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Haircare
Blonde & Grey Hair
New Study Finds:
The Natural Purple Shampoo We Made, Because the Others Were Drying Our Hair Out.
Why your blonde, silver, or going-grey hair feels drier with every wash. And what we made for it.
By Hannah Doggett, Co-Founder, The Cornish Seaweed Bath Co.
Family-run from furthest West Cornwall · Established 2013 · Over 100,000 orders delivered
Reading time: 7 minutes
★ 4.84 from over 17,000 reviews
A family-run brand from West Cornwall, since 2013
60-day try-at-home guarantee
"As someone with peroxide-blonde hair, I'd really struggled to find products that genuinely care for bleached hair. My hair had become quite dry and brittle, particularly with menopause."
— Sharon, Doncaster
If that sounds familiar, do read on. It's most likely not your hair. And it's not your age. It's the purple shampoo itself.
I'd love to share what we've learned about purple shampoos over the years, and what we ended up making instead.
How Most Purple Shampoos Do The Job
The purple in your shampoo cancels out brassy yellow. Purple sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so a thin layer of violet, deposited each wash, neutralises the warm tone.
That bit isn't really the problem. The problem is what the rest of the bottle does.
On most of the purple shampoos out there, what you're washing into your hair every wash is:
Drying and damaging. Most have sulphates and silicones in them. The sulphates strip your scalp's natural oils. The silicones coat the hair so moisture can't really get in or out.
Chemical-filled formulas. The purple isn't a plant. It's a synthetic dye, made from petroleum. The same family of dyes used to colour fabric.
Staining hands and shower. The dye doesn't really bond, so it washes off onto your hands, your fingernails, your bath, and your towel.
Harsh and irritating. For a scalp that's already changing with age or hormones, that's rather the last thing it needs.
That isn't me being unkind to the rest of the industry. It's the same comparison we've had on our own product page for years now. It's what we hear from customers every single day.
It's a bit like painting a wall every Sunday
Your hair shaft is the wall.
Synthetic dye is the cheap paint that has to be reapplied because it doesn't really bond. Each Sunday, a new coat goes on. Each Monday, half of it peels off in the rain. By Thursday, the brassiness is back, so you paint it again on Sunday.
After a year, the wall isn't just covered in paint. It's worn underneath. The surface is rougher. Bits are crumbling. The next coat doesn't go on as cleanly.
So you add a bond repair treatment to help. Then a deep conditioner. Then a hair oil. And still the wall keeps getting worse underneath it all.
That's really why your hair feels drier every wash. It isn't the toning. It's the cycle.
Plant-based pigments work rather differently. They don't sit on the surface waiting to be stripped off. They settle in gently, condition while they tone, and break down naturally. No paint cycle. No worn-down hair. Just lovely, even tone.
That's really the difference. And it's why our customers tell us what they tell us.
"I've tried countless purple shampoos over the years. Many have either over-toned my hair or left it feeling even drier. This is the first range that truly balances toning and nourishment."
— Sharon Barrington, Doncaster
What we made instead
The Super Nutrient Purple Shampoo and Conditioner is what Richard and I made for women in just this situation.
It tones brassy and yellow tones, but the violet doesn't come from petroleum. It comes from three lovely plants. We call it the Three-Plant Pigment System, which sounds rather grander than it is. Three plants do the colour work, and each of them does something else for your hair at the same time.
A bit of reassurance, if it helps:
4.84 average across over 17,000 reviews on the Cornish Seaweed range
Already used by over 350,000 women
Over 100,000 orders delivered since 2013
Made by hand, down here in furthest West Cornwall
60-day try-at-home guarantee
Free returns
Free UK delivery on orders over £45
The Ingredients That Do the Work
Super Nutrient Purple Haircare
Natural plant pigments
Enriched with seaweed
Sulphate and silicone free
Non-drying & gentle on the scalp
Most Other Purple Shampoos
Natural plant pigments
Drying and damaging
Staining hands & shower
Harsh and irritating
We've had this same comparison on our own product page for a couple of years now.
How this came about
I'm Hannah. My partner Richard and I started The Cornish Seaweed Bath Co. in 2013, down here in furthest West Cornwall.
Richard has a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and he's a practising acupuncturist. He spent years studying how plants work on the body before we ever made a shampoo together.
When my own hair started changing, getting drier, less manageable, with warm tones creeping in that I really didn't want, Richard set out to make a shampoo that actually worked for it. Something natural. Something gentle. Something that did the job.
His first prototypes, before we'd even refined the formula, were better than anything I'd tried from the high street or the salon.
