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Purple shampoos may be a blonde’s best friend, but washing hair with the best blue shampoo can help brunettes banish brassiness and achieve a cool, even hue. Similarly to purple shampoos can help keep blonde hair more icy than yellow, these formulas help neutralize the telltale orange and yellow tones that can appear in brown hair in order to keep the color rich and shiny.
To round up the best of the blue-tinged bunch, we tapped two pro hairstylists to weigh in on the formulations that counterbalance unwanted warmth while offering additional perks, like color protection and added moisture. After all, what’s a cool new color without shine, bounce, and silky texture? With that in mind, scroll ahead to browse our hairstylist-vetted picks for the best blue shampoos a brunette can buy—with bonus selections for blondes and gray hair, too.
Top Picks
- Best Overall: dpHue Cool Brunette Shampoo, $28
- Best for Color-Treated Hair: Bondi Boost Brunette Booster Shampoo, $30
- Best for Light-Brown Hair: Matrix Brass Off Blue Shampoo, $20
- Best Highlighted Brunettes: John Frieda Blue Crush for Brunettes Blue Shampoo, $24
- Best for Blondes: Davines Heart of Glass Silkening Shampoo, $38
- Best for Gray Hair: Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo, $75
- Best for Damaged Hair: Virtue ColorKick De-Brassing Shampoo, $44
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which blue shampoos work best?
- Do blue shampoos really work?
- What is the difference between blue shampoos and purple shampoos?
- How do you get the best results from a blue shampoo?
- Meet the Experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: dpHue Cool Brunette Shampoo
Why we love it: dpHue’s Cool Brunette Shampoo uses blue pigments to nix unwanted orange, red, or brassy tones in brown hair—and it works equally well on natural and color-treated hair. (Just note: If you have brown hair with blonde highlights, the brand recommends using its Cool Blonde Shampoo instead.) Made with silk proteins and hibiscus flower extract, the shampoo strengthens the hair while giving it a satiny sheen. “This is a great blue shampoo that is one of my favorites for cool brown tones,” says New York-based hairstylist Rogerio Cavalcante. “It gets rid of brassiness and leaves hair soft and shiny. Color pigments can sometimes irritate and dry out hair, so I like this one because it does not do that.”
Editor’s tip: Want to give your color even more TLC? DpHue’s Glossy Glaze—a 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner—boosts color and shine, and can be used in combination with the shampoo.
Key ingredients: silk proteins, hibiscus extract, blue pigments | Who it’s for: natural and color-treated brunettes
Best for Color-Treated Hair: Bondi Boost Brunette Booster Shampoo
Why we love it: In this blue shampoo, the Aussie haircare brand applies its signature plant-based protocol to toning brunette hair. Bondi Boost Brunette Booster Shampoo contains blue pigments to counteract brassy hues, while a botanical blend nourishes the hair on multiple fronts. Baobab seed extract hydrates and strengthens the hair, kakadu plum boosts moisture and shine, and saw palmetto (an herbal ingredient) can plum thinning hair. The shampoo is also sulfate-free, which is particularly beneficial for color-treated hair. New York City-based colorist Nikki Ferrara previously told Allure that steering clear of sulfates can “extend the shelf life of your hair color and prevent fading.”
Editor’s tip: Allure has been calling kakadu plum a “must-have beauty ingredient” for close to a decade. The Vitamin-C-packed fruit can brighten the skin, and protect the scalp from free-radical damage.
Key ingredients: baobab seed extract, squalene, kakadu plum| Who it’s for: color-treated brunette hair
Best for Light-Brown Hair: Matrix Brass Off Blue Shampoo
Why we love it: With its carefully calibrated blue-purple dyes, Matrix Brass Off Blue Shampoo is designed for brunettes who lighten their hair, though it can also be used on natural brunette and dark blonde hair, too. On blonde hair, the pigmented shampoo works to balances out overly yellow hues; on brunette hair, it cools down warm tones of red or orange. It also moisturizes the hair and amps up shine. Laced with notes of nectarine, raspberry, and passion fruit, the shampoo has an addictive fruity scent—and you’ll have plenty of time to breathe it in, since the brand recommends lathering the shampoo and then letting it sit for three minutes before rinsing it out.
Editor’s tip: To enhance the shampoo’s toning effects, pair it with the Brass Off conditioner.
Key ingredients: blue-violet pigments, tocopherol, soybean oil | Who it’s for: Lightened brunette, natural brunette, or dark blonde hair
Best Highlighted Brunettes: John Frieda Blue Crush for Brunettes Blue Shampoo
Why we love it: Temur Hamilton, the hairstylist and owner of New York City’s Temur salon, recommends John Frieda Blue Crush for Brunettes Blue Shampoo for brunettes with highlights. Infused with crushed blue pigments that counteract brassy hues, the past Best of Beauty Award winner is powered by Tri-Dye blend technology, a patented system that's designed to maximize the blue pigments’ penetration into hair shafts while minimizing their risk of staining the skin. (For what it’s worth, the blue pigments in most blue shampoos will rinse out easily with water, but if you’re concerned about stains you can always wear gloves while shampooing.)
