Need help choosing which purple toning product to get? We know how difficult it is to choose a purple or blue toning shampoo to maintain your golden or ash/grey hair. There are certainly a lot of products out there that offer a host of benefits, from being sulfate-free to having higher pigments, and more. For many, it has become a series of trials and errors to find the right one. So, to get around this hump, we’ve gathered the top blonde toning shampoos we carry and tested them out alongside each other. From Kérastase, Bed Head, L’Oréal Professionnel, and Davines, we hope to give you a clearer picture of what you can achieve with each purple toning product.
As always, we recognize that everyone’s hair is unique, so before delving any further, know that this review of toning care is meant to help narrow down your search and simplify your choices.*
The Method to The Blonde Madness
The HairMNL team was really excited to do this. As hair nerds, having our own little “salon lab” has its special set of perks, one of which is having locks of hair to use in deep-dive experiments like this.
To achieve consistency, we used locks from the same natural Asian hair and bleached them to a level 9-10. We then divided them into 6 and assigned one set as the control and the remaining 5 to be tested so we can compare results. To test for pigment strength — we applied the products on dry strands. We realize this won’t be the case in your shower experience, but it is a good baseline to see the resulting color. For further consistency, we also left all the products on for 5 minutes but we recommend that you read instructions and follow the recommended length of time that’s ideal for your hair type.
Not sure if your hair is a level 9-10 blonde? Here’s a quick guide to help:
The lighter the shade, the higher you’ll be on the color level. Although there are certainly benefits to using toning shampoos for levels 5-7, generally for best and most visible results, we recommend using these purple shampoos on a level 8-10 hair.
Why do you need purple toning products anyway?
Blonde and light-colored hair has a natural tendency to turn a pale yellow to a dark red. This can be caused by fading hair color and chemical reactions from your environment (i.e., chlorine and other minerals) among many other factors. Enter the purple and blue shampoos. By having pigments neutralize the unwanted brassy tones, you can even out your hair color and make it more silvery.
The Results
Kérastase Blond Absolu
Bed Head by TIGI Dumb Blonde
L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Silver
Davines Alchemic Silver Shampoo
Davines Heart of Glass Shampoo
So with all this hair knowledge how can you figure out which one is best for you? Start by getting to know your hair and your lifestyle. If you had just colored hair hair and want a product for tone maintenance, consider the Davines Alchemic Shampoo or Davines Heart of Glass Shampoo that offer daily cleansing with mild toning and lot of hydration. If you have specific concerns like the product being paraben-free or sulfate-free, try Bed Head by TIGI Dumb Blonde Shampoo. that has still has higher toning power. Finally for higher pigments that result in more ashy results you can also consider Kérastase Blonde Absolu Shampoo or L'Oréal Professionnel Silver Shampoo, that offer good toning power and fair moisturization.
If you’re still unsure what type of purple shampoo to get for your hair, just message us about your hair concern! Let us help you get to know your blonde hair better.
Ready to choose your purple toning shampoo? Visit our special collection here and see all our special offers.
*Existing pigments, silicones, and one's hair's porosity will produce different results from our test. We always recommend getting to know your hair and how it responds to different products.
