How To Remove Purple Shampoo Stain Out Of Your Hair

For those with blonde or light-colored hair, purple shampoo can help to tone down the yellow hue. However, if you use the shampoo wrong can lead to a blue or purple tint to your hair. 

Read on to find out how to remove that unwanted purple from your lovely locks and the best practices when using purple shampoo.

There may be affiliate links in this article. You can read more about this in my disclosure.

How does purple shampoo work?

Purple shampoo helps mute the light or golden tint of hair by adding purple/blue pigments of dye to it. Yet, there is a chance that things can go wrong and you end up with hair that has a purplish, bluish, or even grey tone. Not the result you were wanting. 

To avoid this kind of disaster, adhere to the following when using purple shampoo:

  • Don’t use the shampoo too often. One or two times a week is enough.
  • Take care with the shampoo if you have absorbent hair. You can check if your hair is porous by placing several strands in a glass of water. After several minutes check to see if the hair has sunk to the bottom of the glass. If it has, then your hair is porous. 
  • You are using the wrong pigment level for your hair. Level 10 is the lightest blonde, with Level 1 being the blackest hair. Purple shampoo that is heavily pigmented with violet can be a mismatch for Level 9 or 10 hair. 
  • You have left the shampoo too long. Wash out the shampoo after 3-5 minutes.
  • Thoroughly wash out the purple shampoo. 

What can I do to remove purple shampoo from my hair?

Mistakes happen, even when following the above recommendations. When they do, there are remedies you can take to remove the purple shampoo completely from your hair. 

Use clarifying shampoo

Clarifying shampoo is specifically formulated to remove any remnants or buildup from your hair. That is, they give your hair a deep clean.

You can flush out those colored pigments from your purple shampoo and have your light-colored hair return to its natural shade.

One thing to be wary of with clarifying shampoo is that it can dry out your hair if used too often. Once a month is sufficient unless you use a lot of hair products, then you should use clarifying shampoo weekly. 

Washing your hair with this type of shampoo is simple:

  • Place a small amount into your hand and then massage it into your scalp. Build up a thick lather.
  • Leave the shampoo for 30 seconds, then meticulously wash it out.
  • Follow up with a conditioner so that your hair retains its natural oils and moisture.

It may take several washes with clarifying shampoo to remove all traces of the purple tint in your hair.

Removing purple shampoo with baking soda 

Baking soda in your hair? Sounds like something you want to avoid, but it is one way to neutralize the purple shampoo. 

You can either use the baking soda by itself or mix a tablespoon of it into your shampoo.

  • Work the baking soda rigorously through your hair.
  • Let it sit for several minutes.
  • Wash out the baking soda and then shampoo (with normal shampoo!) again. 
  • Give your hair a deep rinse out to flush away any residual baking soda.
  • Follow up with a conditioner.

Spray your hair with lemon juice

The juice within lemons is a natural lightener, and people use this as a way to reduce the dark tones in their hair. It can also reduce that unwanted hue that was caused by purple shampoo. 

If you want to enhance the color removal process, then following a wash using lemon juice with dish soap is an option. Dish soap has components that can restore your hair to its natural state. 

  • Combine equal amounts of lemon juice with water in a spray bottle. 
  • Spray all over your hair and let the juice/water solution sit for as long as possible.
  • Wash out the solution with water, then shampoo as normal.

If you decide to try dish soap with lemon juice, here is what to do:

  • Follow steps 1 and 2 above on washing your hair with lemon juice.
  • Use a bit of dish soap as shampoo. Work the dish soap evenly throughout your hair and leave it for 5 minutes.
  • Rinse out the soap.

Use a sulfate shampoo to remove the purple tint

Sulfate shampoos are made to give your hair a deep clean and remove any hairstyle products. They work by creating a thick lather that rids your hair of all the nasties within it.

That includes purple pigments that have darkened your light-colored hair. 

  • Give your hair a good drenching.
  • Place 2-3 pumps of sulfate shampoo into your hand. Cover your hair evenly with the shampoo.
  • Work it into your scalp, and then wait a couple of minutes.
  • Thoroughly wash out the shampoo and follow up with a conditioner.

Removing purple shampoo with heat

When you use purple shampoo, the colored pigments are trapped in the cuticle of your hair.

You can release these pigments by allowing your hair cuticle to open up. That’s where the heat comes in.

Applying heat to your hair can be done either with hot water or a hair dryer

Using hot water

Be careful when with hot water as you don’t want to burn yourself. For those of you who have a hypersensitive scalp, it’s recommended you avoid this method. 

  • Run hot water over your hair for several minutes. 
  • Slip on a shower cap and wear it for around 5 to 10 minutes. The longer, the better, as it enhances the opening of your hair cuticles.
  • Rinse out your hair. 

Using a hair dryer

Set the heat of your dryer to the hottest temperature that is comfortable for you. Keep the dryer a safe distance away from your hair and scalp to prevent any burns. 

  • Work the heat from the dryer evenly throughout your hair. Starting from the scalp to the tip of the strands.
  • Rinse your hair to flush out the purple pigments. 

Get rid of the purple shampoo with color remover

Consider this as a last resort option since color remover contains chemicals that can harm your hair. It provides an instant solution to the problem, so it is worth thinking about if you are desperate and need a quick fix. 

Another issue to bear in mind is that color removers contain bleach, so you could end up with a change in hair color that you didn’t want. Proceed with caution.

Read the directions on the box of the color remover, and then go ahead.

Conclusion

Purple shampoo is a popular way to reduce the lightness of the hair. However, if used incorrectly, the result can be a tint to your locks that you didn’t intend. 

There are many ways to remove the unwanted purple hue and restore the yellow. For some, the best way is to avoid using purple shampoo altogether. But that’s something for you to decide.

If you want to use purple shampoo, do so with care.

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Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.

Picture of Farah Zeb

Farah Zeb

Farah Zeb is a mother of five, including two children with special needs. She shares practical parenting tips and resources to help other families navigate daily challenges and create supportive, nurturing environments.

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