# Purple shampoo for gray hair

Source: HiveTried, https://hivetried.com/beauty/purple-shampoo/for-gray-hair/
Category: Beauty > Purple shampoo. Updated 2026-10-08. Based on 114 counted first-hand reports from Ulta and Sephora shopper reviews, Dec 2017 to Aug 2026.

**Question:** Which purple shampoo is good for gray hair?

**Short answer:** Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo has the best record for gray hair: 20 of 21 shoppers said it removed yellow without turning their hair purple. Each record counts just shoppers who said they have gray, silver or white hair. Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo has the highest share at 9 of 9 but rests on a small group, and Olaplex No. 4P Purple Shampoo has the weakest record here at 12 of 15.

**What stands out:** A purple tint is the thing to watch with gray hair. It comes up in 29% of Olaplex reviews and 12% of Redken reviews, and those shares count all of each shampoo's reviews, not just the gray-hair results.

## Ranking (buyers who said whether it worked)

| Rank | Product | Bright, not purple | Share | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo | 20 of 21 | 95% | yes |
| 2 | Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo | 9 of 9 | 100% | yes |
| 3 | Redken Blondage Purple Shampoo | 10 of 11 | 91% | yes |
| 4 | Olaplex No. 4P Purple Shampoo | 12 of 15 | 80% | yes |

Ranked by the lower bound of a 90% Wilson confidence interval, so a product needs a high share and enough reports to rank high. An Amazon link is shown only when at least 60% say it works.

## Product notes

### 1. Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo

20 of 21 said it removed yellow without turning their hair purple, and more shoppers weighed in on it than on any other shampoo here (21). 44% of its reviews say it keeps gray hair bright and 20% say it leaves hair soft. Dryness draws complaints at 8%.

- Praised for: Leaves hair soft (20%), Brighter blonde or silver (8%)
- Complaints: Dries hair (8%)
- Reports counted: 25

### 2. Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo

9 of 9 said it removed yellow without turning their hair purple, the highest share here, but that is a small group. Across all 30 reviews we counted, 27% say it leaves hair soft and 23% like the scent, while 10% find it drying and 7% call it too expensive.

- Praised for: Leaves hair soft (27%), Smells good (23%)
- Complaints: Dries hair (10%), Too expensive (7%), Turns hair purple (7%)
- Reports counted: 30

### 3. Redken Blondage Purple Shampoo

10 of 11 said it removed yellow without turning their hair purple. Across all 24 reviews we counted, 38% say it keeps gray hair bright, while 12% mention a purple tint and 12% mention stained hands or tub.

- Praised for: Smells good (8%)
- Complaints: Turns hair purple (12%), Stains hands or tub (12%)
- Reports counted: 24

### 4. Olaplex No. 4P Purple Shampoo

It has the weakest record here at 12 of 15, with 3 of 15 saying it didn't remove yellow, turned their hair purple or left it dull. A purple tint still comes up in 29% of all 35 reviews we counted for it, including reviews from shoppers who didn't say how it worked on gray hair. 20% say it leaves hair soft and 11% mention dryness.

- Praised for: Leaves hair soft (20%), Smells good (11%), Brighter blonde or silver (6%)
- Complaints: Turns hair purple (29%), Dries hair (11%), Stains hands or tub (9%)
- Reports counted: 35

## Questions

**Which purple shampoo is good for gray hair?**

Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo has the best record (20 of 21), followed by Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo (9 of 9) and Redken Blondage Purple Shampoo (10 of 11). Just four shampoos cleared the bar for gray hair, and Olaplex No. 4P Purple Shampoo has the weakest record at 12 of 15.

**Can purple shampoo turn gray hair purple?**

It can. Leaving purple shampoo on longer than the label says can tint light hair purple or lilac, so start with the time on the label. In all the reviews we counted, a purple tint comes up in 29% of Olaplex reviews and 12% of Redken reviews.

**Does Moroccanoil Blonde Perfecting Purple Shampoo work on gray hair?**

Shoppers with gray hair were positive, with 9 of 9 saying it removed yellow without turning their hair purple. That is a small group. Matrix So Silver Purple Shampoo has 21 shoppers behind its record.

**Is Olaplex No. 4P Purple Shampoo good for gray hair?**

It is a mixed pick. It has the weakest record here at 12 of 15, and a purple tint comes up in 29% of all 35 reviews we counted, including reviews from shoppers who didn't say how it worked on gray hair. On the plus side, 20% say it leaves hair soft.

## Method

HiveTried counts first-hand reports only, drops reviews written for free products, shows brand-site reviews without counting them, and never accepts payment for placement. Full method: https://hivetried.com/how-we-count/