This is a super common question and one that is fairly easy for me to answer. When you drop a lot of cash to get your hair to (and maintain) the perfect blonde, it is frustrating when you notice that a few weeks later it is turning yellow. Especially when you go platinum blonde or grey. So let me explain why your hair turns yellow and how to prevent it.
Hair is interesting because it has two factors when it comes to color. Level (which is how light or dark it is) and Underlying Pigment. Both are on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 is black and 10 is the lightest blonde. Each level has a correlating underlying pigment. This pigment is what naturally exists at those levels. So at a level 5 (which is a light brown) the underlying pigment is orange. This means in order to get a cool toner light brown, most stylists have to use a little blue in their formula to counteract the orange tones that exist at that level (depending on your hairs existing level and tone). It’s a little confusing right? Well that is just a glimpse of the kind of factors your licensed cosmetologist has to know and factor in to your service, that a box color never will.
So when you go blonde there are varying shades of yellow that live at that levels. This ranges from Gold to Pale Yellow. Now when you go blonde what you are doing is breaking down pigment. White is actually the lack of pigment in your hair or skin. So because of this it is super easy for your hair to show those undertones or to accept pigment from hot tools and elements that will make your hair look yellow.
There are a few options. One is to regularly tone your hair. A lot of hairstylists will charge you less than a full color application to just tone, especially if you aren’t getting it cut or blown out/styled after. You can go in after 3-4 weeks and have your hair re-toned between root retouches.
Another option is purple shampoo! Purple shampoo uses violet and blue deposit pigments to counteract the appearance of gold and yellow in your hair. The products are physically purple looking but they are to gentle to stain your hair purple (usually). They are safe to use and made to use at home. Chances are that your stylist actually sells some at her salon.
Purple shampoos can be used a variety of ways. You can use like a normal shampoo to maintain your blonde. You can use it in the shower and leave it in your hair for 5-10 minutes for a little extra toning power. You can use it on dry hair for the most effective toning results (you can click here to see a step-by-step of the dry method).
Make sure if you use any of these methods that you use a very rich conditioner. A lot of purple shampoos are more drying because they lift the cuticle in order to deposit the toner. It’s a great time to bust out your favorite deep conditioning mask. However any lightweight or volumizing conditioners are not recommended at this time.
Some of my favorite toning shampoos are the Joico Color Endure (red bottle pictured on above on the left), because it is gentle, effective and more hydrating than your average purple shampoo. AG Sterling Silver (pictured on the right) is another fan favorite. It was one of the best sellers when I worked at Ulta, and I myself pick it up often. Everything from AG is recommended by PETA, it’s vegan, cruelty free as well as free of gluten, salt, parabens, DEA and PBA. This one also smells like coconut and it is amazing! Another one I love is the Framesi Color Lover Dynamic Blonde (bottom left, white and purple bottle) is another potent and gentle purple shampoo.
Another option that I adore is the Kenra Brightening Treatment. This is not a purple shampoo but is instead a purple conditioner! It’s a great match for your purple shampoo if you need some major tonging done. It is super hydrating and nourishing so it counteracts the dryness that can occur with purple shampoo, or maybe a better fit for you in general. If you are using it without a purple shampoo to truly tone I recommend using the dry application method (which I linked above but will link again right here). This one is pictured on the right in a silver bottle. It smells like Coconut as well and it is super nourishing.
So now you have a few options of how to prevent yellowing in your hair! Drop your favorite methods and products in the comments below!