Purple shampoo has been doing the same job for decades. Clairol Professional says its Shimmer Lights has been the first line of defense against brass for blondes since the 1980s, using purple pigment to cool down yellow. The logic comes straight from the color wheel: violet sits opposite yellow, so a little violet cancels it out, and blue sits opposite orange.

That is all a hair toner is at home. When hair is lightened, the warm pigments underneath show through as yellow or orange, and sun, hard water and heat make it worse over time. A toner deposits a sheer layer of the opposite color so blonde, silver or highlighted hair looks cooler and brighter again.

Purple is for yellow, which covers most blonde and gray hair. Blue is for orange, which covers most lightened brunette hair. Neither lightens anything, and overdoing either can leave a lilac or dull cast.

The first grid is toning drops, glosses, masks and leave-ins, which work over days. The second is purple and blue shampoos and conditioners for wash day. My tip: use a toning shampoo once or twice a week, not every wash, and leave it on for two or three minutes the first time, then adjust depending on how your hair takes it.

Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone is the most reviewed product in this grid, a high-gloss purple toner that neutralizes brass and restores shine. Moroccanoil Treatment Purple is a tone-correcting take on the brand's hair oil that smooths frizz and gradually neutralizes brass, and it ties for the best rating here with Oribe Bright Blonde, a purple treatment that tones right away and hydrates. The Oribe won an allure Best of Beauty award in 2024, and both work on blonde, lightened and gray hair.

IGK Mixed Feelings is concentrated purple drops you add to any styling product, which is the easiest way to control how much toner you use, because you can start with a little and build. Verb Brighten and Detangle is a three-in-one mist that tones, detangles and hydrates.

For masks, amika Bust Your Brass tones and is clinically shown to strengthen damaged hair. Kérastase Blond Absolu is an ultra-violet mask for lightened, cool blonde or gray hair. Moroccanoil Color Depositing Mask in Platinum deposits temporary color while it conditions, and it has the lowest rating in this edit, so I would start with a short application.

What I would skip: a toning mask left on too long the first time. Apply masks to towel-dried hair and rinse on time, since very light blondes grab pigment fast.

Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo is the most reviewed product in this edit. It is sulfate-free, made for blonde, lightened brunette and gray hair, and it also targets damage and split ends. Pureology Strength Cure Blonde is a rich-lather purple shampoo that also fortifies damaged hair. Kérastase Blond Absolu Anti-Brass Shampoo adds hyaluronic acid.

Olaplex No.4P is a purple shampoo that targets everyday damage while it tones, and No.5P is the matching toning conditioner, which also hydrates and smooths. dae Violet Hour hydrates and strengthens while it counteracts brass, and it won an allure Clean Beauty award in 2023. K18 Biomimetic Hairscience TripleBright is a purple shampoo foam that removes and neutralizes brass with no staining, and it has the best rating in this grid.

Virtue ColorKick Debrassing Blue is the one for brunettes. It is a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo with natural colorants that tones and brightens color-treated and natural hair, and it adds UV protection, which helps color hold up in summer.

What I would skip: purple shampoo on brown hair that has turned orange. It will not do much, because blue is the color that cancels orange. Use the Virtue there, and keep the purple formulas for blonde, silver and gray.

I think a hair toner is the easiest way to keep color looking new between salon visits. Match the shade to the problem, purple for yellow and blue for orange, and use it once or twice a week so hair does not turn dull or lilac. Start with drops or a leave-in if you want control, and a shampoo if you want it to be automatic. If your hair is both blonde and brassy orange in places, alternate the two. Clairol has been using the same color wheel logic since the 1980s, and it still works.