Not too long ago I wrote a blog post about the effects of hard water on hair and skin. For example, some of the damages caused by hard water are colour stripping and fading. Which for blondes means brassiness. In addition, even the blonde potentially taking on a light green tinge, which actually did happen to me at one point.
Thankfully purple shampoo exists.
Over the past year I had the pleasure of trying out a few purple shampoo PR samples. While my usual go to for purple shampoo is Aveda’s Blue Malva I am always open to trying new products. That being said, here is my review of the purple shampoo and blonde hair care products I tried over the last year.
Drugstore Purple Shampoos
I tried a few different purple shampoo ranges compliments of L’Oréal Paris. They were all effective at neutralizing brassiness and are available at different price points for every budget.
L’Oréal Color Radiance Purple
The Color Radiance purple shampoo and conditioner neutralized my brassiness after the first use. The line is formulated to nourish and protect hair and can be used on highlighted and silver hair as well.
The price point is $5.99. Available at mass market retailers, drugstores and online.
L’Oréal Ever Pure Sulfate Free Iris Blonde Shampoo
The Ever Pure Iris blonde shampoo is formulated without sulfates, which instantly made it a winner for me because you know I like to avoid chemicals in my beauty products wherever possible. The iris extracts neutralize brassiness and reduce warm tones. Likewise with this shampoo I noticed a difference after one wash. What I liked most was that the shampoo reduced the warm tones and revived my highlights back to their original more cooler shade.
The shampoo also hydrates over-processed hair and because there are no sulfates, salts or surfactants it won’t strip or dull your hair colour.
The price point is $9.99. Available at mass market retailers, drugstores and online.
L’Oréal Ever Pure Brass Toning Purple Range
The Ever Pure Brass Toning range is also formulated without sulfates. The line is concentrated with purple dyes to neutralize brassy yellow and orange tones. Which it effectively achieves after one wash. As a result, the shampoo neutralized the brass and revived my natural blonde as well as any remaining highlights I had. I say remaining highlights because I haven’t seen my hairdresser since Covid started. I do like that it reduced the warm tones throughout all of my blonde.
The price point is $10.99. Available at mass market retailers, drugstores and online.
Before 
After one wash
Professional Blonde Hair Care
Kérastase Blond Absolu CicaExtreme
The Blond Absolu line was just wow. In addition to neutralizing brassiness the range made my hair so much more manageable and shiny. It also gave my hair a lot of unexpected volume. However the best part was that not only did the range reduce my warm tones but it actually brought my natural hair colour back to an ash blonde. It removed more of the warm tones than any of the other purple shampoos.
Kérastase Blond Absolu CicaExtreme Moisturizing Cream Shampoo
My first impressions of the CicaExtreme shampoo was shock at how little of it I needed not only to build up a lather but to effectively cleanse my hair. I enjoyed following the instructions on massaging the shampoo into the scalp first prior to adding more water to cleanse the hair. Both times the lather I got from the smallest amount of shampoo was astonishing. The creamy texture also felt great on the hair.
Price point is $46 and available at Sephora and online.
Kérastase Blond Absolu CicaExtreme Intense Conditioning Mask
Kérastase’s conditioning masks are a dream and the CicaExtreme conditioning mask was no exception. The mask is formulated to colour correct hair and neutralize brassiness. Which it did perfectly and returned my natural hair colour back to a blonde ash. In addition to that, the mask helps strengthen fiber damage. The hyaluronic acid softens the hair which you can feel after rinsing the mask off.
Price point is $72 and available at Sephora and online.
Kérastase Blond Absolu CicaExtreme Strengthening Hair Oil
I love hair oil but it’s not often I find one that won’t weigh my fine hair down or leave it greasy. But the Blond Absolu strengthening hair oil is just incredible. Firstly, a little goes a very long way, I used only half a pump and it was enough. Secondly, the oil gave my hair a nice natural sheen and tamed any frizz/flyaways without leaving it heavy or greasy. The oil contains edelweiss, an anti-oxidant that helps to nourish fiber and protect hair against damage. It helps bleached hair recover from breakage and split ends.
Price point is $62 and available at Sephora and online.
In conclusion, the Blond Absolu range made my hair very soft and manageable. What I mean by manageable is that I was actually able to run a comb through my hair after washing it. (Typically my hair extremely tangled after I wash it.)
I hope you find this roundup of purple shampoo and blonde hair care helpful, especially if you’re experiencing hard water issues like me. Likewise, if you end up trying any of the lines I would love to hear your thoughts.