Joico Color Balance Blue Shampoo fixes coloured hair that has turned yellow or orange after a few weeks. It is not a hair dye but a colour-protecting shampoo that tops up cool tones so your colour keeps looking fresh out of the salon. It only works on cool base colours, never on warm tones.
Why does coloured hair turn yellow or orange?
Because your original undertone comes back up. Colouring or bleaching strips out the hair’s natural pigment and puts a new colour in; over time the new colour fades and the base colour underneath resurfaces. That base differs from person to person:
- Asian hair: the base is a warm base with yellow, so the yellow tone shows the moment the colour fades
- Caucasian hair: after bleaching many have a white base, so it fades towards white or grey
- Indian hair: after bleaching the base is red-brown, so it fades towards red or orange
That warm glow you see in the mirror is what the industry calls brass — it comes from your own warm undertone.
Who should use Joico Color Balance?
Cool base colours. If you coloured grey, cool brown, grey-violet, blue-black or ash, this is the one that helps. On the other hand, if your colour is a warm tone — golden brown, copper or warm red — do not use blue shampoo: your hair will turn greyer and greyer.
Do not mistake it for a hair dye
This is the most common mix-up. Joico Color Balance is not a dye, it is a colour-protecting shampoo. Its job is to top up the cool tone you had when you left the salon so the colour lasts and looks fresh. It does not re-colour your hair; it only holds the cool colour you already have so it does not fade as fast.
Best for violet and plum colours
Violet equals blue plus red. Every wash, the blue leaves first, so violet slowly turns into a flat dead red. With Joico Blue, the blue is topped up at every wash, so violet lasts longer and does not fade into orange-red. Clients who colour violet really should have this bottle.
For salon owners: your after-sales tool
I have been in this trade for 22 years, and my advice to salon owners is this: after a client colours their hair at your salon, recommend this bottle — that is your after-sales opportunity. Joico is an American brand, stocked by Henkel Malaysia. One 300ml bottle lasts two to three months, so clients come back on their own to restock.
How to use it and what to watch out for
- Use it two to three times a week only, not every day
- Use it in place of your usual shampoo; after it lathers, leave it for three to five minutes before rinsing
- Follow with a conditioner, as blue shampoo can leave hair slightly dry
- Do not leave it on too long, or the hair can turn blue or grey
Summary
Joico Blue Shampoo is not a dye but a cool-tone keeper for cool base colours and for violet or plum shades. If you are not sure whether your colour is cool or warm, WhatsApp us for a consultation, or view the Joico Color Balance Blue & Purple Collection 300ml product page.