purple shampoo
Photograph courtesy of Imaxtree

FYI: Purple Shampoo Isn’t Just For Blond Hair

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If you’re a blond, or you’ve ever dabbled with a lighter hair colour, you’ll know just how important a purple shampoo is. Designed to help minimize discolouration, purple shampoo is somewhat of a lifesaver in between salon visits. But, as it turns out, it’s not just those with fair locks that can benefit from using a purple shampoo. In fact, according to Nexxus’ global creative director Kevin Mancuso, there’s pros to using the product on almost all other hair colours, too. Here’s how to use it on grey, white and brown hair:

Grey hair

“As hair greys, most people like a cool, clean grey. Some hair transitions beautifully into the grey hair of your dreams, and sometimes it doesn’t, instead transitioning with a yellowish tone,” Mancuso explains. “Used on a regular basis, purple shampoo can help to cool hair down to that desired grey.”

White hair

Transitioning between grey to white hair can also present its own set of issues, Mancuso tell us. “When hair goes from grey to white, it can turn into a yellowish, dirty warm white. Some people may like this, but from experience, I can tell you that it’s less popular than a clean cool white or beige. Using a purple shampoo can cool it down, clean it up and make your dull white a beautiful brilliant statement that will make others wonder who did your colour.”

Brunettes

Whilst we all love the feeling of the sun on our skin, sometimes it can be detrimental to our locks up top. “Brown hair fades, goes warm and reddish, and sometimes lighter shades of brass can present after sun exposure,” says Mancuso, adding that “it varies across natural or colour-treated warm brunette tones.” The quickest way to fix brass? You guessed it. “Purple shampoo to the rescue! It helps to cool it down and neutralizes the presence of unwanted brass and orange.”

Nexxus has just introduced its new Blonde Assure Purple Conditioner, the shelf mate to its Blonde Assure Purple Shampoo. It’s made with the brand’s signature protein infusion blend to help nourish and care for the hair in addition to maintaining brilliant colour. It’s the care for the strands that was particularly important to Mancuso when developing the product. “When I looked at the best solutions that were already on the market, I noticed that none of them were gentle. In fact, almost all of the purple shampoos from professional and consumer brands were extremely tanging and damaging. I set out to find a solution that would shift the brass and yellow tones while preserving the texture with a gentle cleansing formula that could be used frequently without compromising the integrity of the hair at any level of damage,” he tells FASHION.

He suggests using the product “as often as you need” if you start to notice brass or yellow tones creeping in. Though he does also note that overuse “when not needed can present a light purple hue, especially on extremely porous spots on the hair.” However, there’s a quick fix if you’ve been a little too keen: “It will come out with conditioner,” Mancuso explains.

Photograph courtesy of Nexxus

The new Nexxus Blonde Assure Purple Conditioner is available at Shoppers Drug Mart now.

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