Best shampoo for grey hair that will enhance colour and add shine

Embrace the grey and give your hair a new lease of life with specifically-designed products.

best shampoo for grey hair

by Rosie Floyd |
Updated on

Whether you are naturally going whiter as you get older or you like to colour your hair to give it an icy tone, you should look to introduce the best shampoo for grey hair into your beauty routine. Even if you're sticking to a low-maintenance wash-and-wear haircut, washing your hair with specialised products will boost your colour and give your hair a beautifully bright shine while adding moisture to reduce its dry and wiry feel.

Best shampoo for grey hair at a glance:

No matter how often you wash your hair, it is recommended that you use a shampoo for grey hair once a week. You can control the intensity of the colour payoff by how long you leave it on your hair. Just lather up the shampoo on your hair, like you normally would, and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing off. The longer you leave a purple shampoo on, the more violet-toned the pigment left on your hair.

It doesn't matter whether you describe your colour as blonde, white, silver or just simply grey, you'll find the best shampoo for your grey hair below.

Best grey hair shampoo for vibrant colour

Milk_Shake Silver Shine ShampooMilk_Shake/Amazon
Price: $26.00
Alternative retailers
Walmart$10.04View offer
FragranceNet.com$14.69View offer

Keep your hair looking super healthy and vibrant with Milk_Shake Silver Shine. Its violet pigment is specifically designed to contrast yellow and golden reflections in your hair. It contains organic extracts of strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry plus milk proteins to make your hair soft and radiant while also giving it a delicious smell.

Tried & Tested by Senior Writer Rosie Floyd: "This is my holy grail hair product!! I have bleached blonde hair and I love it to have an icier/grey-toned look. I use this shampoo once a week as part of my hair-washing routine and it helps to give my hair that salon-fresh feel again. It is very pigmented though so be careful not to leave it on for too long as you'll give yourself a purple rinse"

Pros

  • Contains organic extracts and milk proteins to make your hair soft
  • Smells delicious as it contains strawberry, raspberry, blueberry and blackberry extracts

Cons

  • You don't need to leave it on for long as your hair will have a slightly purple hue to it

Best high-end shampoo for grey hair

Aveda Blue Malva ShampooAveda/Amazon
Price: $79.99
Alternative retailers
FragranceNet.com$54.59View offer
Walmart$58.99View offer
Nordstrom$75.00View offer
Nordstrom$75.00View offer

Blended with blue malva and coneflower, this Aveda shampoo will balance your hair and scalp while intensifying your colour. It is one of the more expensive shampoos on our list but you get a lot of product for the price as it's a 1000ml litre bottle so it'll last for ages. It also smells delightful with a mix of ylang ylang, lemon, eucalyptus and other flower and plant essences. It will gently cleanse your hair and scalp and neutralise the brassy tones to add silvery brightness to your grey hair.

A popular choice on Amazon with over 2,400 reviews, this Aveda shampoo has an average star rating of 4.6 stars out of 5. Customers have found a little goes a long way and as the product is thick and concentrated. Some customers are unsure whether the results are any better than a shampoo that costs less than this one but others point out it's great value for money as the 1000ml bottle keeps them going for the best part of a year.

Pros

  • Get 1000ml of product for the price so it lasts for ages and is great value for money
  • Smells delightful with a mix of ylang ylang, lemon, eucalyptus and other flower and plant essences

Cons

  • Some customers are unsure whether the results are any better than a shampoo that costs less than this one

Best grey shampoo designed for over 40s

Plantur 39 Purple Shampoo and Conditioner SetPlantur 39/Amazon

With its unique galenic formula and Phyto-Caffeine complex, Plantur 39 is famed for creating shampoos to combat hair loss and this one was created with grey hair in mind. It has a galenic formula containing a Phyto-Caffeine Complex that is designed to stimulate natural hair growth. As well as helping your hair to grow, it will provide a fine silver shine to your hair with every wash and make it easier to comb through.

Since using this shampoo and conditioner set, customers have noticed their hair condition looking a lot healthier and the overall appearance looking shinier. Some reviewers said it took a while for them to notice results and felt they needed to use a lot of product to see a reduction in yellow tones.

