What is the Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Grey Hair, According to Women Over 60?

If you’re looking for the best shampoo and conditioner for grey hair, our community of over 600,000 women over 60 has some great advice. Here are their recommendations.

1. Jhirmack Distinctions Silver Plus Ageless Shampoo
2. Pantene’s Age Defy Shampoo
3. Finesse Silver Beauty shampoo 
4. The Matrix Total Results So Silver shampoo
5. Pantene’s Silver Expressions shampoo 

Keep reading for the complete list of recommended shampoos and conditioners for grey hair.

Are There Good Shampoos and Conditioners for Grey Hair?

As more women are deciding to let their hair go grey naturally, a number of new shampoos, conditioners, and other products have entered the market.

On the one hand, this is a positive step. It shows that companies are starting to pay more attention to the needs of older consumers. On the other hand, with so many new products available, finding the right one can be difficult.

The good news is that we have each other to turn to! With this in mind, I’d love to ask you for your recommendations on one specific pair of products – shampoo and conditioner for grey hair.

What Do Purple Shampoos Do for Grey Hair?

Purple shampoos are a go-to for many women with grey or silver hair. They are formulated with violet pigments that help neutralize yellow and brassy tones, which often appear in grey hair due to environmental factors like sun exposure, pollution, or hard water. Since purple is opposite yellow on the color wheel, these shampoos work by counteracting the warm tones and restoring a cooler, more vibrant silver hue. 

Regular use of purple shampoo can keep grey hair looking bright, shiny, and fresh without adding any unwanted color. However, it’s essential to use them in moderation, as too much purple pigment can give hair a lavender tint. Most users find that using purple shampoo once or twice a week is sufficient to maintain a radiant, natural grey color.

Here Are Your Favorite Shampoos for Grey Hair

Since posting this question, we have received dozens of responses. Thank you so much for sharing your favorite shampoos for grey hair!

Looking through the results, it looks like Jhirmack Distinctions Silver Plus Ageless Shampoo is a clear favorite. Pantene’s Age Defy Shampoo is also very popular with the women in our community.

Best Shampoos for Natural Grey Hair

Below you will find the complete list of the shampoos that have been mentioned so far. Don’t see your favorite? Please add it in the comments below.

Jhirmack Distinctions Silver Plus Ageless Shampoo

Best-selling silver shampoo from Jhirmack has natural anti-aging properties that neutralize brassy, yellow tones. Adding to its many effects, it also boosts texture and provides softness to natural grey hair.

Pantene’s Age Defy Shampoo

Pantene’s Age Defy Shampoo was designed with experts at Olay. It contains a triple-blend complex that helps fight 7 signs of aging hair. It works to prevent breakage, split ends, frizz, unruly greys, lackluster color, thinning, and dryness.

Finesse Silver Beauty Shampoo

Finesse Silver Beauty shampoo restores softness, manageability, and shine to natural grey hair. It tones down yellowness with a non-color depositing formula.

Matrix Total Results So Silver Shampoo

The Matrix Total Results So Silver shampoo is a clarifying shampoo that cleanses and neutralizes unwanted brassy tones and eliminates dull yellow color. It brightens the highlights on blonde hair and adds luster to color-treated and natural hair extending from grey to white shades.

Pantene Silver Expressions Shampoo

Pantene’s Silver Expressions shampoo is a non-depositing formula for all silver shades that can be used daily to enhance color. It’s designed to help remove dull residue to leave hair brighter and healthier-looking. This shampoo is formulated to give hair moisture without weighing it down.

Klorane Silver Highlights Shampoo

Klorane’s Silver Highlights shampoo enhances the natural radiance of white and grey hair. It brightens silver highlights and reduces the yellowing effect on natural hair.

Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo

The Clairol Shimmer Lights shampoo is an award-winning, protein-enriched, color-enhancing shampoo for blonde and grey hair.

The rich blend conditioning shampoo refreshes and renews faded highlights and brightens grey hair. It helps tone down brassiness and removes the dull yellow in grey hair.

L’Oréal Professional Serie Expert Silver Shampoo

This shampoo by L’Oréal provides nourishment to moisturize and brighten grey hair. It also smooths and softens hair while providing UV protection. This makes it ideal for daily use.

Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo

Aveda Blue Malva shampoo gently cleanses the hair and scalp. It adds silvery brightness to grey hair and neutralizes brassy tones on all shades. It contains certified organic ylang-ylang, lemon, eucalyptus, and other pure flower and plant essences that provide a fresh and pleasant aroma.

Pravana Pure Light Shampoo

Pravana Pure Light shampoo is the perfect shampoo you can trust to turn blonde, silver, or light hair from dull and brassy to gleaming and bright. Its formula is enriched with essential keratin and silk to protect while cleansing and hydrating.

Nioxin System 1

If you’re looking for a complete hair care kit that amplifies hair texture and protects hair against breakage, Nioxin System 3 is a great choice. Obviously, the assembled products reduce hair loss and strengthen hair while refreshing the scalp and delivering a healthy shine.

