I’ve had experiences with all kinds of purple/violet shampoos over the years. Either I have used them personally or have been pretty tight with those who have. There are individual products and sets which are geared towards those whose strands require some balance and toning. There are ways of maintaining control of your natural or colored locks, and this is our Joico Blue Shampoo and Conditioner review.

How far will we go for good-looking hair? Is it even worth it? I mean, sure, there are those who are super into their hair, who need to have everything just right. I am not saying you should spend a ton of money on your hair care routine, but there are times when a certain product can make a real difference.

When it comes to color-balancing hair care products, they normally aren’t ones which require daily use. Many times, using such products once every 7 – 10 days or so will suffice, in spite of what the company may say. The key is to find a balance which works for you, your hair, and your circumstances.

Alright, so what exactly is blue shampoo?

What Is Blue Shampoo?

Dyed hair.

Essentially, this shampoo is to brunettes what purple shampoo is to blondes. Although, for fairness’ sake, some brunettes use purple shampoo as well! Either way, this shampoo works by taking advantage of the opposites within the color spectrum. Much like purple or violet can lower the brass section of blonde hair, blue can target the slight orange tint which affects some of us with lightened brown hair.

Balancing the color by using a shampoo or conditioner means that you can get all the benefits of a shampoo and none of the drawbacks which can come from messing with dyes. Well, one drawback perhaps – the color in the hair product will probably stain surfaces and clothing with ease, so make sure you use it with caution and prep accordingly. In other words, you have the ability to get toning done in the comfort of your own home. That counts for a lot.

Blue shampoo is not an airtight solution, and the results will vary wildly from one person to another. But at the basis of it all is the idea that you don’t have to spend tons of money and time to manage the brassy parts in your hair. You will need a good quality product, and there is more than a good chance you will require patience and some commitment. These types of shampoos seldom work after a single initial washing, often needing more than one session to bring about real and noticeable change.

No matter what the label or commercials say – you will probably need to stick with it for a short while. The marketing department has its place, of course, but for longer-lasting results that won’t ruin your natural hair, it is best to take it slow and be cautious when interacting with products that have strong pigmentation, whether purple, blue, or canary yellow.

Joico Blue Shampoo And Conditioner Ingredients Breakdown

Joico Blue Shampoo Ingredients

There are plenty of sulfates, preservatives, binders, synthetic fragrances, and let’s not forget the blue dyes in the shampoo. There is also water, tea extract, proteins. And don’t forget components like limonene and linalool, both of which can be found in essential oils.

Look, here is the plain truth. If you care about different chemical compounds in your hair, there is a good chance you will not want this stuff to touch your hair. It won’t damage it, per se, but it does contain different elements which can end up in your body. These substances find their way through the hair and scalp to the bloodstream, and they can accumulate over time. 

As of right now, these ingredients are all considered safe for use, but what one country considers safe is what others might consider a clear and present danger. You need to do your research and see how your priorities line up.

Joico Blue Conditioner Ingredients

Same deal as the shampoo, really. Less ingredients overall in the conditioner, but these two products share some of them. The point of conditioner is to nourish the hair and make it more manageable once the shampoo has scrubbed and cleaned it (along with the scalp).

This conditioner can make your hair soft and beautiful, yes, but at what price? Is it always worth it? Do you care about the ingredients or not? That is the driving question. If you plan on using the conditioner only once a month (for example), you may not care too much about what it contains, as long as it gets the job done.

Much like the shampoo, there is water, tea extract, proteins, components from coconut oil, alcohols of different kinds. Skin and hair conditioners are more abundant here than in the shampoo, since it is a conditioner, and this is its main function.

Joico Blue Shampoo And Conditioner Review

Woman with dyed hair.

The first thing I noticed about this shampoo and conditioner set is – quite obviously – its deep deep blue color. It has a wonderful almost metallic shade of blue, and to their credit both products smell really good. Hey, if you’re going to put a group of synthetic fragrances in your products, might as well make it smell amazing. And yeah, the scent is very reminiscent (to me anyway) of expensive salon products, if that makes any sense.

Both products were easy to get on, and fairly easy to rinse out. Much like other shampoos and conditioners, these two have ingredients to help them lather up and make their presence known to your hair. Consider using gloves, since these products will end up coloring your hands, nails, and clothing blue if you’re not careful. I liked the consistency of both. I guess that means those chemical binders are doing a good job holding it all together.