Pros

  • Designed to help stimulate natural hair growth as well as enhance grey hair
  • Customers noticed an improvement in hair condition since switching over

Cons

  • Some reviewers felt they needed to use a lot of product to see a reduction in yellow tones

Best value grey hair shampoo set

Aussie Blonde Purple Shampoo And Conditioner Set + Hair MaskAussie/Amazon

Treat your hair to some much-needed TLC with this Aussie set. It comes with a purple shampoo and conditioner to eliminate brassy, yellow tones plus one of their 3 Minute Miracle Deep Treatment hair mask bottles, which will give your hair a moisture boost. This Paraben-free and PETA-certified cruelty-free formula contains hemp seed extract and wild plum for their moisture and toning qualities and their lovely smell.

Customers online think this set is of good value for money as it contains shampoo, conditioner, and a hair mask. Some reviewers expected their hair to be more soft after using it but they appreciated how much this set has brightened up their hair.

Pros

  • Contains hemp seed extract and wild plum for their moisture and toning qualities
  • Paraben-free and PETA-certified cruelty-free formula

Cons

  • Some customers expected the set to leave their hair feeling softer than it did

Best salon-standard grey hair shampoo

L’Oréal Professionnel Shampoo For Grey, White or Light Blonde HairL’Oréal Professionnel
Price: $25.00
https://redirect.viglink.com?key=d0dbd0c339565e753f633a021d364c3d&prodOvrd=PCR&opt=false&u=DEQQEhcKTBxETkIYQgRbWFIUQh1QDl0dWBQcehksQQFRCE80QgxVVkpGX1oLWVBfS2VWQQhVH3QcQ1NGFx43WQgUAUJOYFtYWEZaChoEA0sHHlwbHwYDVgACBFUDUA%3D%3D&x=v1

Achieve salon results at home with L'Oréal's Professionnel Shampoo. It's been specifically designed with grey, white and light blonde hair in mind, helping to deliver toning results whilst protecting the fibres of your hair. It'll give your hair a boost of shine while also helping you to say goodbye to unwanted brassy tones.

The effect it has on their colour and the scent of the shampoo gets a thumbs-up from customers online. The opinion on how soft it makes your hair is divided though, as some say it dries their hair and others say it leaves their hair feeling soft, smooth and very clean.

Pros

  • Great for toning grey, white and light blonde hair
  • Designed to give your hair a boost of shine

Cons

  • Opinions are divided on how soft this shampoo makes your hair

Best for naturally grey hair

John Frieda Shimmering Silver Shampoo 250mlJohn Frieda/Amazon

Transform your dull greys to shimmering silvers. This John Frieda Shimmering Silver Shampoo cleanses and enhances your greys using its silver gloss technology to neutralise brassiness to give your silver locks a clean look. Not to mention, it'll give your hair a radiant shine too.

This shampoo is good quality for the price, according to customers online and they appreciate the levels of shine it adds to their hair. Some reviewers found it dried their hair out but others say it added softness.

Pros

  • Neutralises brassiness to give your silver hair a clean look
  • Its silver gloss technology will add a radiant shine to your hair

Cons

  • Some customers found it dried their hair out

Best shampoo for removing pollutants from grey hair

White Hot Shine Duo: Glorious Shampoo & Luminous ConditionerWhite Hot/Amazon
Price: $34.00

The creamy formula of this White Hot Shine Duo gives white and grey hair a shine-giving cleanse, leaving your hair with a glossy finish every day. It also contains a detoxing complex to neutralise shine-dulling pollutants. The Keravis and White Truffle inside the conditioner strengthens and adds moisture back.

You only need a small amount of both the shampoo and condition for this White Hot Shine Duo to work its magic say reviewers. Some customers found that although their hair felt nice and soft, it was too flyaway for their liking.

Pros

  • A little goes a long way according to customers online
  • Helps to clean your hair of toxins and pollutants to give it more shine

Cons

  • Some reviewers found it made their hair too flyaway for their liking

Best organic shampoo for grey hair

Klorane - Anti-yellowing Shampoo with ORGANIC CentauryKlorane/Amazon
Price: $13.99
https://redirect.viglink.com?key=d0dbd0c339565e753f633a021d364c3d&prodOvrd=PCR&opt=false&u=DEQQEhcKTBxETkIYUxdWUkEHWFBWD1VGHwdcWxsOWh5RCgtJQAZBVUxYUxooXk9SCF8cHjJYU1wUXFkbC1BLVQo9MWNMAQAMDAMaUQEFAlEG&x=v1&prdId=9382500937&barcode=VANWWlYHVAMCDQAEBlM%3D

Looking for a more natural grey hair shampoo option? This one is made with 86 per cent natural ingredients that will add silver highlights to white and grey hair. As it's made from mostly natural ingredients, it offers a gentle cleanse and won't irritate your scalp or hair. It has a vegetal pigment, with natural blue hues, that is proven to reduce yellowing.

