Can You Mix Blue And Purple Shampoo?
If you’re rocking freshly dyed brown or blonde locks, you’re probably doing all you can to keep your colour job as fresh as possible.
Maybe you’re lessening damage by cutting out heat, or switching up your hair wash schedule to preserve the longevity of your dye job.
Unfortunately though, even the most thorough of preventative measures can’t outrun the need for a good hair toner.
When the time comes to purchase a hair toner, you’ll be faced with a plethora of options.
For a hair dye newbie, picking and using a toner may be cause for some confusion.
There are tons of different colours and types of toners to choose from—among the most popular types being a toning shampoo, and the most popular colours being blue and purple.
When faced with so many toner choices, one can’t help but wonder if mixing shades of toning shampoos can get the job done better than just using one.
So, can you mix blue and purple shampoo?
Well, kind of. While you can’t mix them in the traditional sense, you can use both to bring your locks some new life. However, we do not recommend using them consecutively.
Read on as we break down the logistics of what we mean in this article, as well as what hair concerns blue and purple toning shampoos are likely to address.
Blue Toning Shampoo
If you’ve lifted your hair to a medium blonde to light brown, you may notice your hair oxidising into an orange-y or coppery tone over time.
If this is the case, you’ve probably been instructed to purchase a blue toner by your hairstylist (or through your own research).
All hair has naturally occurring warm tones.
Hair can’t have a cool or blue undertone, which is what a lot of people strive for when it comes to their dye jobs.
That means that over time, hair will fade to yellow or brassy finishes.
Orange shades are opposite blue on the colour wheel, making a blue-toning shampoo the most effective choice in neutralising brassy shades.
Purple Toning Shampoo
On the other hand, you may have dyed your hair platinum or light blonde.
In which case, you may find that your strands are fading down to a yellow or pale yellow shade.
If you’re a natural blonde, you may have these yellow tones to your hair as well!
But whether you’ve got them through dye or genetics, a purple shampoo will be a great addition to your hair care arsenal.
Purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so using a purple toning shampoo will help neutralise bright yellow shades and leave you with golden.
Or more ashen locks—all in all, a much more natural finish!
Why Mix Shampoos?
Very rarely is lightened hair one-dimensional. By that, we mean that dyed locks are made up of a multitude of shades that give your strands a dynamic, multi-faceted look.
Those varying shades and colours will fade at different rates and times, some of the ending tones being so different that they would need to be addressed with different colours.
That means that your hair may have some orange and yellow undertones that need neutralising.
Since each colour shampoo is better at cancelling out their respective problem shades, you may think it’s a good idea to mix both of them as a sort of “fix-all” for your hair woes.
Unfortunately, though, physically mixing both shades of shampoos will do you no good. Why?
A colour correcting toning shampoo is most potent in its own original formula and shade.
That means that you will find the best results when you use a purple or blue shampoo individually.
Mixing the two will not only compromise the ingredients, but will leave you with a different colour shade—one that might not effectively correct either orange or yellow undertones.
But, while you may not find the best results in mixing the two shades, it doesn’t mean you can’t still use both shampoos in tandem!
How To Use Both Blue And Purple Shampoos
If you find that your hair has clearly defined areas where it looks more orange or yellow (these crisp lines can be found if you’ve dyed your hair using a colour blocking technique),
you can use both shampoos in the same hair washing session!
Simply wash each chunk of hair with the suggested toning shampoo, taking care not to mix. Once it’s had ample time to set, rinse out and style as usual!
But, if you have integrated highlights or you find that the orange or yellow undertones are dispersed throughout the hair, you’ll need to take a different approach!
In this case, you can alternate using a blue or purple toning shampoo throughout your wash routine.
We do not recommend using one immediately after the other, or you risk stripping your hair and leaving it vulnerable to damage and dryness.
As you probably know, washing your hair every single day can lead to fried ends and excessive frizziness.
And a toning shampoo, while more nourishing than a straight toner, is still more chemically abrasive than your average shampoo, so using one more than once a week is definitely a no-no!
Instead, use one shampoo one day, and the next after another week has passed.
This will neutralise all the shades needing to be corrected, while preserving your hair’s natural oils, keeping your mane as healthy as it can be.
So don’t think you need to take your pick of purple or blue shampoo!
Buying and using both colours can be beneficial to your locks (now that you know how to do it right!)
If you’re looking for a good combo to try, we love the purple shampoo and the blue shampoo from this brand.
Related Questions
Can I follow up a toning shampoo with a toning conditioner?
Absolutely! You can take your pick of using the corresponding conditioner after toning your hair, or you can use a purple conditioner after a blue shampoo (or vice-versa!).
A toning conditioner corrects shades in a much less concentrated manner than a shampoo.
So it may not neutralise the undertones to the same extent, but it is a much safer way to correct both orange and yellow tones compared to using both shampoos during the same wash.
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