Are you a brunette who struggles with brassiness? You are not alone, one of the most common issues brunettes faced after coloring their strands is precisely keeping brass at bay. Luckily we are here to tell you that blue shampoos are here to save the day. If you stick with us, you’ll learn how to use blue shampoo the right way, and more.
Brassiness is the presence of warm undernotes on the hair, and while some don’t mind it and choose to keep the look, most women prefer a cool ash shade. If you can relate, then what you need to do is learn how to tone down your hair color, which is as relevant as dying your hair the right shade.
These warm undernotes are different for everyone, for blondes it appears in the form of an orange look, in their case purple shampoo is recommended. For brown hair, warm undernotes may appear as reddish auburn highlights. In this sense, purple shampoo can do blondes, and blue shampoo can do brunettes.
So fear not, if you want to get rid of the brassiness on your brown hair, and return to a cool ash-brown shade, blue shampoo is the way; you just need to follow a few simple tips and tricks, and needless to say, you need the right products. Products that can set a proper basis and help you achieve the desired look. In this guide, we’ll share with you the exact steps you need to learn to finally answer the question, of how to use blue shampoo.
Products Reviewed In This Article
Best Blue Shampoo: Fanola No Orange Shampoo
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Conditioner: Redken Color Extend Brownlights Blue Conditioner
⇣ Jump to ReviewBest Hair Serum: John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum
⇣ Jump to ReviewIntro to Blue Shampoo How To Use
When you have lightened or color-treated hair that most likely has been exposed to heat, environmental factors, and certain hair products, then you may start noticing a change in the color. Fading of the color eventually leads to revealing brassy tones on your hair.
So what is blue shampoo? Blue shampoos are packed with blue pigment that is deposited into the hair each time you use it. The main goal is to remove brassy tones so that your beautiful brunette shines through.
Washing several times a week with a blue shampoo and conditioner helps keep your beautiful brown locks shiny, toned and fresh.
Blue Shampoo Before and After Function
If you are not into lightened brunette hair that becomes obvious after weeks of sun exposure, heat styling, and shampooing, you’ll need to combat them with a different color. Here is where the color wheel teaches us that blue is, opposite to orange.
This doesn’t mean using blue shampoo will turn your hair blue, it means that adding blue pigments to your tresses can reduce the orange and coppery undertones; which is the way your hair looks before using blue shampoo.
In other words, because of all the color theory in play, after learning how to use blue shampoo, rather than dying the hair blue, it will simply curb all those brassy tones and restores the vibrance of your lightened locks.
By now we are clear that blue shampoos are formulated to ditch brassiness in color-treated brunette hair. We can conclude that blue shampoo works by coating the hair shaft, neutralizing brassiness, and adding gorgeous shine.
How To Use Blue Shampoo Steps
Step 1 Apply Blue Shampoo: Fanola No Orange Shampoo
Gently massage blue shampoo into your wet hair. Make sure to incorporate evenly throughout your hair to get the desired effect. You can also apply blue shampoo on dry hair as many women expressed it completely banished unwanted orange.
We recommend Fanola No Orange Shampoo, which is formulated with Coconut oil for shine and to prevent breakage/split ends and enriched with hypoallergenic Tiare flower to nourish and seal hair cuticles.
If you’re looking for icy blonde Khaleesi vibes or rich brunette tones sans brass and orange the No Orange Blue Shampoo is what you need. It’s formulated with a rich blue pigment that cancels out unwanted orange, red and copper tones of the hair.
Whether you have a brunette balayage, just went brunette, or are naturally brunette, using this toning shampoo once every 3 washes will keep your brunette tresses on point, cue hair flip.
How to use Fanola No Orange Shampoo:
- Apply to wet hair, massage, and leave on for 1-5 minutes
- Lather and rinse
- Use gloves to prevent staining hands
- Can be used 1-2 times a week to help with undesired copper/red reflections

Step 2 Allow Blue Shampoo to Work
Lather and leave it to absorb for two to three minutes.

Step 3 Rinse
Use the blue shampoo daily until the brassiness disappears. Then, alternate with your regular shampoo to maintain the results.

