Does Every Blonde Need to Be Using Purple Shampoo?

This year was a big one for going blonde. Celebs like Emma Stone and Taylor Swift both lightened their locks, and even Bella Hadid had a blonde moment during a photo shoot for Paper Magazine. Perhaps it's no coincidence, then, that purple shampoo is also an enduring hot topic of 2016. After all, the Barney-hued stuff is known for its effectiveness in protecting flaxen tresses.

"Purple shampoo is helpful for blondes combating brassy tones that make the blonde color appear yellow or orangey," explains Caitlin Richardson of West Hollywood's Blonde/Blond salon. "The violet tones in purple shampoo cancel out the yellow ones by depositing the violet onto the hair strands and creating a cool tone." That doesn't mean that the shampoo actually lightens the hair, keep in mind; it only makes your tresses appear lighter.

Still, certain shades of blonde don't mesh with the purple stuff. "I don't recommend it to everyone with blonde hair because if you are not completely bleached out, the other shades in your hair will lift—the shampoo will actually defeat the purpose," says Giselle, a colorist at New York's Pierre Michel salon. "You must be completely bleached out in order for it to work." She also notes that it doesn't compute for brunettes to reach for a grape-colored rinse. "Purple shampoo on any other hair color really doesn't make sense," she says. "Purple is the complimentary color to orange and yellow, so it will only tone these shades down."

Apart from investing in that special shampoo (everyone from Drybar to Oribe makes one), there are a few tricks blondes can use to maintain that have-more-fun color. Using a shower filter can guard against chlorine in tap water, which causes hair to oxidize faster, Caitlin says. She also recommends sudsing up with sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, which keeps colors and toners intact for longer. She's a big fan of the vegan Malibu collection, which, she says: "can brighten up blonde hair like you wouldn't believe, without the use of chemicals." Giselle adds that getting regular glosses will help seal in color, as well. 

So, what's on tap—or, shall we say, in the bottle—for the "it" shade of blonde in 2017? "The look is almost always cool, icy tones. Thanks Elsa!," Caitlin jokes. Giselle agrees that as of now, the "hottest shades are the Scandanavian, cool-toned blondes." But, she predicts that "buttery" hues will come into favor during the warmer months. Kate Upton, you've got this one!

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