Meet the $8 Shampoo That Banishes Dull, Yellow Gray Hair and Leaves Strands Vibrant and Healthy

I had just turned 28, and I looked in the mirror while I was brushing my teeth. “Is that … is that … a GRAY HAIR?!” I practically shouted at my reflection. One long, silvery strand, somehow previously invisible among the many darker ones on my head, now poking out to say hello. I immediately plucked it out with a pair of Tweezerman tweezers, letting out a silent prayer that it was a rogue incident never to be repeated.

While I can’t say that anymore—these days, a [redacted] number of years later, I have an interesting thatch of grays that sprout right in the middle of my part—I can say I’ve come to terms with the fact that grays just happen. I actually have even learned to embrace them (and stop plucking them out, which my hairstylist cousin told me—gasp!—makes the part frizzier). It stands to reason, then, that I’d be in search of a shampoo that helps keep grays bright, fresh, and nowhere in the region of either dull or brassy. One way to revitalize them? With Jhirmack Silver Plus Ageless Shampoo, which is only $16 for a pack of two.

Jhirmack Silver Plus Ageless Shampoo (2-Pack) — $16.00

But what makes gray hair happen in the first place?

“Some people start to gray early in life, while others may not even have one until their 40s,” says Cody Cross, hair colorist at Cutler Salon. “When hair is starting to turn gray, it’s due to the lack of melanin in the hair shaft. Over time, the melanin dies, causing it to reflect silver, gray, then white (or the absence of color).” As for the causes of gray hair, Cross says the two main culprits are genetics and stress. He also points to factors like thyroid diseases or a B12 deficiency.

When it comes to diminishing the dullness of grays, though, purple shampoo is arguably your best bet. “The purple dye added to the shampoo helps to neutralize yellow tones that a lot of people don’t like when they’re going for an icy, silver, or gray kind of look,” Cross says.

While there are plenty of purple shampoos on the market, this Jhirmack version is a game-changer. It’s developed specifically for all shades of silver and gray hair, and helps remove yellow, brassy tones. Plus, the inclusion of macadamia nut oil and collagen help nourish, strengthen, and moisturize those inevitably coarse gray strands. Meanwhile, CoQ10 helps protect hair from styling damage. A total purple shampoo powerhouse? Definitely.

Cross recommends using a purple shampoo at least a couple times in between color appointments to maintain that silvery look, saying, “all hair has warmth and lifts warm.” But lest you think of going purple every time you shampoo, he actually cautions against over-using a shampoo like this, since “too much purple shampoo can then make your hair no longer reflective,” he says.

With almost 3,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, it’s no wonder this shampoo is leaving dull grays in the dust. Hair is “always bright and shiny, never dull,” raves one reviewer, while another says, “I’ve been using this shampoo ever since I turned gray (over 15 years now). Always had compliments on my hair that it’s so nice, and not yellowy like so many people get.” And then there’s this rave that gets straight to the point: “It keeps my white hair white, and gets all the yellow out!”