Step 4 Continue With Conditioner: Redken Color Extend Brownlights Blue Conditioner
Conditioner is especially important for dehydrated color-treated locks. Dying and highlighting your strands strips them of their natural moisture. Hydrate your strands with a moisturizing conditioner after every shampoo.
Double up on the toning power by using a blue conditioner after each wash with blue shampoo. In just one use, you’ll see a brighter, fresher, cooler brown.
You can try Redken Color Extend Brownlights Blue Conditioner, this color-depositing, sulfate-free blue toning conditioner is great for both natural and color-treated brunettes. This toning conditioner color corrects and prevents brassiness.
It is perfect to tone brunette hair and removes brass. Sulfate-free blue toning conditioner formulated with blue pigments to counteract brassy orange undertones in highlighted, color-treated, and natural brunette hair.
Color Extend Brownlights is also great for gray coverage brunettes who want to keep color cool and prevent brassiness between salon visits. Color Extend Brownlights should be used 2-3 times per week for 5 minutes before rinsing.
How to use Redken Color Extend Brownlights Blue Conditioner:
- Apply to wet hair
- Leave on for 5-10 mins
- Rinse

Step 5 Seal In Color: John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum
Finish by using a nourishing hair serum. It’ll boost shine and seal your hair’s cuticle, locking in both moisture and those cool, perfectly-toned brown hues your blue shampoo and conditioner have left you with.
John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum comes highly recommended by experts. The salon-quality serum is safe for use on natural, color treated, or highlighted hair. It is silicone-free and unscented.
This unique serum for frizzy, curly hair nourishes unmanageable hair and leaves locks with a silky, smooth finish. Extra strength hair serum helps to protect from heat damage and repel humidity for optimal frizz control.
This weightless, anti-frizz hair serum is carefully formulated and features bamboo extract repairs dry, damaged, and frizzy hair.
How to use John Frieda Frizz Ease Extra Strength Serum:
- A single pump of our after-wash hair serum should be applied to soaking wet hair to lock in moisture
- Use an extra pump, as needed, to distribute evenly but avoid roots
How To Use Blue Shampoo Additional Tips
- If you have curly hair, high porosity hair, or damaged hair, color-depositing shampoos can work very quickly as these hair types are often able to absorb products in a rapid time. If this is the case, experts recommend allowing blue shampoo to sit on the hair for a little less time than suggested.
- Unlike a standard shampoo, in which you likely focus on massaging the roots, apply blue shampoo as evenly throughout the hair as possible from the ends to the roots. This will ensure that the color is distributed evenly.
- If you plan to use hot tools to keep that freshly toned hair for as long as possible, make sure to apply a leave-in conditioner and a heat protectant.
- Be sure to wear gloves; blue shampoo is notorious for staining skin and nails. Wash off any traces that land on your skin with plenty of soap and water to keep staining at a minimum.
Common Questions About How To Use Blue Shampoo
Do you use blue shampoo before or after shampoo?
Conditioner is especially important for dehydrated color-treated locks. Dying and highlighting your strands strips them of their natural moisture. Hydrate your strands with a moisturizing conditioner after every shampoo. Double up on the toning power by using a blue conditioner after each wash with blue shampoo.
How long do I leave the blue shampoo in my hair?
Hairstyling pros recommend sudsing up with blue shampoo once weekly to cancel orange or red tones out of brown hair color. For more toning, leave it in your hair for two or three minutes before rinsing.
Do you put blue shampoo on wet or dry hair?
For best results, you can use it on dry hair. If you’ve been wondering how to use blue shampoo on dry hair, here it is: Rub the shampoo between your hands and apply it all over your DRY hair.
Step into the shower, wet your hair a little, and keep working the shampoo through your hair. Rinse, and then deep condition.
How often to use blue shampoo?
If you want to know how to use blue shampoo, you should know that shampooing once or twice a week with blue shampoo should be enough to keep any orange or red tones from showing through. If you need to wash in the meantime, use a nourishing, color-safe shampoo to keep your locks soft and healthy-looking.
Should natural brunettes learn how to use blue shampoo?
Totally! Even natural brunettes can benefit from the blue shampoo every time. Blue shampoo can subtly alter warmer, coppery tones in your virgin brown locks to cooler, ashy shades.