Your Ultimate Guide to Hair Toners

After lightening or colouring your hair, have you ever noticed brassy, yellow or orange tones in the final result? Hair toner neutralises these unflattering, unwanted tones, resulting in a more even, appealing and natural-looking result.

How does it do this? Well, it comes down to colour theory. Semi-permanent hair toners deposit pigments from the opposite end of the colour wheel from the colour you want to eliminate. For example, purple neutralises yellow undertones, blue negates orange, you get the idea.

This corrects any brassiness that remains after lightening your hair, or cools warm undertones for a more ashy or neutral finish.

Beyond dealing with brassy tones, hair toners can also:

• Be mixed with other semi-permanent hair dyes to pastelise them, producing softer custom shades
• Soften harsh lines with balayage or highlighting, helping blend the colours used more seamlessly
• Even out colour to prevent patches or inconsistencies in your final colour
• Add further depth and dimension to your hair

However, it’s important to note that hair toners do not lighten hair. They only shift the tone of hair that has already been lightened or coloured.

Hair toner vs hair dye: What’s the difference?

Hair toners are designed to correct the undertone of hair after it has been lightened or coloured. They typically contain pigments that specifically cancel out brassy, yellow or orange tones (purple, blue, green).

Hair dyes actually change the colour of your hair, with pigments that either replace or blend with the existing pigment.

Hair dyes and hair toners are often used together – the toner cancels out any unwanted warm tones following the lightening process, providing a better base for more even, effective colour application.

Unless your hair is a super-light natural blonde, it’ll contain some red/orange pigments that can become exposed when hair is lightened or dyed.

If your hair is naturally darker or is a warmer shade of blonde, the right hair toner will tackle the brassy tones to deliver a shinier, sleeker and more natural-looking result.

When should you use hair toner?

Hair toners are typically used in the following situations:

• Immediately after lightening your hair to remove any brassy, yellow or orange tones that emerged during the process
• When your hair colour starts to develop brassy tones over time
• Between salon hair colouring appointments to maintain tone

Now you have a clearer idea of what hair toner is and when it’s needed; let’s talk about choosing the right hair toner.

This depends on the colour and intensity of the unwanted undertones in your hair. You want a hair toner that sits opposite the undertone, as this will neutralise it to achieve a cleaner, more natural finish:

• Yellow undertones = Purple-based hair toner
• Orange undertones = Blue-based hair toner

At Directions, our dedicated White Toner is specially formulated to remove unwanted yellow and brassy tones after using a hair lightening kit.

We also have a broader range of hair toners for specific situations:

• Silver’s icy-cool metallic tones are effective for toning away any undesirable yellow tones
• Antique Mauve’s subtle purple and light grey hues tackle brassy colours with ease
• Wisteria’s delicate, bright-toned purple colour is the perfect choice for tackling tougher yellow undertones

Unsure which hair toner is right in your situation? Speak to a professional colourist for advice. They can advise on what shade of toner would best neutralise the unflattering undertones that appear after lightening your hair.

Once you’ve chosen the hair toner that targets your specific undertones, it’s time to put it to work. Here’s our step-by-step guide to applying our semi-permanent hair toners to pre-lightened hair:

1. Perform a strand test on a hidden section of hair. This determines how the toner will transform your shade and the processing time before you commit to your whole head.
2. Use Vaseline, baby oil or petroleum jelly to protect your hairline, put on a pair of gloves, and cover up with dark towels or a salon cape.
3. Transfer your chosen hair toner from its pot into a mixing bowl, as this makes application easier and less messy.
4. Section your hair with clips, and apply the toner evenly from roots to ends with a tint brush, making sure every strand is fully saturated.
5. Wait 15-30 minutes for your hair toner to do its job, or follow the results of your strand test.
6. Rinse until the water runs clear, using cool or lukewarm water. Hot water can cause the toner to fade faster.
7. Towel-dry and examine your newly toned hair ahead of further colouring.

Here are a few additional tips to help achieve the best outcome:

• Timing matters – tone your hair within a day or two of lightening it, as waiting too long can have unpredictable results
• Don’t overprocess – if your strand test shows your hair is quickly absorbing the toner, reduce the processing time, as over-toning can cause hair to look dull or overly ashy
• Damaged hair absorbs toner faster – if your hair is more porous or damaged, be wary, as it may take on your chosen toner more quickly than you anticipate

Directions hair toners can do more than eliminate brassy undertones. They can also be mixed with our wider range of semi-permanent hair colours to create lighter, delicate pastel shades.

White Toner acts as a diluter, softening more vivid shades into subtle, pastel versions. Here are a few examples of the paler shades you can produce with our White Toner:

• White Toner & red hair dye: Pastel blush, soft salmon and light coral
• White Toner & orange hair dye: Light peach, apricot and cantaloupe colours
• White Toner & yellow hair dye: Buttery pastel yellows and soft vanillas
• White Toner & green hair dye: Mint, sage and tea green shades
• White Toner & blue hair dye: Powder blue, baby blue and icy blue tones
• White Toner & pink hair dye: Candyfloss, soft rose and baby pink
• White Toner & purple hair dye: Lavender, lilac and mauve shades
• White Toner & blonde hair dye: Platinum blonde, ash blonde and champagne blonde

The more hair toner included in your mixture, the softer and paler the final shade will be. For this reason, we recommend applying these custom shades on very light blonde hair (Level 9 or 10) for the most effective, true-to-tone application.

Also, when mixing colours, remember the following:

• Measure and write down your ratios so you can recreate your shade in the future
• Use a mixing bowl and tint brush to combine your colours with minimal mess
• Mix a maximum of 2-3 colours at once to avoid muddy, unflattering results
• Perform a strand test before full application to test your custom shade

Or, if blending isn’t your thing, using our White Toner to neutralise and soften your natural shade can lead to some spectacular split-dye looks!

How long your hair toner lasts depends on several factors:

• The type of hair toner used (semi-permanent, demi-permanent, permanent, etc.)
• Your hair type – toners tend to fade faster on fine or previously lightened hair
• How porous your hair is

While any hair toner naturally fades over time, there are steps you can take to ensure each application lasts as long as possible:

• Wash your hair with Pre Colour Shampoo before applying – this removes any buildup and gives your hair the perfect pH balance to absorb your chosen toner
• Wash your hair less frequently – limit your washes to 2-3 times per week at most
• Use cool or lukewarm water – cooler water seals your hair cuticles and helps stop your toner from running
• Switch to Colour Protecting Shampoo & Conditioner – these are formulated to maintain both hair colours and toners, while simultaneously nourishing your hair
• Minimise heat styling – avoid using straighteners, blow dryers and more where possible, as heat speeds up the fading process
• Limit exposure to sun, chlorine & salt water – these also target your hair toner, so wear hats when outside and rinse hair well after swimming

Do hair toners damage hair?

This depends on the type of toner you choose. A permanent or demi-permanent hair toner typically contains chemicals such as ammonia, peroxide and PPDs. These help toners last longer between applications, but can endanger the long-term look, feel and health of your hair.

At Directions, our semi-permanent hair toners are made with nourishing, conditioning ingredients that are kinder to hair. Thanks to their emulsifying and antistatic properties, they're the better choice if you care a lot about your hair's health and condition.