Editor’s tip: For maximum efficacy, the brand recommends getting the hair damp and wringing out excess moisture, then applying the product and letting it sit for two to three minutes before rinsing it out.
Key ingredients: blue pigments, glycerin, dimethicone | Who it’s for: brunettes with highlights
Best for Blondes: Davines Heart of Glass Silkening Shampoo
Why we love it: While most blue shampoos are formulated for brunettes, the Davines Heart of Glass Silkening Shampoo goes out to the blondes. Designed to revive brassy blonde hair with coolness and shine, the shampoo gets its blue tint from jagua fruit extract. In addition to balancing out unwanted warm hues, the extract has an illuminating effect on blonde hair. The shampoo is also infused with baobab-seed extract, which moisturizes the hair and helps to repair damaged cuticles, which are a common side effect of color treatments. (FYI: Coloring the hair involves lifting the cuticle layer so color molecules can make their way into the shafts, which can leave hair more prone to dryness and breakage.)
Editor’s tip: The brand says that a little of the product goes a long way, so use a sparse amount with each wash.
Key ingredients: jagua fruit extract, baobab seed extract, sodium lauroyl methyl isethionate| Who it’s for: blondes
Best for Gray Hair: Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo
Why we love it: While a majority of blue shampoos focus on toning brown hair, Aveda’s plant-powered iteration balances all hair colors—and it’s particularly effective on lighter hues. Known to zhuzh gray hair with a silvery sheen and restore a cool, even tone to brassy blonde hair, Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo is infused with moisturizing blue malva as well as coneflower, which conditions the hair and has anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe the scalp. Speaking of soothing, the shampoo is scented with Aveda’s signature“Pure-fume.” The spa-channeling fragrance melds notes of ylang-ylang, lemon, and eucalyptus with plant and flower essences.
Editor’s tip: While the price may seem steep, keep in mind that the bottle is large. It’s 33.8 ounces, to be exact, which is more than three times the size of a typical 8.5-ounce bottle.
Key ingredients: blue malva, coneflower, violet pigments | Who it’s for: color-treated hair
Best for Damaged Hair: Virtue ColorKick De-Brassing Shampoo
Why we love it: Beloved by the likes of Jennifer Garner and Kim Kardashian, Virtue’s shampoos contain a patented protein called Alpha Keratin 60ku. Designed to strengthen and repair damaged hair, the protein has a structure that’s similar to the natural keratin found in human hair, and it fills in gaps in the cuticles to promote strong, shiny hair. On top of that, the brand’s ColorKick De-Brassing Shampoo uses violet, lavender, and rosemary-leaf extracts to neutralize brassiness in all hair colors. It also has a blend of chamomile, lemon fruit, red cabbage, purple ginseng, and wintergreen leaf extracts that aso brighten blonde hair.
Editor’s tip: The scent, which melds notes of yuzu zest with chamomile and sandalwood, adds a calming touch.
Key ingredients: chamomile extract, turmeric root extract, violet flower extract | Who it’s for: all hair colors and types
Best for UV and Heat Protection: Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo
Why we love it: With bright blue pigments to cool down warm and brassy hues, Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo caters specifically to brunettes. Along with its toning agents, it contains green tea extract and UV absorbers, which help color last for longer between salon visits. And speaking of lasting results, the product is infused with Smartrelease Technology, which uses a special delivery system to infuse the hair with capsules filled with nourishing ingredients; these are continuously released into the follicles. They include rosehip oil, arginine, and keratin, which strengthen and repair the hair while protecting it from styling-induced damage.
Editor’s tip: Infused with rosehip oil, which protects the hair from static, the shampoo also keeps flyaways and frizziness at bay.
Key ingredients: blue pigments, UV absorbers, green tea extract | Who it’s for: brunette hair
Best for Curls: DevaCurl No-Poo Blue
Why we love it: Designed specifically for curls, DevaCurl’s dark-blue, brass-tackling shampoo is proudly billed as a “zero-lather toning cleanse.” Why, you might wonder, is lather such a bad thing? It’s not, necessarily, but it’s worth noting that shampoos that lather tend to contain sulfates, a type of detergent that can strip the hair of oils, thus drying it out and causing color to fade faster. DevaCurl No-Poo Blue is free of sulfates and infused with moisturizing ingredients, such as glycerin and panthenol, that keep the curls hydrated and soft. The shampoo is also powered by Smart Porosity Toning Technology, which fills in gaps in the hair cuticles for more even toning.
