Don’t worry, blue shampoo won’t leave your hair… blue, as long as you use it correctly! This is a specific shampoo intended for blonde, gray, or even bleached or highlighted hair. Blue shampoo is recommended to restore natural color and avoid unsightly yellow reflections.
- Why and in what cases should you use blue shampoo?
- How do you choose the right blue shampoo and what mistakes should you avoid?
We take stock.
Why use blue shampoo?
Blue shampoo can sometimes be confused with purple shampoo, even though the difference between the two is minimal. However, they have particular characteristics.
The Science Behind Blue Shampoo
The blue shampoo is actually colored with a blue tint, which does not remain on the hair but will have a neutralizing role on hair that has become yellow. This is the case for blonde hair, whose color can fade over the days under the action of the sun, chlorinated water from the swimming pool, salt water from the sea, etc.
Even natural blonde can turn yellow under the action of certain products or through the natural aging process of the hair: it takes on unsightly yellow highlights. Blue pigments neutralize yellow reflections for these hair types as well as highlighted hair.
The blue shampoo will help neutralize the yellow tones. On a color chart, we can see very clearly that blue is the color opposite to yellow. It is therefore logical that it works by neutralizing yellow, which is a warm tone, as opposed to the cold tone, which is blue.
The benefits of blue shampoo for blonde and gray hair
Regularly using a blue shampoo will help keep your color perfect. Whether it is a blonde or a gray, they keep their original shade without turning towards yellowing or coppery colors, which often turn out to be unsightly and make us rush to color our hair in a more sophisticated way. close together.
Using this real-care shampoo allows you to space out colorings, which are often not harmless to the hair, and to keep your hair in good condition, with a more natural appearance. The color shine stays for a long time, thanks to blue shampoo!
Let’s not neglect the financial aspect, since blue shampoo allows you to space out sessions at the hairdresser to redo your colors in the salon!
Choosing the right blue shampoo
Blue shampoo and purple shampoo: what are the differences?
“Ultraviolet bath,” as some brands mention, has a minimal difference between violet and blue. However, we consider that blue shampoo is specific to the de-yellowing of blonde hair or gray hair, while purple shampoo will tackle more of the problems linked to unwanted copper reflections in blonde hair (for example: ash blonde coloring) or bleached hair.
Alongside these two hair products, we also find the Silver Shampoo, which is specific for the de-yellowing of gray or white hair and will allow you to obtain a more radiant color without yellow reflections.
How to Select the Right Blue Shampoo for Your Hair Type
You should be careful when buying blue shampoo and do not hesitate to seek advice from a specialist.
Indeed, there are different shades of blonde and it is important to find the blue shampoo that will give the best results for your shade, depending on the pigments contained in the hair product.
EXAMPLE:
A blue shampoo may be more suitable for a polar blonde, which would not be suitable if you have an ash blonde shade.
Instructions for use: How to use blue shampoo?
Like any specific hair product, it is important to take care when applying blue shampoo to get all the benefits for your hair.
Key steps for a successful application
The application of blue shampoo will be done by following the following steps:
- Wet the hair before applying a dab of blue shampoo and distributing it throughout the hair.
- Soak the entire hair well, then leave the product on for a long enough time (around 3 minutes) before rinsing it.
- then proceed to carefully rinse the shampoo and dry as usual, taking care not to apply too much heat to the hair or keep the dryer sufficiently far from your head.
TO NOTE:
While it is important to respect an application time, you should also not leave the shampoo on the hair for too long, otherwise you will get the opposite effect, namely bluish reflections. This advice also applies to using purple shampoo.
How often should you use blue shampoo?
If you are in the habit of washing your hair frequently, it is recommended to use blue shampoo between once a week and twice a week.
Precautions and advice for use
Although blue shampoo is perfect for restoring all the blondeness to your hair, it is important to avoid certain mistakes when using it.
Mistakes to avoid with blue shampoo:
Although it is important to leave the blue shampoo on long enough to obtain the best results, you must nevertheless pay attention to certain points:
- The exposure time must not be exceeded. You must therefore carefully follow the instructions mentioned on the hair product. Manufacturers may have slightly different instructions.
- To avoid having too many blue pigments, it is also not recommended to combine a blue shampoo with an anti-yellowing hair mask, which also contains blue pigments. The result would not be aesthetic and could, conversely, cause blue reflections due to an overload of blue pigments.
- In addition, the pigments contained in blue shampoos or purple shampoos can cause stains in your bathroom. You must therefore be careful and rinse your shower or bathtub well , paying particular attention to the joints, after using a blue or purple shampoo.
What should you do if your hair takes on unwanted highlights?
You can go to a hair salon and have your color changed by a professional.
However, if you want to go it alone, experts advise using a patina. For example, for undesirable purple highlights, we use a yellow patina and for unsightly blue highlights, the gold or even copper patina can significantly improve the appearance of the hair for a natural look.
This hair treatment makes hair shiny and deeply nourishes it. The patina is composed of vegetable oils and neutralizing pigments to eliminate unwanted reflections so that blondes do not turn yellow, or browns do not tend to take on red highlights.
Moreover, for unwanted red or orange highlights, following a brown coloring, a professional colorist will undoubtedly suggest a patina containing green pigments.
Alternatives and supplements to blue shampoo
If blue shampoo is very useful for caring for blonde, highlighted or bleached, or gray hair, there are other solutions to avoid unsightly reflections.
Use anti-yellowing masks and conditioners
There are masks suitable for bleached or highlighted hair, weakened by blonde coloring and whose pigmentation tends to become yellow. These are the anti-yellowing masks.
Professionals recommend not using the anti-yellowing mask in addition to an anti-yellowing shampoo because the accumulation of blue pigments could produce the opposite effect of the desired result. The pigments also risk altering the hair fiber and causing unsightly bluish (or purple) reflections to appear.
Tips for Maintaining Vibrant Color
To keep your color vibrant, there are several tips. It is particularly advisable to choose suitable products (shampoo and conditioner for colored hair) that will prolong the beauty of the coloring.
It is important to avoid heat sources, such as hair dryers, and prolonged exposure to the sun without a hat or hair protection. Bathing in the sea or swimming in a pool can also damage your coloring. Your hair becomes dull and rough.
It is better to space out shampoos, especially if they are too harsh. This helps maintain vibrant color for longer.
Apply specific and targeted treatments for colored hair to deeply nourish the hair: hair masks, leave-in treatments, etc. Do not use water that is too hot to rinse your hair. The last rinse water can even be cold, which will tighten the scales and make the hair shine.
Coloring and bleaching can weaken the hair fiber, making the hair porous, dull, and limp. Unsightly reflections such as yellow or red can appear on blonde or gray hair, which requires frequent coloring and further damages the hair fiber.
Fortunately, blue shampoo allows you to take care of your hair and avoid unsightly reflections. It will nevertheless be necessary to choose the right shampoo according to its color and to know how to apply it according to the rules of the art to obtain the best results.