“Blondes have more fun.” While I might not agree fully with this well known statement, it is no secret that the infamous blonde hair is a sought after look. If you or a family has dyed their hair blonde before, then you are most likely familiar with purple shampoo. For those that are unfamiliar, yes it is purple, and yes it is a crucial upkeep item for most blondes looking to stay that way.
Purple shampoo can do wonders for blonde hair when it is wet, so it is not unusual that people have started asking what happens when you add purple to dry hair? CAN you put purple shampoo on dry hair? These are all good questions. People have gotten quite creative during quarantine, so who knows! Anything can happen nowadays. Lucky for us, I got curious and took the time to find the answer!
Purple Shampoo Background
The biggest reason so many cling to purple shampoo is that when used properly, it is the perfect way to prevent blonde hair from turning orange or brassy. When we bleach our hair, the natural bleach result is far from the picture we are aiming to achieve. It may vary a bit due to previous dye jobs, but as a whole, the orange color I was mentioning is a common outcome of standard hair bleaching. Because of this, our hair needs some extra love in the form of toner.
However, against popular belief, It is important to note that purple shampoo is NOT a toner. As directed on the back, purple shampoo uses its purple pigment to counteract with our freshly bleached hair and bring out the silver and greys making for the blonde hair look we all want to begin with.
In this case, I am referring to properly as in using it as an actual shampoo that helps reinforce your toner that has already been set into your hair. Think of the purple shampoo as your backup plan that holds you over until it’s time for a new dye job. Your daily fix to keep you on the right track. Well, not daily actually. We should not be washing our hair every day! But that is another article, another time!
The Big Question
Since purple shampoo is typically done on wet hair, it is only fair we start to ask the big question: is there anything wrong with putting purple shampoo on dry hair? I will keep it short and sweet. Yes. I would steer away from this thought for loads of reasons. This is not a good idea for your hair, your sanity, or anyone really. Like I mentioned before, purple shampoo clings to your hair follicles with a pigment of purple to help lean towards a cooler tone of blonde. This is opposite on the color wheel of the dreaded orange color blondes tend to steer away from.
Depending on the porosity of your hair, the purple will latch on better or worse. It will also latch on heavily to dry hair. Dry hair typically has breakage on the ends which can be a great place for the shampoo to cling to. This means that without evenly dispersing on wet hair, dry hair application is uneven, risky, and not the results any of us want. It also dries your hair out even more, so you can end up with more damage that takes time and care to recover from. We have all been there and it is a dark, dark place.
Pros and Cons
There are some that would suggest otherwise and consider this a hack to get your brassy blonde hair back in shape as a hack. I, on the other hand, lean towards a big no on this one as a takeaway. If you do want to give it a try though, do it with care. Be sure to apply the shampoo as evenly as possible, as quick as possible, and work on the ends last as they are the most damaged and will absorb the toner the quickest.
This method is affordable if pulled off and can be a quick solution, but if it goes badly, it can stain your hands, turn your hair purple rather than blonde, and turn into quite a mess. While it may be worth a try if you have nothing to lose, me and my hair will be going to the salon for toning purposes, or stick to washing my hair with purple shampoo like we are all used to.
Take Away
To keep things simple and sweet, no. I would not suggest using purple shampoo on dry hair. Going blonde is fun and takes upkeep, but when you are already so invested, why not pay the extra bit to guarantee that the job is done well and done for you?
As a natural brunette, if I am dying my hair, I am making sure I walk away from the experience with a good outcome and for me, that means a professional hair salon visit. Let me know what you think and if you have had any success with this crazy method! You never know even the most frowned upon scenarios can work out every once in a while!
