If any of you have ever highlighted your dark strands to a blonde or lighter shade, you understand the importance of toners and keeping those strands from getting brassy between color sessions.  In the past couple of years, I have taken my naturally chestnut hair quite blonde (different shades) and have battled with keeping tones from warming up.  Let’s face it – we don’t all have time to get our color re-toned every couple of weeks at the salon.

I spoke to my stylist about this and her suggestion was a purple shampoo and conditioner combo for most of my washes (she suggested rotating in a deep moisturizing shampoo as well to keep things from getting too dry, especially with going so blonde).  For best results – lather hair with shampoo and let it sit for a couple minutes like you do with conditioner.  This allows the product to more effectively tone those strands.

Paul Mitchell – Forever Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner, pricing varies by salon
I love these as an every day shampoo and conditioner combo.  I love the well they smell, and my hair feels great when I use them.  They’re pretty moisturizing and do a decent job of toning blonde highlights.  For a bit of extra oomph in the toning department, I prefer their Forever Blonde Platinum Blonde Shampoo as it has more brightening power (the formula is a very dark royal purple, so don’t be startled when it comes out of the bottle!).  Also worth noting is their Dramatic Repair Spray which often comes free in salon packs.

 DryBar – Blonde Ale Brightening Shampoo & Conditioner, $27 each
These smell great and I find this conditioner to be one of the most effective detangling and moisturizing conditioners I have used in a long time.  The shampoo is startlingly purple – it’s a deep, amethyst tone and you don’t need a lot to cleanse and tone your hair.  These might seem like pricy products, but they last a long time, so they’re a good bang for your buck overall.  They also offer a Brightening Cream that enhances blonde tones and helps repair/treat color-treated hair.

Bumble and bumble – Color Minded Shampoo & Conditioner, $31 each
These aren’t specifically purple shampoos or for blonde tones only, however I think they’re worth mentioning.  I think they provide a lot of moisture and important ingredients for color care.  This is a great option if you have both highlights and lowlights and want to effectively maintain the tones of both.  Bumble and bumble carries an entire line of “color minded” products.

Notes About Purple Shampoos:
Sometimes people with more of an ash-toned base or naturally lighter hair can experience their hair “absorbing the purple” from these shampoos, especially if they are left on too long.  What I mean by this is that your actual blonde highlights might have a lavender or purplish tone to them after use.  These shampoos are meant to tone hair but it’s important to remember that everyone’s hair is different and reacts differently to different products, so sometimes it’s best to consult your stylist first.