Clairol vs K18:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Clairol had more branded searches than K18 among purple shampoo brands worldwide. Clairol had about 12,100 branded searches, while K18 had 9,900. Clairol made up 13.2% of all purple shampoo brand searches we track, and K18 accounted for 10.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about purple shampoo brands, neither Clairol nor K18 appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Clairol, about 22% more searches than K18
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top purple shampoo brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Clairol nor K18 showed up in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Olaplex4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Amika3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Redken2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Fanola1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Matrix1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pureology1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Clairol0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
K180 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Joico0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Kristin Ess0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about purple shampoo brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which purple shampoo should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best purple shampoo brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best purple shampoo for brassy blonde hair?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“purple shampoo”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best purple shampoo”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 25, 2026.
Is Clairol or K18 more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Clairol and K18 by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten purple shampoo brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Clairol, K18. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Fanola | Olaplex | Clairol | K18 | Redken | Joico | Amika | Matrix | Kristin Ess | Pureology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 35.9% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 0.31% | 11.8% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 3.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 36.1% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 0.31% | 11.8% | 6.4% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.3% | 3.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 34.5% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 0.39% | 12.2% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.7% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 0.33% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 4.5% | 3% | 3% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.4% | 15.3% | 12.5% | 3% | 10.3% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 2.4% | 3% |
| Apr 2026 | 29.9% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 15.8% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 5.8% | 2% |
| May 2026 | 26.7% | 14.1% | 11.6% | 21.2% | 9.5% | 5.2% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 2.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.6% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 29.7% | 12.8% | 10.5% | 19.2% | 10.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2% | 2% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 2.2% | 2.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.5% | 15.6% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Oct 2026 | 27% | 16.2% | 13.2% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% |
How has branded search for Clairol and K18 changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending October 2026: K18 took it in April 2026, Clairol took it in October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Clairol’s share of searches among purple shampoo brands worldwide moved from 14.4% to 13.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 12.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, K18’s share of searches among purple shampoo brands worldwide moved from 0.31% to 10.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 210 to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for purple shampoo brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, K18 lost share of searches among purple shampoo brands worldwide, from 12.7% to 10.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Clairol worldwide rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 12.1K in October 2026.
How are Clairol’s and K18’s branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Clairol’s and K18’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among purple shampoo brands
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