When to use silver shampoo

Has your cool hair color ever taken a brassy turn? It’s not uncommon that the silver tones turn golden due to sun exposure or simply from being bleached. Fret not, there are several steps you can take to prevent this from happening, including using silver shampoo. We’ll give you everything you need to know about how to use silver shampoo in the best way and let you focus on enjoying your brass-free hair. 

What is silver shampoo?

Simply put, a silver shampoo is produced to give back silver tones to your hair. It can be used as a regular shampoo but will allow your hair to look salon fresh longer by letting purple pigments neutralise yellow tones. Since it’s more common than not for cool tones to eventually lean towards a more yellow tone, a silver shampoo should be the staple to keep on your bathroom shelf to make the cool tones last longer. 

What does silver shampoo do?

To properly understand how a silver shampoo works, it can be helpful to envision the color theory wheel. Purple, which usually is the color of a silver shampoo, is directly opposite to yellow. That’s why silver shampoo uses purple pigments to neutralise yellow tones and give the hair a fresh look.

How to use silver shampoo?

Silver shampoo should always be used in wet hair to work properly and spread evenly. 

1. To give your hair and scalp a clean slate to better absorb the qualities of your silver shampoo you can start by washing your hair with a deep cleansing shampoo, such as the Purifying Cleanse Shampoo. This will gently remove any product buildup and residue on your scalp and hair lengths. Use once a month or as needed.
2. We recommend wearing gloves when applying your silver shampoo to avoid staining. Use a silver shampoo such as Sheer Silver Shampoo, and gently massage it through your hair and scalp. To further boost the neutralising effect, let it sit for a minute before rinsing thoroughly.
3. For even cooler tones you can follow up with Sheer Silver Masque and Sheer Silver Conditioner. 

How often should you use silver shampoo?

How often to use a silver shampoo varies depending on aspects such as what intensity you want. Thanks to the Sheer Silver Shampoo’s nourishing qualities, it’s gentle enough for everyday use. That way you can continuously tend to your cool shades without having to incorporate a whole new product to your hair routine. If you want to combine color care with even more hydration, opt for a moisturising shampoo like the True Soft Shampoo in between using silver shampoo. 

If you want a little extra boost of coolness in between washes, there are other products than silver shampoo that could help you:

1. You can opt for a color bomb with semi-permanent pigments, such as Colour Refresh Pearl Silver. Use it after shampoo by massaging it into your hair evenly with fingers or a comb. Leave it in for 3-10 minutes depending on desired intensity and then rinse thoroughly. 
2. Another option is our Silver Shot that’s boosted with moisturising qualities and violet pigments. This magic-worker can be used as a toner as the final step of your shower-routine. Apply it evenly to towel-dried hair and leave it in for 3-10 minutes depending on desired intensity. Rinse thoroughly.

What is the best silver shampoo?

When you want to keep your hair cool and nourished, there are a few shampoo options you can go for:

• Sheer Silver Shampoo. This is a silver shampoo with blackberry extract to add shine and violet pigments to neutralise golden shades in blonde, white and gray hair. With this silver shampoo you won’t have to compromise your hair’s health just to keep the cool shade – it will strengthen the hair while it dampens the yellow tones. The best of both worlds!
• Luminous Colour Shampoo. This is a great compliment to silver shampoo for brassy hair. Adding a lot of shine to the hair will reflect light which makes cool tones appear more. That’s exactly what this shampoo does best while also preserving your hair color with ingredients like pomegranate extract.

What does silver shampoo do to brown hair?

Blondes aren’t the only ones who crave cool tones – ashy brown hair colors have been trending for a long time as well. The result of silver shampoo on brown hair will vary depending on the shade of the hair. Light brown highlights are a good example of brown hair that can lean towards golden tones and therefore benefit from the neutralising purple pigments in a silver shampoo. However, brown hair can sometimes have red tones rather than yellow, in which case you might not experience the same visible result. 

We’d recommend opting for our Luminous Colour collection, or a color bomb like Cool Cream, to help your cool brown shades last longer. A little pro tip is also to always use a heat protectant before using heating tools, as it will help the cool tones last longer.