Editor’s tip: The “Super Fruits” scent is a sweet mix of fruity, floral, and woodsy notes with a sprinkle of coconut-sugar fragrance on top.
Key ingredients: smart porosity neutralizing complex, vitamin B5, blue pigments| Who it’s for: color-treated curls
Best for Detangling: Milk Shake Cold Brunette Shampoo
Why we love it: With blue pigments to counteract warmth in dark blonde, light brown, and brown hair, Milk_Shake’s Cold Brunette Shampoo is filled with natural ingredients that nourish the hair. Milk proteins—the brand’s signature ingredient—can boost the hair’s volume while dousing it with hydration. The formulation also contains conditioning moringa oil and a color-preserving antioxidant complex, fueled by sunflower seed extracts, known as Integrity 41. Another ingredient is quinoa protein, which protects hair color, adds shine, and can also make the hair more manageable (in other words, less prone to tangles and frizz.) As a sweet bonus, the shampoo smells like candied fruits.
Editor’s tip: Moringa oil, one of the key ingredients, can strengthen the hair and moisturize the scalp.
Key ingredients: milk proteins, moringa oil, sunflower-seed antioxidant complex | Who it’s for: dark blonde, light brown, and brown hair
Best for Shine: Eva NYC Brass to Sass Brunette Shampoo
Why we love it: Designed to enhance and tone hair color while adding shine, Eva NYC Brass to Sass Brunette Shampoo relies on a lineup of botanical ingredients. Blue tansy oil helps balance brassy hues, while spirulina strengthens the hair and adds shine. Another key ingredient, juniper berry, is packed with antioxidants that protect the hair from free-radical damage that can cause dryness, brittleness, or frizz. It's also suitable to use on keratin-treated hair.
Editor’s tip: Sulfate-free shampoos are recommended for keratin-treated hair since sulfates can strip the keratin treatment off the hair.
Key ingredients: blue tansy, spirulina, juniper berry | Who it’s for: brunettes
Frequently Asked Questions
Which blue shampoos work best?
Look for blue shampoos that pair the pigment with a blend of reparative, moisturizing, or protective ingredients. For a shine-inducing, deeply nourishing pick, Cavalcante prefers dpHue’s silk protein-infused shampoo. Meanwhile, Allure editors have long relied on Virtue’s ColorKick to bring hair color back to life (even back when the pigment was only available in salons).
Do blue shampoos really work?
According to Cavalcante, blue shampoos deliver on their promise of balancing out hair color. “The blue tint in these shampoos neutralizes the warmth from faded-out brown hair dye,” he says, adding that the shampoos can be used to maintain and preserve hair color between salon appointments. However, it’s important to manage your expectations. “Blue shampoos do work, but they aren’t magic,” Hamilton says. “Don’t expect blue shampoo to completely eliminate orange tones; it just helps reduce any brassiness left in the hair color.”
What is the difference between blue shampoos and purple shampoos?
Purple shampoos are ideal for balancing the yellow tones that appear in blonde and gray hair, where blue shampoos are better for darker shades, like brunettes, who feel like they have an orange or red tone. “In a color wheel, blue complements orange, and purple complements yellow,” Cavalcante says. “In hair, purple and blue work by neutralizing their complementary shades.”
How do you get the best results from a blue shampoo?
To best cut through brassiness, you should only use it once a week. “Blue shampoos are very helpful, but you need to be careful,” says Hamilton. “Overusing them can make hair look muddy and dull, regardless of the brand." Also, he says, don't leave them on for longer than three minutes, since that “can create muddy, ashy tones, leading to a dull appearance.”
Meet the Experts
- Rogerio Cavalcante, hairstylist and owner of The Second Floor Salon in New York City
- Temur Hamilton, hairstylist and owner of Temur Salon in New York City
How we test and review products
We always enlist a range of testers for our makeup vertical, but hair-care products and tools are another story. While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind. Many are created in order to address a concern (dandruff, breakage, brittleness) or to work most effectively for a specific hair type (4C curls, wavy hair, gray hair). You wouldn't want to pick up a purple shampoo that's only been reviewed by someone with, say, auburn hair, or a diffuser that's never been tested by anyone with curls—right?
For our review of the best blue shampoos, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and hairstylists who have dull hair or struggle with brassiness. Testers considered performance across four primary categories: efficacy, texture and experience, fragrance, and packaging. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
Find more Allure editor-approved picks for your hair-care routine:
- These Creams Are the Way to Pillowy-Soft, Defined Curls
- 17 Best Detangler Sprays for Knot-Free Hair
- 15 Best Air-Dry Creams to Perfect Your Heatless Styles
- Every Allure Editor Has A Boar-Bristle Brush — Here's Why You Need One, Too
Now, watch Ariana Greenblatt's trick for sculpting her face:
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