Provoke Touch of Silver Shampoo

Provoke Touch of Silver shampoo for grey, white, or platinum blonde hair has a brightener that optimizes reflected light to instantly boost shine. Moreover, it also protects against fading and dullness.

No.4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo

OLAPLEX No. 4P Blonde Enhancer Toning Shampoo cleans, tones, and restores while hydrating your hair from roots to ends. This highly-concentrated, sulfate-free shampoo forms a rich lather to neutralize brassiness and boost brightness after one use.

Best Conditioners for Grey Hair

For best results with any type of hair, a conditioner is a must. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that the same is true with grey hair. So, here are some great options.

Clairol Shimmer Lights Conditioner

The Clairol Shimmer Lights conditioner is an award-winning, protein-enriched, color-enhancing shampoo for blonde and grey hair. The rich blend deep conditioner refreshes and renews faded highlights and brightens grey hair. It helps tone down brassiness and removes the dull yellow in grey hair.

Aveda Blue Malva Conditioner

Aveda Blue Malva conditioner helps neutralize brassy tones in all hair shades. It’s an intensive conditioning formula that rejuvenates and refreshes color, leaving hair shiny, silky, and manageable.

Pravana Pure Light Conditioner

Pravana Pure Light conditioner is the perfect conditioner you can trust to turn blonde, silver, or light hair from dull and brassy to gleaming and bright. Enriched with essential keratin and silk to protect and hydrate.

Provoke Touch of Silver Conditioner

Provoke Touch of Silver conditioner for grey, white, or platinum blonde hair has a brightener that optimizes reflected light to instantly boost shine. Moreover, it helps protect against fading and dullness.

Extra Care for Grey Hair

Go the extra mile to protect your grey hair with leave-in deep conditioners and nourishing masks.

Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Toning Hair Mask

Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Toning Hair Mask is an intense deep conditioner that you leave in for 5 minutes to nourish, tone, and detangle your grey hair.

Better Not Younger Silver Lining Purple Butter Masque

Silver Lining Purple Butter Masque from Better Not Younger neutralizes yellows and brassiness and deep-conditions grey and silver hair. Nourishes your scalp and repairs dry damaged hair leaving hair hydrated, silky, and bright.

Matrix Total Results So Silver Triple Power Hair Mask

Matrix Total Results So Silver Triple Power Hair Mask brightens and adds beautiful silver tones to platinum hair and turns your gray into a stunning silver.

Here’s an interview that I recorded with a professional makeup artist about how to make your makeup work perfectly with your beautiful grey hair. I hope you enjoy it!

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Purple Shampoo

Purple shampoo can be a fantastic tool for keeping grey hair looking bright and free of yellow tones, but like any product, there are best practices to follow. Here are the key do’s and don’ts of using purple shampoo to get the most out of it without unwanted side effects.

Do’s:

• Do Use It Once or Twice a Week: Purple shampoo is most effective when used one to two times per week. This is usually enough to neutralize yellow tones without overdoing it. Adjust based on how quickly your hair develops brassiness.
• Do Leave It In for 2–5 Minutes: For the best results, allow the purple shampoo to sit on your hair for 2–5 minutes before rinsing. This gives the violet pigments enough time to counteract yellowing without staining your hair purple.
• Do Use a Moisturizing Conditioner Afterward: Some purple shampoos can be drying, so follow up with a deep conditioner or a hydrating treatment to keep your grey hair soft and manageable. Opt for conditioners specifically formulated for grey hair to enhance shine and moisture.
• Do Patch Test New Products: Before using any new purple shampoo, do a patch test on a small section of your hair. This ensures that the product doesn’t react negatively with your hair’s unique texture or color.
• Do Alternate with Regular Shampoo: Balance your routine by alternating purple shampoo with a sulfate-free, moisturizing shampoo. This will prevent buildup and keep your hair healthy.

Don’ts:

• Don’t Use It Every Day: Daily use of purple shampoo can lead to dry, brittle hair and may leave your grey strands with a violet or lavender tint. Stick to occasional use to maintain balance.
• Don’t Leave It in Too Long: Leaving purple shampoo in for longer than recommended can result in purple staining, especially on porous hair. Stick to the instructions on the product or the suggested 2–5 minutes to avoid over-toning.
• Don’t Apply to Dry Hair: Always apply purple shampoo to wet hair. Using it on dry hair can lead to uneven results or even staining, as the hair absorbs more pigment when dry.
• Don’t Forget to Use a UV Protectant: Purple shampoo can help prevent yellowing, but UV exposure can undo those effects quickly. Be sure to protect your hair from the sun by using a leave-in product with UV filters or wearing a hat when outside.
• Don’t Overlook Your Hair Type: If your hair is coarse or dry, opt for a purple shampoo with added moisturizing properties to avoid further drying. Fine or oily hair types can benefit from lighter formulas.

By following these do’s and don’ts, you can keep your grey hair looking bright, fresh, and healthy, while avoiding common pitfalls that come with improper use of purple shampoo.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What have you found to be the best shampoo for grey hair? Which brand do you use and why? Are there any shampoos that you have tried and rejected because they didn’t give you the results that you wanted? What about conditioners?