Silver Foxes Have to Hair Care, Too

March 20, 2023 3:26 PM

Can you recommend a toning shampoo for silver hair that reduces yellowness and dullness, but also doesn't make me feel like I just showered at a Super 8 Motel? Also, it should cost less per pound than filet mignon.

My hair is silver. My MiL left behind some "purple" shampoo and hey, it helps! It gets rid of yellowness and dullness.

Thing is, it's also a bit like cheap dandruff shampoo: it fixes the one particular issue and is mediocre-to-bad at everything else.

My spouse solved this problem for a while by finding a marvelous salon style shampoo for silver hair by AG Care at TJ Maxx for $8 for an enormous bottle. However, we never scored a second bottle and buying it online is expensive. (33 oz is $51 on Amazon.)

What can I order for a reasonable price that will give me the shiny, non-yellow effect but will also hydrate, moisturize, and/or whatever else the nice things that my spouse's salon shampoo does?

My hair thanks you in advance.

posted by DirtyOldTown to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (16 answers total)

I'm currently using expensive salon shampoo (I only wash my hair about once a week so I don't worry much about the expense) but in the past I have really liked the L'Oreal EverPure line and they do have a purple shampoo and conditioner. I think it's around $8/7oz but often on sale at e.g. CVS.
posted by mskyle at 3:44 PM on March 20, 2023

Hmm maybe keep your good normal hair stuff but add a bluing rinse after?

https://mrsstewart.com/pages/whiten-hair-and-pets

I remember some relative using it that way when I was younger. A small cheap bottle would last ages.
posted by foxfirefey at 3:45 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you like the shampoo, then buy it. You don't need to shampoo your hair every day, and your hair is short. I wouldn't be surprised if that $51 bottle of shampoo could last two years, if you have short hair.
posted by Maxwell_Smart at 4:00 PM on March 20, 2023 [18 favorites]

i'm using tigi catwalk fashionista purple shampoo, and it is not insanely expensive and does quite well. it was actually recommended to me by my hairdresser.
posted by koroshiya at 4:03 PM on March 20, 2023

I use a high-quality salon style shampoo for my hair, and then I use a medium-quality purple conditioner to keep it from yellowing. That seems to do the job. Nexxus Blonde Assure is the brand, I believe.

That said, my hair products last a longass time: I only shampoo once per week. (Yes I shower more frequently than that, but my hair is very healthy this way and doesn't get greasy and gross.)
posted by suelac at 4:18 PM on March 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Add a few drops of Shrine toner in Ash, White or Silver to any conditioner you like.

I read about Shrine here (this is written by a beauty journalist I like a lot).

Shrine is a British company but it delivers to the US for $12.99 (or free if your order is over $50). The products themselves are very reasonably priced.
posted by Dwardles at 4:30 PM on March 20, 2023 [5 favorites]

I second this suggestion. I mix a little liquid bluing into my regular shampoo to keep my grey sparkly. It seems to work well, it’s cheap, and I can use it in whatever product I like.
posted by hilaryjade at 5:44 PM on March 20, 2023

What happens if you use your cheap purple shampoo and mix it with a tiny bit of conditioner? Alternatively, take a tiny bit of conditioner and run it through your hair after you rinse out the shampoo. Rinse the conditioner but not until your hair feels squeaky again. A second alternative would be to towel dry your hair and apply the tiniest amount of hair oil.
posted by koahiatamadl at 5:47 PM on March 20, 2023

You can get OGX Blonde Enhance + Purple Toning Drops at some drugstores, Ulta, or online. Add it to shampoo, conditioner, or both. They make their own shampoo too, but if you have something you already like, the additive seems to make more sense.

You can also just buy blonde or silver toner in the color temperature of your choice and add it to your shampoo or conditioner (preferable, and leave it to sit while you do the rest of your showering tasks). That was what my hairdressers had me do with my salon reds back before they made any products for that, they'd just give me the color profile of the toner they used and I'd get something pretty close at Sally.
posted by Lyn Never at 5:49 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Ah I would have suggested the AG. But truthfully, all of the blue shampoos are drying, unfortunately. Best thing is to use a great conditioner afterwards and maybe wash every other day if you’re used to washing your hair daily (or stretching it out even longer, if you can take it, I personally can’t).
posted by cotton dress sock at 7:14 PM on March 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'm white blonde rather than silver, but my silver mother in law and I both use Aveda Blue Malva to good effect.
posted by Ardnamurchan at 7:24 PM on March 20, 2023

Old School Drugstore item
Clairol Shimmerlights shampoo..
posted by hortense at 7:47 PM on March 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: Very happy silver sister here, whatever you buy, only use it, at the most, once a week. Purple/blue shampoos work well but are very drying. The best thing that I have found for hydration is a shampoo with argon oil. I read a while back that natural hair isn’t very porous and the argon oil molecules are small enough to penetrate and actually be absorbed. Not sure about the science of that but argon oil has made a huge difference in my hair. I use the Moroccan Oil hydrating shampoo/conditioner every other day and their purple shampoo/conditioner about once every ten days. My hair has gotten annoyingly thick and shines like the sun.
posted by pearlybob at 3:01 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

I find conditioner gives a better result, I use an inexpensive regular shampoo with the Aveda purple conditioner. It’s expensive but you don’t need much and for me it’s really worth it. I tried some less expensive ones and they helped but nowhere near as good a result. Shrine looks interesting and I’ll try it, thanks!
posted by tardigrade at 8:41 AM on March 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Seconding Hortense-- L'Oreal Shimmerlights is cheap as hell and works like a boss.
posted by headspace at 9:14 AM on March 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

Best answer: You don't need to use purple shampoo every day so it may be worth it to you. It may have been mentioned that purple shampoos are traditionally drying. I am using Rusk Deepshine PlatinumX Shampoo. I like it because it's not especially drying. There is a conditioner too and the shampoo goes for 16 dollars online and less at places like Marshall's/TJMaxx.
posted by loveandhappiness at 9:45 AM on March 22, 2023 [1 favorite]