Customers feel this shampoo is very good at cleaning your hair as well as improving the appearance of greys. There are some customers that didn't like how their hair felt after using it and others felt it made their hair shinier and softer.

Pros

  • Made using 86 per cent natural ingredients so it is gentle on your scalp and hair
  • Contains a vegetal pigment that is proven to reduce yellowing

Cons

  • Some customers weren't keen on how their hair felt after using it

Best toning shampoo for grey hair

Fudge Professional Clean Blonde Damage Rewind Violet-Toning Shampoo and ConditionerFudge Professional/Amazon

For softer, bouncier and ashier tresses, use this duo by Fudge Professional. It's packed with neutralising violet pigments and proteins to get rid of brassiness and yellow tones, leaving your grey locks looking bright and clean. It is designed to eliminate impurities and product build-up while smoothing and repairing damaged hair from root to tip.

Reviewers of this Fudge Professional shampoo and conditioner duo are super impressed with its toning properties. As it's highly pigmented, you should be wary of the potential for staining as it can stain your hands, nails, hair and bathroom if not washed away properly.

Pros

  • Packed with violet pigments and proteins to get rid of brassiness and yellow tones
  • Repairs damaged hair from root to tip and helps to smoothen it too

Cons

  • As it's highly pigmented, it can easily stain your hands, nails, hair and bathroom

Best cleansing shampoo for grey hair

Osmo Silverising ShampooOsmo/Amazon

Banish any unwanted yellow tones and leave your hair feeling lovely and shiny with the Osmo Silverising Shampoo. It will breathe new life into your hair if it's coloured and add shine to naturally white and grey hair. It's sulphate-free and the formula is gentle too so it'll nicely cleanse your hair and you won't have to worry about it stripping the colour from your hair either.

The thing that customers like most about this Osmo shampoo is that it isn't too overpowering for a purple shampoo. Some of the purple shampoos we've featured on this list are known for staining whereas customers haven't experienced that with this shampoo. Some reviewers found it to be a little drying but others love the softness it adds to their hair.

Pros

  • Gently cleanses hair without stripping the colour from it
  • Leaves hair feeling lovely and shiny

Cons

  • Some reviewers found it to be a little drying

FAQs

What makes hair go grey?

Grey hairs appear when your hair follicles stop producing melanin. This is the pigment that gives hair its colour. Without it, hair will become a more transparent colour and appears white, silver or grey as it grows. It's a natural part of the ageing process but some people naturally go grey sooner than others. This is where genetics and stress levels come into play, according to the hair experts at John Frieda.
We tend to start to get grey hairs around the same age as our parents and grandparents did. Scientists have also discovered that levels of stress can be linked to the effectiveness of melanin production in the body, which could be why people who experience more stressful situations tend to go grey more quickly.

How is grey hair different from normal hair?

As you get older, you may find that the texture of your hair changes. You may find your hair is less thick and finer, and the ends feel a lot drier too. Grey hair has a different texture as oil glands start to produce less sebum. This causes the new hair to become coarse and rough, giving hair a dull and lifeless appearance. This is why using a grey hair shampoo is important as it will help bring your hair back to life.

What colour shampoo is best for grey hair?

In hairdressing, a hair colour wheel is used to show the relationship between certain colours. This is to help formulate the best hair colour for you and neutralise unwanted tones by looking at the colour opposite on the wheel. For hair with yellow and white tones, purple and violet colours can be used to counteract and correct them.
This is why purple shampoo is the best shampoo for grey hair, says Fudge Professional. Violet pigments in purple shampoo attach to any warm yellow tones and effectively cancel them out, leaving your hair the perfect cool grey colour.

Rosie Floyd is a Senior Home & Pets Product Writer for Yours, specialising in home appliances, décor and furnishings, as well as all things dogs. After completing her Journalism & Media degree from Coventry University back in 2015, she started her career writing about must-visit holiday destinations, moving on to creating content around outdoor living and garden buildings, before joining the team at Bauer.

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