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The 5 Best Hair Lightening Shampoos for Blondes in 2024

Blondes might have more fun in some ways, but it’s never a good time when your bright blonde hair turns brassy. Have no fear, blondies, here’s where to find the best hair lightening shampoo for blondes on the market today.

What’s the Best Hair Lightening Shampoo for Blondes?

The best hair lightening shampoo will brighten strands without drying out your hair or causing unwanted frizz. Bleaches can be damaging, but suitable brightening shampoos will nourish your strands while pulling out the brass or undesirable tint.

That being said, here are the top picks that can lighten the hair and then some. 

Our Top 5 Picks for the Best Lightening Shampoo for Blondes:             
  1. Best Overall: Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancing Toning Shampoo             
  2. Best for Extending Color: Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo             
  3. Best for Brassiness: Matrix Total Results So Silver Shampoo             
  4. Best for Strengthening: Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Shampoo             
  5. Best for Budget: John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo

Taking into consideration the price, ingredients, and ability, these are the top 5 picks that will take your dull blonde strands back into your favorite precious metal color, whether it’s gold, silver, or platinum blonde

Why You Need a Hair Lightening Shampoo for Blondes

Woman using one of the best lightening shampoos for blondes in a shower

Anetlanda/Shutterstock

When you turn blonde, it’s vibrant, buttery, and lovely. It’s the case with natural blondes, too. However, smog, chemicals, and other exposures can darken and stain your hair. It’s usually a subtle process unless you turn green from the chlorine in the pool.

Nevertheless, bringing blonde hair back to life is effortless with the best hair lightening shampoo for blondes. It’s important to remember not to use lightening shampoo every day since it will lighten hair too much as well as extract moisture from the cuticles.

Instead, use a lightening shampoo intermittently with a hydrating shampoo or skip washes for every two to three daysKeeping your hair blonde and beautiful is easy nowadays regarding the purple and blue solutions in a bottle.

However, if gradual is more your thing, be sure to read the directions on how to get the most benefits from the product. Either way, wear your blonde locks confidently, knowing the brass is gone and leaving you looking like you’ve been kissed by the sun.

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Best Hair Lightening Shampoo for Blondes: Top 5 Picks

Knowing what shade of blonde you are trying to accomplish throughout the seasons is imperative. Some lighteners will lighten quickly, while others might be more gradual. Let’s look at the Top 5 picks in more detail to see which product matches what you need in a blonde shampoo.

1. Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancing Toning Shampoo

Best Overall
Olaplex No. 4P Blonde Enhancing Toning Shampoo
Pros:
  • Approved for all hair types
  • Reconstructs and strengthens hair strands
  • Nourishes hair
Cons:
  • Doesn’t allow you to run your fingers through the hair very well
  • High price tag
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Olaplex is an incredible shampoo that can benefit all hair types. Its highly concentrated formula and patented Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate takes a minute to get used to since a nickel-size drop is all you need for the longest of hair.

Add water as you lather it into your locks so it covers the entire head. Using Olaplex regularly will strengthen strands, thanks to its patented formula that reconstructs the follicles. As a result, it doesn’t feel the same as other shampoos as you wash your hair.

It’s challenging to run your fingers through your hair, but you will be able to comb through wet hair easily, and when it’s dry, the hair is soft and highly manageable. It’s safe to use 2-4 times per week when lightening your blonde. It may cost a bit more than other shampoos, but it will last much longer, too.

2. Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo

Best for Extending Color
Redken Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Purple Shampoo
Pros:
  • Extends the life of colored blonde
  • Blondage line neutralizes yellow tones
  • Great smell
Cons:
  • Can strip color
  • May stain hands
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The Redken Color Extend Blondage system is a potent system for removing brassiness from blonde hair. It’s a high-quality shampoo with a rich purple color that will only take minutes to remove the stains in your locks.

However, with it being so strong, beware of using it frequently. It can cause dryness in the cuticle and over-lighten. That being said, the Blondage system is best used once a week. 

The aroma is lovely, and it’s a light lather than most when washing your hair. If you are looking for a drastic lightening, this is a great product. However, using too often or leaving it on too long can stain your hair and hands purple. 

3. Matrix Total Results So Silver Shampoo

Runner-Up
MATRIX Total Results So Silver Color Depositing Purple Shampoo
Pros:
  • Works excellent on blonde, silver, and light brunette hair
  • Only takes one wash to see results
  • Pulls bleeding color off highlights
Cons:
  • Can stain fingernails
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Matrix Total Results So Silver is a fantastic purple shampoo to remove brassy hues or color bleeds from another color. When having multiple colors in your hair with a combo of highlights and lowlights can eventually cause a bleeding of color onto the highlights.

So Silver will remove the bleed without ultimately damaging the lowlights. There is a noticeable difference after just one wash.

Following directions will accurately lighten the unwanted yellows in your hair. Leaving the product in longer can result in over lightening. So Silver is safe to use for several weeks, two to three times a week.

4. Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Shampoo

Best for Strengthening
Pureology Strength Cure Blonde Shampoo
Pros:
  • Strengthens hair
  • Lightens noticeably after one wash
  • Don’t need much to wash hair
Cons:
  • Can over lighten hair after a time
  • High price tag
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Pureology is one of the most incredible shampoo lines on the market today. The brand has a line for every hair type, including blondes that need a bit of TLC.

Strength Cure Blonde shampoo will repair and strengthen hair that has been bleached or colored. It can bring back life to over-processed hair in just a matter of weeks.

Don’t overuse the shampoo, though. It doesn’t take much to lather up your hair. Plus, using too frequently can over lighten hair to a platinum or ashy color that might not benefit every skin tone. 

5. John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo

Best for Budgets
John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo
Pros:
  • Budget-Friendly
  • Refreshing citrus scent
  • Includes natural ingredients
Cons:
  • May cause dryness and breakage
  • Not an instant change
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Go Blonder Lightening shampoo is a gradual lightening product. If you are looking for subtle lightening over time, this product is a great, budget-friendly choice. It has bergamot extract, which is suitable for hair growth and thickening.

Bergamot also promotes collagen, amongst other things, so your scalp might thank you for the extra boost. Using a super-hydrating conditioner may combat the dryness that can follow using the shampoo, whose main ingredients are hydrogen peroxide and citrus.

The fresh scent will refresh your mood each time you use it. John Frieda Go Blonder is safe to use on a daily basis since it’s a mild lightener packed with natural ingredients.

Finding the Best Hair Lightening Shampoo

The best lightening shampoo for blondes smeared on a peach colored background

Oksana Mizina/Shutterstock

The overall reviews agree that these are the top lightening shampoos available on the market today. However, there are several things to consider when buying a lightening shampoo to ensure you get the exact right shampoo for you and your blonde hair.

Reviews

Looking at the reviews of a product will definitely help you in your decision-making when picking the right shampoo. Be thankful for all the others who have come before you and have done the leg work buying a product and taking the time to write about it.

Although everybody is different, note that if a bunch of customers give a product one star, you probably won’t waste your time or money on it either.

Reviews that give many details can also help you pinpoint specific information that might relate to your needs. For example, if a blonde only wants to brighten their locks slightly, and the shampoo review says it’s gradual, you might be more likely to select that product, too.

Cost

Cost is a significant factor to consider when choosing a lightening shampoo. Products can range for all types of budgets. In some cases, you will get what you pay for, but that’s not always the case.

Smaller budget products can work very well, just as some higher-priced products might not work so well for you. 

Shampoo is a vital self-care product, so cutting corners could have dramatic negative results, like over-drying hair. Sometimes finding the correct lightening shampoo can be a bit of a trial and error, but be cautious because that process can add up quickly.

Customer Service

Choosing a product based off their customer service isn’t unheard of nowadays. Some upstanding companies know that caring for the customer is what earns a loyal customer.

So, for example, if you buy a brightening shampoo that causes irritation, some companies will offer a no questions asked return policy. 

Customer service that believes in their products knows that if they give you a store credit for your return, you will come back to get your subsequent trial. 

Duration

Consider the duration of blonde lightening shampoo before you buy. First, consider how long it will take to lighten the locks when using the shampoo.

For example, some shampoos will only take minutes to lighten the hair, while others might take several washes. Second, you want to consider how long the product will last, especially when you think of it in price.

If you can only get 10 washes out of a lower budget bottle but can get 25 out of a high budget, it might be worth doing a little bit of math on which is the best buy for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Blonde woman using the best lightening shampoo for blondes in a studio

B-D-S Piotr Marcinski/Shutterstock

Here are some frequently asked questions that are related to the best hair lightening shampoo for blondes. 

Does lightening shampoo work on highlights?

Yes. Lightening shampoo will refresh highlighted hair. In addition, it may lighten the darker hue if it’s colored or has natural blonde highlights.

What is a bleach wash?

A bleach wash is a less abrasive hair-lightening technique since it uses water and shampoo when mixing with bleach powder and peroxide.

Can a clarifying shampoo lighten hair?

Yes. Clarifying shampoo can lighten hair as it strips heavy build-up from strands. However, if you don’t have heavy build-up, it’s not recommended to use a clarifying shampoo since it can strip and dry hair.

Is there a lightening shampoo for darker hair?

Yes. There is a lightening shampoo for brunettes and redheads. However, it isn’t supposed to turn your hair blonde. Instead, the shampoo will brighten the darker strands to enhance the color.

Is John Frieda a real person?

Yes, John Frieda is a celebrity hairstylist and entrepreneur in the hair industry. Frieda has a line of hair care products that was acquired by Kao Corporation in 2002.

So, What’s the Best Hair Lightening Shampoo for Blondes

Although there are plenty of great lightening shampoos on the market for blondes, Olaplex is the top-rated due to the fact that it can benefit all hair types while strengthening the strands with each wash. Blondes are sure to love Olaplex along with the other four lightening shampoos on this list.