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How to Fix Hair Brassiness With Violet Shampoo

Oct 26, 2011 / By Ashley Mackenzie

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Frequent rinsing and shampooing can lead to color fade and brassiness.

Photo: Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images

You want a hair color with sass -- not brass. But over time, sun exposure and chemicals from your shower head oxidize color, leaving your dyed locks with a faint orange sheen. If your hair is sick with an attack of brass, a violet shampoo can whip tired locks back into shape for vibrant, brass-free color.

Rinse your hair in the shower and lather violet shampoo into your locks. Concentrate on brassy spots, such as the top of the head. Work the shampoo through your hair for a big-time, sudsy experience. This ensures the shampoo hits all those brassy strands of hair -- even the overlooked spots above your ears and on the sides of your head, where sun hits when you have your hair up in a ponytail.

Let the shampoo sit on your hair for up to 10 minutes. One or two minutes may help -- especially on light hair -- but if you don't notice a difference, keep it on the whole time you're in the shower to let it soak into your strands. Don't leave it in longer than 10 minutes; you want your hair looking cool and brass-free, not tinted purple.

Rinse the violet shampoo thoroughly from your hair. The water will run purple at first; rinse until it runs clean.

Apply a moisturizing conditioner -- preferably one formulated for dyed hair that protects strands from UV rays (which contribute to brassiness). Work the conditioner through your locks and let sit for two minutes to thoroughly coat your hair. Moisturizing your locks after using violet shampoo is essential, as violet shampoo tends to dry out even the most resilient hair.

Rinse away the moisturizer. Later, when people think your color is fresh from the salon, you can pretend it is!

1.Violet shampoo

Most violet shampoos are formulated for blonde or gray hair. Although they may tone down brassiness in darker hair, expect the best results on light locks.

If violet shampoo makes your hair too dry (or starts turning it purple), reduce usage to once a week to keep brass at bay. Violet shampoo should be a sometimes shampoo, not your daily go-to.

Over time, violet shampoo cools down your hue. This is desirable for someone with a cool skin tone -- meaning pink undertones and blue veins -- but warm-complected divas with yellow or olive undertones to their skin may find violet shampoos wash out their complexion when overused.