long?

Leaving any shampoo on too long can dry out your hair. Limit purple shampoo to the recommended 3-5 minutes max.

The Bottom Line

If you’ve had your blonde hair turn purple from overuse of purple shampoo – don’t worry. The violet tone is not permanent and there are several effective ways to strip out the staining. From clarifying shampoos to baking soda to color removers, you can get back to your regular brightness quickly.

Be sure to only use your purple shampoo 1-2 times weekly for 3-5 minutes to prevent over-depositing of pigment. This will keep your colored hair looking vibrant while avoiding unwanted purple hues.