Two years of development later, we'd built our regular Super Nutrient range. Customers loved it. Then they started asking us for a purple version, for their blonde, silver, and going-grey hair.
We didn't want to add the synthetic dyes most brands use. We wanted to find a way to tone the hair using plants alone. We started with a blue seaweed.
Two more years on, we had this.
"You can tell when something's been made by people who actually understand the body and the hair."
— Helen, age 59
Why we make it down here
There's a particular kind of seaweed that grows on the Cornish coast that you won't find further north. It's mineral-rich. It's gentle. And it has to be hand-harvested, in small amounts, by people who know what they're doing.
That's what's in the base of every bottle of our haircare. Between 60 and 80% of every Super Nutrient bottle is organic seaweed and our herbal infusion, prepared in small batches over a number of days, the way Richard learned in his TCM training.
This isn't industrial haircare made in a factory. It's small. It's careful. And it's still made by hand, down here in furthest West Cornwall, by us and the lovely team we've grown.
"Simple, clean, recyclable packaging; great smells and textures; from the body oils, the soaps and washes to the shampoo and conditioner. I'm happy to pay a higher price for sustainable and healthy products from a small company."
— Anahita Tait
How the Three-Plant Pigment System Actually Works
Cape Jasmine Fruit
What the colour does
Provides the natural violet pigment. Neutralises yellow tones.
What else it does for your hair
Soothes the scalp. Supports moisture balance.
Blue Spirulina (a seaweed)
What the colour does
Cools warm tones with its blue-violet hue.
What else it does for your hair
Rich in amino acids. Strengthens the hair shaft. Adds shine.
Radish Extract
What the colour does
Adds depth to the violet, so you don't get a blue cast.
What else it does for your hair
Naturally rich in vitamin C, zinc, and B vitamins. Lovely for a balanced scalp.
Three lovely plants, working together to tone your hair gently. None of the damage that comes with synthetic dyes.
Underneath the toning, the formula is built on the same scalp-loving base as our regular range. Organic seaweed (60-80% of every bottle), Tuber Fleeceflower Root, Angelica Sinensis Root, Frankincense, Argan Oil, Oat Kernel Oil, and essential oils of Lavender, Blue Tansy, and Petitgrain.
So you're not just toning. You're feeding your scalp at the same time. That's why the wash itself feels rather different.
It isn't a daily-use product. It's designed to do a job. Use it with every wash until your colour is where you want it. Then weekly or as needed to keep it there, alternating with our regular Super Nutrient Shampoo and Conditioner. No purple haze. No recovery wash the day after.
And Just As Important, What's Not In The Bottle
As much as we care about what we put in, we care about what we leave out. Especially for scalps that have changed with age or hormones.
Independently verified by Judge.me
Three women who wrote to us this month
Three different blondes. Three different versions of the same situation.
If you have subtle highlights you'd like to keep cool
Two of the loveliest groups of reviews we get are from women whose colour isn't full-on blonde or silver. They have highlights, balayage, or dark hair just starting to grey. They want to keep warm tones from creeping in, without going to a full purple shampoo every wash.
"I have dark hair which is starting to go grey, so I've had some very subtle highlights put through. Trying to prevent them going to a warm tone. First wash with these products looks promising."
— Tracyk, Glasgow
What hairdressers have been telling us
Hairdressers started buying it for themselves a few years ago. We've never paid any of them. They bought it for their own hair first, then started recommending it to their midlife clients.
What to expect, week by week
Every woman's hair is a little different, but the milestones below are the ones we hear about most often, taken from real customer reviews.
Day 1
"From the first application, the change to the finish, look and feel of my hair was impressive. I'm totally sold."
— Mary Allen, Newport
Week 2
"After just two weeks my hair is feeling thicker, healthier and wavier."
— Sally Batey, Croydon
Ongoing
"I love this range. My hair feels healthier and thicker, and I don't know how, but it stays looking good for way longer between washes than usual."
— Chris Thomasson, London
6 months
"Used 3 times can already see a difference. I was losing a lot of hair that seems to have slowed down."
— Gina Richardson
Long-term
"I am 72. Always had loads of hair. Age makes it less. I am now on the way back to having my thicker hair. So thank you so much."
— Ann Robertson, age 72
Is it really worth the price?
We do hear the question. We hear it on every product launch.
The honest answer is in the reviews from women who've actually used it for months.
The bottles tend to last rather longer than supermarket purple shampoos, because you use less per wash. The seaweed and herbal extractions are concentrated, so a little goes further.
