A Guide to Purple Shampoo and Toner in Japan

How to keep blonde hair cool-toned in Japan

By Metropolis • June 16, 2026

Keeping blonde hair looking fresh in Japan was a learning curve. There just aren’t many brands or products, so it’s a game of trial and error to see what’s available. Over the years, I’ve tried what feels like every purple shampoo available—from big drugstore chains to imported salon brands online—and here are my top “buys” and “avoids” I wish someone had shared with me when I first moved here.

In this article, I’ll share what these products actually did, how they made my hair feel, how they smelled, and what I use now after testing so many brands.

Also check out: Japan Drugstore Guide: The Best Purple Shampoo & Color-Care Products for Blonde, Ash, and Bleached Hair

Of course, everyone’s hair type is different. Mine is fine, wavy and slightly dry from the bleach. If your hair is thicker, coarser or more resistant to dryness, you may be able to use stronger or more drying products more often than I can. So please test what you think will work for you!

Various levels of brassiness I went through for reference:

After years of living in Japan and experimenting with countless products, these are the ones that stood out as repeat-buy items.

Tested drugstore purple shampoos and treatments

& Purple Shampoo
Good all-around but not my favorite

Scent: Fruity and pleasant, not overly sweet.
Lather: Decent, not super foamy but workable.
Concentration: It’s quite strong, but I had to use it regularly to keep brassiness at bay, so the bottle ran out quickly.
Availability: Amazon Japan and some larger drugstores or salons.
Verdict: Works well for toning but can be drying if overused, so pair it with a rich conditioner or mask.

Get & Purple Shampoo on Amazon

N. Color Shampoo (Purple)
My favorite for toning, but drying

Scent: Light, salon-like, fine.
Lather: LowI had to work it in to feel like it was evenly applied.
Effect: Probably the most powerful at removing brassiness, but it made my hair feel very dry, so I eventually stopped using it.
Tip: Best for hair that can tolerate drying products, and always follow with a deep conditioning treatment or mask.

Get N. Color Shampoo on Amazon

Schwarzkopf Good-Bye Yellow
It smells absolutely terrible

Effect: Works quickly to knock out yellow tones.
Scent: It does smell like cheap floral perfume, and the odor lingers for days.
Deal-breaker: I had to re-wash my hair right after just to get rid of the smell. Many online reviews agree with this description.
Availability: Loft, some Don Quijote stores, and other large beauty retailers.
Verdict: Effective but not worth tolerating the scent when other good options exist.

Get Good-Bye Yellow on Amazon

By Diane Color & Damage Repair Shampoo
My go-to everyday product

Hydration: More hydrating than most purple shampoos; designed for damaged and bleached hair.
Scent: Light and pleasantly fruity. Like a “clean” shampoo fruitness rather than an overly sweet or perfumey scent.
Effect: Keeps brassiness at bay without making my hair feel straw-dry.
Caution: This stained my unit-bath floor when I didn’t rinse the excess immediately. The stains are still there to this day.
Verdict: A good regular-use purple shampoo for color-treated hair that needs extra moisture.

Get By Diane Color & Damage Repair Shampoo on Amazon

Y.S. Park Hair Paint Cream (Silver)
My go-to purple hair treatment, I am in love

My stylist’s pick: Recommended by my Tokyo-based blonding specialist to use on my ends alongside purple shampoo, since purple shampoo can be drying.
Effect: Silver tone cancels out warmth without leaving an obvious purple tint.
How I use it: Apply to damp hair, like a conditioning hair mask, after you’ve used and rinsed out your purple shampoo, leave for a few minutes, then rinse. I mix it with a bit of Olaplex or other hair mask to add an extra conditioning boost.
Availability: Best ordered online from Amazon Japan.

Get Y.S. Park Hair Paint Cream (Silver) on Amazon

UV protection for blonde hair
To maintain your efforts even under the sun!

Sun exposure makes brassiness worse. It’s why your blonde hair is naturally lighter on the top and darker underneath. My Tokyo stylist recommended using UV-blocking spray to help protect your color.

Here are two good options widely available in Japan:

Napla Mieufa Fragrance UV Spray (Clear)

A lightweight, salon-trusted UV spray that works for both hair and skin. It’s often sold in Loft, Ainz & Tulpe, and on Amazon. I like it because it doesn’t weigh down fine hair.

Get Napla Mieufa Fragrance UV Spray on Amazon

紫外線予報 Clear UV Spray F

A clear, dry-touch, fragrance-free spray that can be used on face, body and hair. Available in most major drugstores and online. Good if you want something simple and scent-free.

Get 紫外線予報 Clear UV Spray F on Amazon