6 Best Lightening Shampoos 2022 | Get Lighter, Glossier Hair In No Time!

Didn’t like your hair color? Want to go from brunette to blonde? Try these top lightening shampoos to help lighten hair gradually without damage. 

Hair makeovers like styling and coloring can be a gamble sometimes and it could turn out to be worse than what we have expected. How many times have we sat at the salon chair and pretended to like what we got when we absolutely hated it?

Most of us don’t really feel like screaming at their faces and actually tell the hairdresser that they have done a pretty bad job.

Some of the hair treatments like coloring involve the usage of a lot of harsh chemicals so it is not a good idea to redo it again and subject your hair to more damage. 

Related: Shampoos To Lighten Dark Hair

Related: Best Lightener For Balayage

If you got a botched-up hair color and want to change it, your safest bet is hair-lightening shampoos. Hair lightening shampoos are formulated to gradually remove and lighten the artificial color of your hair. 

It lightens the color by neutralizing the pigments and reducing yellowish and brassy tones from your hair. Lightening shampoos are a great investment and they offer numerous benefit.

Best Lightening Shampoos	Best For	Top Ingredients
John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo	Honey Blonde Hair	Citrus, Chamomile
Manzanilla Grisi Vitagloss Shampoo	Dull, Limp Hair	Chamomile Flower Extract,
John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Subtle Lightening Shampoo	Brunette Hair	Green Tea Extract, Calendula
Noughty Blondie Blonde Enhancing Shampoo	Dry, Blonde Hair	Chamomile, Lemon
Bold Uniq Purple Shampoo	Platinum Blonde Hair	Purple Pigment, Vitamin B5
Intrea Blonde Shampoo	Oily Hair	Chamomile

How I tested the top lightening shampoos?

I used these products on certain sections of my color-treated hair to see how it goes. I rated them on the following parameters and assigned them a score between 1-5. 

• Lightening Power – Of course, the first thing I checked was how powerful the shampoo was at lightening hair.
• Gentleness – Some of these shampoos have bleaching agents that are quite rough on your hair. So I checked how gentle they are on hair. 
• Shine Enhancement – I also checked if the shampoos enhance shine on your colored hair. 

Top lightening shampoos 

John Frieda Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo

I was looking for a shampoo that would stretch my color appointments while making my hair color look fresh and vibrant. 

This product definitely saves a lot of time and money since I do not have to retouch my hair as often as I used to do. 

It gave such a fresh look to my hair and I only use it every few weeks. If you feel like your hair looks too yellow or brassy after using this product, you can use the John Frieda purple shampoo to get rid of it. 

Also, it has a very refreshing smell that stays on your hair. I have also noticed that my hair feels much softer after using this. 

If you are worried about damaging your hair because of harsh ingredients, I have good news. 

I really liked that the product is free of ammonia and peroxide. The ingredients list also includes silk proteins which make your hair look healthy and shiny. 

Pros:

• Contains chamomile 
• Contains citrus
• Brightens hair
• Mild cleanser
• Ammonia free
• Peroxide free
• Pocket friendly

Cons:

• Might cause hair breakage

My Ratings:

• Lightening Power – 4/5
• Gentleness – 3/5
• Shine Enhancement – 4/5

Who It’s For – Yellow/Honey Blonde Hair

Manzanilla Grisi Vitagloss shampoo

This lightening shampoo is a high-quality product that gave me great results. It removed all build-up from the hair and made it squeaky clean. 

Although I did expect some level of dryness after using this product, I was surprised to find my hair smooth and shiny. It gives that perfect sun kissed shine to the hair.  

I did find the fragrance a little harsh but it helped in lightening and brightening my hair. If you are sensitive to strong scents, I would suggest you stay away from this product. 

The ingredients include chamomile extract that helps in enriching your hair color and making it more vibrant. 

This is a great option for people with dandruff since it helps in reducing it. It is also suitable for people with damaged hair.

Pros:

• Contains chamomile-extract
• Suitable for damaged hair
• Relieves dandruff
• Visibly lighter hair
• Volumises hair
• Reduces flakiness

Cons:

• Harsh fragrance

My Ratings:

• Lightening Power – 4.5/5
• Gentleness – 3/5
• Shine Enhancement – 4/5

Who It’s For – Oily Scalps and Dandruff-Prone Hair

John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Subtle Lightening Shampoo

If you have naturally brunette hair or if you just got brunette hair color, this lightening shampoo and conditioner duo will work well for you. 

This really helped in stretching the dark brown color on my hair.

If you have issues with brassy tones, this shampoo will help in minimizing that. The shampoo conditioner duo works perfectly well to maintain your brunette color. 

But I did experience some amount of drying, even after using the conditioner. So I would recommend using a hair mask or a moisturizing serum after using the shampoo. 

Pros:

• Makes hair shiny
• Suitable for daily use
• Contains sweet almond oil
• Contains crushed pearls
• Reduces damage
• Makes hair smooth

Cons:

• Dries out your hair

My Ratings:

• Lightening Power – 3.5/5
• Gentleness – 3.5/5
• Shine Enhancement – 4.5/5

Who It’s For – Brunette Hair

Noughty Blondie Blonde Enhancing Shampoo

My favorite part about this blonde-enhancing shampoo is that it is vegan and 97% natural. 

