Brassy hair!

[einna]

HI. My warm blonette (virgin) hair has gotten so brassy lately. I don't have hard water. What can I do to combat the brassyness and brighten my natural colour?

I want to get a blue conditoner, does anybody know where I can get a 'cone free one online? Also, how do they work? Is it just a little bit of added pigment to a regular conditioner? If so, would it be just as well to get some Manic Panic, Directions or something like that to add to my own conditioner? Any experiences would be appreciated. :)

[Seeshami]

I have a purple conditioner and I don't think it really does much. I didn't check the ingredients because I am lazy but I found it for cheep on Amazon.

[door72067]

I've had decent results adding blue or purple unsweetened Kool Aid mix to my regular conditioner (I even did some green at one point)

it did help balance the brassiness (due to old color that I am growing out) but did not eliminate it entirely because I had some really glaring spots from a combination of virgin, semi-perm dyed and perm dye that I tried to color oops among other chemical indiscretions

[kamar]

I've used Matrix So Silver shampoo with good results. It's pretty intensely colored purple shampoo, but doesn't stain my hands and does a nice job of toning down the brass. These types of products deposit a very light temporary color tone - in this case purple to counter brass. I've got that blonette-type hair color that seems to shift color and looks brassy from time to time. Once a month or so, I massage the shampoo in to my scalp and the lengths, and then leave it on for a few minutes. Sometimes one application works, or I use it the next time I shampoo too. Then I use my regular shampoo thereafter until I need it again. It leaves my blonde highlights looking nice and honey-blonde instead of brassy. You can read up on it here : http://www.matrix.com/products/total_results/color_care/sosilver_shampoo.aspx

Unfortunately, I do have hard water, and learned that my color shifts and my highlights go away because of mineral build up. For more intense correction I used the Malibu C MakeOver and my hair was incredible looking and feeling afterwards. The two-step process involves removing the mineral build up, and then an intense protein conditioning treatment. That stuff is here : http://www.malibuc.com/content/CN_Page.aspx?id=54

[Mai Gloeckchen]

Maybe just wait a little bit, till summer. In winter blonette and blond hair is often more ashy und darker.

[xoxophelia]

kamar- thanks for the links. I am also considering getting this shampoo.

[einna]

Thanks for the replies so far. The matrix sounds interesting, and I am looking very much forward to summer. ;)

[ratgirldjh]

I've heard adding a tiny bit 'blueing' which is found in the detergent isle along with soap and bleach, etc. to a rinse will help. It helps whites look whiter and is a pretty natural product from what i've read.

My grandmother told me this and she had silver hair and her hair was very pretty silver - so it must have worked for her. Where she lived the water is VERY hard too.

[HollywoodRouge]

i use a purple shampoo and leave it on my hair like a deep conditioner for 2 hours.
wouldn't suggest doing that it you have dry, damaged hair but my hair is very oily, and i always do a honey treatment beforehand, so my hair can handle it.
you could try using a toner, but i've heard they can turn brassy themselves over time, which would obviously be counter-productive if you didn't maintain the upkeep, but they are stronger than the shampoos and would last for more washes.
i think I'm going to get some blue or purple hair dye myself and start adding it to my conditioner, because I'm finding the shampoo isn't strong enough as I'm trying to change the tone of my hair a few levels!

[Mommyof4]

Have you thought of trying to mix your regular conditioner with a Blue semi, like Manic Panic or similar? I did that for my sister after we bleached her naturally dark hair, and it toned it to a beautiful color... :) Good Luck!