And we don't price it as luxury. We price it so the women writing these lovely reviews can keep buying it.
What you may have been spending on managing the damage
If you've been on synthetic-dye purple shampoo for a while, the spend on managing what it does is often higher than the shampoo itself. The bond repair. The masks. The oils. The salon visits to fix the dryness the shampoo couldn't.
Every woman's routine is different, so we won't put an exact figure on it. What we tend to hear from customers is somewhere between £20 and £40 a month on damage management products. None of which would really be needed if the underlying shampoo wasn't doing the damage in the first place.
The Set on its own is £39.95 in our spring sale (regular price £57.90), with both the shampoo and conditioner included. There's no bond repair to add, and no recovery wash needed. The damage you'd be managing simply isn't happening.
Limited time offer
Spring Sale on now
Rated 5 stars from 17,000+ reviews.
Here's what's included today, including some lovely free skincare gifts on the bigger orders:
What's Included
Value
Super Nutrient Purple Shampoo (280ml)
£28.95
Super Nutrient Purple Conditioner (280ml)
£28.95
Free Organic Lip Balm (orders £50+)
£7.50
Free Organic Super-Nutrient Facial Oil (orders £70+)
£25.95
Free UK Tracked Delivery (orders £45+)
£4.95
Total Value
£96.30
Today (Spring Sale)
£39.95
Plus up to £33.40 in free skincare gifts on orders over £50
In stock
Next-day delivery available
60-day try-at-home guarantee.
A few quick questions before you buy
How often should I use it?
With every wash until your colour is where you want it. Then weekly or as needed to keep it there, alternating with our regular Super Nutrient Shampoo and Conditioner. It isn't a daily-use product. It's designed to do a job.
Why doesn't it lather like other shampoos?
Because there are no sulphates. Sulphates are what make supermarket shampoos foam up so much. Our formula cleans through the seaweed and the herbal extracts instead. Just add a little more, and work it in. Most women adjust within two or three washes.
Is it suitable for sensitive or menopausal scalps?
Yes, do try it. We make it with no sulphates, no silicones, no parabens, and no artificial fragrances. The base is 60 to 80% organic seaweed, which is naturally soothing for scalps that have changed with age or hormones.
How long will the bottles last?
Longer than supermarket purple shampoos, in our experience. The seaweed and herbal extracts are concentrated, so you really do use less per wash. Most women tell us a 280ml bottle lasts them around three months at toning frequency, longer once they're on the maintenance schedule.
What if it doesn't work for my hair?
We've been running a 60-day try-at-home guarantee for 12 years. If your hair doesn't feel softer, look brighter, and stay cleaner longer between washes by week six, do drop us a quick email with your order number. We'll refund you. No questions, and no return needed.
Try it for 60 days.
If your hair doesn't feel different, you don't pay.
If your hair doesn't feel softer, look brighter, and stay cleaner longer between washes by week six, do drop us a quick email with your order number. We'll refund you. No questions, and no return needed.
We've been running this guarantee for 12 years. It works because the formula does.
"I was sceptical about purchasing purple hair shampoo and conditioner. To be honest, I have used the products now and just love the outcome. My hair is highlighted, dry in places, but now it feels super soft. It brings out the highlights beautifully and I can't recommend it enough."
— Laura, Swindon
If you'd like to give it a try
If the synthetic-dye cycle is really what's been drying out your hair, you'll feel a difference inside three weeks. If you don't, you don't pay.
Most women who write to us at week six tell us their hair looks better than it has in years.
If your hair has felt drier with each passing season, this is the first place I'd really look.
Up to 49% off
Free skincare gifts on orders £50+
P.S. If you're thinking "my hair is too far gone for this to help," do please read Ann Robertson's review again. She's 72. Six months in, she's described her hair as on the way back. Hair that's been worn down by years of synthetic-dye purple shampoo has the most to gain from being treated kindly.
P.P.S. If you're worried the colour-toning won't be strong enough because we're using plants instead of synthetic dye, three weeks of use will answer that for you. Cape Jasmine, Blue Spirulina, and Radish neutralise yellow as effectively as the chemistry does. They just don't damage your hair while they do it. The 60-day guarantee covers you either way.
P.P.P.S. We make this in small batches down here in West Cornwall, and we do sometimes sell out, particularly in spring sale weeks. If the Set is in stock when you click below, do grab it while it is.
By Hannah Doggett, Co-Founder, The Cornish Seaweed Bath Co.
Super Nutrient Purple Haircare Set
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