Although the shampoo did not lather much, it definitely cleansed my hair thoroughly. 

A little goes a long way with this product so make sure to not use excess shampoo and dry out your scalp. 

It has a soothing scent and makes my hair super soft and smooth. 

This shampoo is slightly on the pricier side but it definitely does what it says and it has a lot of safe and clean ingredients. 

It is free of harmful ingredients like sulfates, petrochemicals, parabens, and silicones. So extra points from me! 

Pros:

• Vegan
• 97% natural
• Sulfate-free
• Paraben-free
• Petrochemical free
• Silicone free
• Softens hair
• Gentle cleansing
• Cruelty-free
• Ethically sourced ingredients

Cons:

• The scent might be unappealing for some

My Ratings:

• Lightening Power – 4/5
• Gentleness – 4/5
• Shine Enhancement – 4/5

Who It’s For – Dry Hair

Bold Uniq Purple shampoo

If you are struggling with brassy or yellow tones on your colored hair, a purple shampoo is a necessity. 

This is very common among people with light hair colors. This shampoo gave me incredible results on my blonde hair. 

I only had to leave it on for about five minutes and I could witness the drastic results. 

I didn’t even have to use a toner or additional dye to get these results. It gave natural-looking highlights to my hair. 

If you are looking for instant results, I would absolutely recommend this product. 

The main ingredient is vitamin b5 which makes your hair moisturized and smooth. 

Also, the best part about this shampoo is that it is sulfate, SLS,  mineral oil, phthalates, formaldehyde, and paraben-free. 

Pros:

• Cruelty-free
• Sulfate-free
• Instant results
• recyclable packaging
• Suitable for light hair colours
• Ethically sourced ingredients. 
• Extends time between salon visits
• Makes your hair bright and shiny

Cons:

• Might dry out your hair

My Ratings:

• Lightening Power – 3.5/5
• Gentleness – 4/5
• Shine Enhancement – 4/5

Who It’s For – Platinum Blonde Hair

Intea Blonde Shampoo

Chamomile is an ingredient that acts as a lightening agent. When you lighten your hair chemically using bleach, it tends to cause damage.

If you are looking for a safe and natural alternative, you can choose lightening shampoos with chamomile. 

This gave me a very vibrant and natural-looking blonde shade. My hair did dry up a little after using this so I would recommend you follow up with a hydrating mask or a conditioner. 

This product is cruelty-free and contains active ingredients extracted from chamomile flowers. It is also free of harsh ingredients like ammonia, silicones, and parabens. 

Pros:

• Ammonia free
• Alcohol-free
• Pleasant scent
• Cruelty-free
• Silicone free
• Paraben-free
• Non-irritating

Cons:

• Contains sulfates

My Ratings:

• Lightening Power – 4.5/5
• Gentleness – 3/5
• Shine Enhancement – 4/5

Who It’s For – Blonde Hair

Why You Should Use A Lightening Shampoo

Lightening shampoos can act differently on various hair colors and textures. It is not “one size fits for all” so you cannot expect the same results for everyone. They are also formulated with various ingredients. 

Many of you might find these shampoos a bit harsh because of the presence of certain ingredients. 

If you want a shampoo that does not contain too many harsh ingredients, you can find lightening shampoos that are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, etc. 

Some of the best advantages of using lightening shampoos are:

Acts as a booster shot– Lightening shampoos are not only for people who want to lighten their hair color. 

It can also be useful for people who have gone lighter and wants to brighten their hair a little bit. Also, is really helpful for those with light hair colors like blonde and light brown hair. A lightening shampoo really helps in making your color look brighter and vibrant. 

Removes yellow and brassy tones– When your colored hair comes to contact with sunlight, hard water, or chlorine, you might notice your hair turning brassy or yellow. 

This can also be caused when your hairdresser doesn’t get rid of the underlying pigment when bleaching your hair. 

With the help of lightening shampoos, you can get rid of these annoying yellowish and brassy tones from your hair. 

Enhanced highlights– It can be annoying to maintain your hair in between salon visits, especially if you have highlights. 

When your highlights start adding and losing their vibrancy, you can use a lightening shampoo to extend their lifespan. These shampoos can also make your look naturally sun lightened by accentuating your natural highlights. 

Reduces the darkness of virgin hair– This is a major issue faced by people who have done global hair color. 

A few weeks down the line of coloring your hair, you will notice your virgin hair growing and your natural hair color blocking the artificial color. 

Lightening shampoos help in reducing the brightness of your natural hair color and help in blending in the shade with your colored hair. 

So if you have color-treated hair and dread those never-ending visits to the salon, these shampoos are the perfect solution for you.

With these lightening shampoos, you can maintain your hair in between touch-ups and prevent any brassy undertones or fading of hair color.

I love coloring my hair, but I’ve learnt that maintaining color-treated hair is essential. So I hope this list of my reviews helps you get the right product for your hair.

Also Read:

Best shampoo for dark hair

Best conditioner for grey hair

Best shampoo for ombre hair coloring

Best hair color removers