Question about using a blue shampoo on a client with orange undertones

I had a client with really warm, almost orange toned hair from old box dye and I used a blue shampoo to try and cool it down, but it just made her hair look kind of muddy and dull. I think maybe the blue pigment wasn't strong enough to fully neutralize the orange and just kind of mixed with it. Has anyone else had this happen and found a better way to tone that kind of warmth?

2 comments

2 Comments

leo_campbell13d ago

Tried that exact thing on my sister's hair after a bad home dye job. Blue shampoo just made it a weird grayish orange mess. What finally worked was a direct dye toner with a real blue base, left on for way less time than the bottle said. You gotta watch it like a hawk because it can go purple fast on that level of warmth. Start with five minutes, check it, then add more if you need it. The shampoo doesn't have enough punch for serious orange.

william6613d ago

My friend Sarah had the same thing happen with blue shampoo turning her brassy highlights a muddy green. She ended up using a semi-permanent blue dye mixed with a ton of conditioner as a toner, left it for maybe three minutes. It neutralized the orange without going gray because the pigment was stronger. I mean, those color-depositing shampoos are really just for upkeep, not fixing a major problem. She learned the hard way you need something more concentrated when the orange is really bright.