Color-Safe Shampoos

A violet toning shampoo for blonde, highlighted, silver and grey hair. The pigments (CI 60730 and CI 42090) sit on the hair just long enough to cancel the yellow and orange tones that creep in as colour fades — violet sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, which is the whole mechanism.

Who it's for: anyone stretching the time between salon visits, natural greys who want cool rather than yellowed white, and bleached hair that has started to look warm.

How to use: apply to wet hair and leave for one to three minutes, no longer. Start at one minute and work up — the pigment deposits fast, and too long leaves a dull violet cast. Use it once or twice a week and a regular shampoo the rest of the time.

What you'll notice: brassiness gone after the first wash and blonde reading cooler and brighter. Toning is maintenance, not a one-off: the effect fades over a few washes, which is why it works best on a schedule.