Do not overuse. There is a good chance I will say it again before the end of this post, because just like any pigmented hair care product, this duo by Joico can have detrimental effects if not used properly. You should use this periodically and as needed. Don’t wash your hair with this shampoo just to get a few strands which are brassy. It might seem counterproductive, but I feel it’s better to wait a bit, until you have a larger brass section to work with.

Joico Blue Shampoo And Conditioner: My Before And After Results

Joico Blue Shampoo And Conditioner Results.

My ‘before’ was brown hair, some parts lighter and some parts darker. Remember that this is my hair, and your experience may vary greatly, depending on your circumstances and hair color.

Well, as much as I wanted this to work, I must say that it did not. Now, in all fairness, there is a good chance that I need to use it continually for weeks (which I did not do). So, let’s just say that it doesn’t really do what the company says it does right out of the box.

For the price, it doesn’t seem worth it to me. Plus, the ingredients make it so I am less interested. Those are just the facts. I suppose that if the product wasn’t seriously loaded with stuff I would rather avoid, I could get on board and give it more of a shot, over a prolonged period of time. But I’m not interested in doing that.

My experience with purple shampoos as a blonde, by the way, has been more positive. Perhaps it has to do with how I was using it and maybe even what I was eating at the time. Anything is possible. But my results were not at all impressive. Sadly, I wasn’t able to get excited about it.

I left the shampoo in for 10-15 minutes, and the conditioner was left in for 5 minutes or so. The conditioner is a lot less blue, more of a lighter blue. At least that’s what I saw come out of my bottle.

So, unfortunately, my orange-ish tips will have to remain for now. And again, don’t take this as a sign of failure on the part of the product. It could be that my color is too light for the shampoo to change anything, or it could be that a different blue shampoo would work. I will say that if you are expecting immediate results after a single pass, then prepare to be disappointed. That said, I have read several reviews on Amazon where a person did have success have a single wash, so who knows?

Will it work for me with more consistent use? Could be, but I don’t think I will be sticking with it long enough to find out. Also, there are other solutions which might be better suited, so I saw no point in continuing. It was merely an experiment, and I have my initial results.

Joico Blue Shampoo vs. Matrix Blue Shampoo

Matrix’s Brass Off shampoo is another heavy hitter in the game of pigmented hair care. These two shampoos have a lot in common. Both use sulfates, skin and hair conditioners, thickeners, binders, alcohols, and preservatives, as well as blue/violet pigmentation. The Matrix shampoo has castor oil and soybean oil. Joico’s shampoo is more expensive (when I last checked, but that could change).

Both shampoos are said to achieve the same goal – cooler tones and less brass for brunettes. I think that either one will be good for you to test and experiment with. After seeing which one vibes with your hair, you’ll have an answer as to which one is better.

Both products have a nice consistency which is easy to work with and which is not runny, plus both of them smell really great. Overall though, I would have to give my gold star to the Matrix Total Results Brass Off. It simply performed better than the Joico blue shampoo. It also costs less than Joico’s to boot – that’s a combination that deserves some love and attention.

Just to be clear, even Matrix’s shampoo did not perform so amazingly on the first time. So, I think it’s safe to say that these products require some commitment before my hair can notice them. This is something which I am sure not everyone will experience. So, go ahead and give them both a shot if you can.

Conclusion

To conclude, I’ll say that I still love colors. Love them. Even though colored or lightened hair takes more of my time and resources, I’m simply into it. I enjoy experimenting with my hair, and I like trying things out. And when I get to work with items like blue or purple shampoo, I get excited even if the product ends up disappointing.

Hair grows, and it has this natural pull over me, so I love messing with it. I’ve done different things to my hair over the years, and have undergone different cuts and styles. But colors are something I keep turning to because it is so much fun for me. Whether with dyes or crayons, giving a spectrum of colored-life to my hair is something I enjoy doing regularly. And if it should so happen that I find a hair care product which complements it – all the better, but I’m not counting on it.

Heck, if I wanted to stay away from trouble, I wouldn’t have colored my hair to begin with. I guess what I’m trying to say is that whether you choose Joico or another brand to get rid of those brassy tones, you should always remember that hair can (and should!) be fun, lively, and a part of you. Treat it right, be kind to it, and it will shine on.