Look for a shampoo with purple pigments. A good purple shampoo or conditioner should come with concentrated purple pigments and the texture and consistency of the product should be opaque, not translucent to ensure there are enough colour pigments in each wash to neutralise the brassiness in hair.

Apart from the amount of purple pigments present to neutralise brassiness, it is also important that the shampoo itself does not contain harsh salts and surfactants (e.g. sulphates such as SLS/ SLES) that can strip the hair from moisture and colour, resulting in premature colour fading.

This applies to all dyed and coloured hair such as brown, ash, bleached, highlighted, and blonde. Keep in mind that purple shampoos are not required for black hair.

The frequency and duration to use purple shampoo will affect the level of toning and neutralisation gets better with regular usage. Here are two tips: Use the purple shampoo on semi-wet (instead of dripping wet) hair and gently squeeze dry the hair with the hands or a towel before applying the purple shampoo/ conditioner. This ensures that the purple pigments are not diluted by the water and helps with its penetration into the hair cuticle.

Another tip is to leave it on for longer (up to 10 minutes). The longer you leave the product in the hair before rinsing, the more the purple pigments can penetrate into the hair to neutralise the yellow and orange tones, resulting in longer-lasting effects.

In case you’re planning to add this brass-toning essential to your regime, here are five purple shampoos to help you get started.

Enriched with the botanical Hibiscus Extract and Purple Dye, this shampoo uses the best of nature and science to neutralise brassiness while nourishing the hair and leaving the colour brighter. Formulated with no sulphates, parabens, and harsh salts that can damage the hair, this gentle formula is ideal for regular use. Simply use it two to three times a week in place of your usual routine.

The protein-enriched conditioning formula of this shampoo helps to tone down brassiness on your coloured hair while renewing faded highlights or ash-tones. Regular use will help refresh the hair and remove unwanted dull or brassy yellows in the hair.

This ultra-violet anti-brass shampoo helps to neutralise hair that’s been bleached, turning gray, or lightened. Its unique formula helps keep your tones cool while powering against daily hair damage. Enriched with hyaluronic acid, it also helps leave the hair feeling soft as it strengthens the hair from within. Antioxidant-rich and paraben-free, simply apply it to wet hair and leave it on for at least two minutes before rinsing it thoroughly.

Mixed with Polyquaternium 10, this shampoo helps to prevent and control frizz or flyaways in addition to its toning benefits. The Bed Head Dumb Blonde shampoo gently cleanses the hair while refreshing its colour and conditioning the strands to keep it soft and glossy.

Ideal for hair that’s dealing with dryness or dullness, this deep purple shampoo helps colour-treated hair lose its brassy tones instantly. It also illuminates dull hair while balancing out warm tones, and gently cleanses impurities from the roots without stripping the hair of its natural oils. Smooth and glossy, this shampoo helps to restore shine and soften the strands.