What is a Hair Toner?
A hair toner is a hair color product that is used to adjust or maintain the tone of color-treated hair.
Toners deposit color to neutralize unwanted tones, enhance the existing color, and add shine.
Some toners lighten the hair also. Most, however work level-on-level.
Toners are essential in achieving the desired final color, especially after bleaching, which removes the natural pigment from the hair, exposing underlying tones that may need correction
What Does a Hair Toner Do?
An Ugly Duckling toner processing on the hair.
A hair toner has a very simple objective: to neutralize unwanted tones.
In general, these unwanted tones are warm tones. Warm means yellow, bright yellow, orange and golden.
This is a common problem that women face. And that stylists need to address.
Very often women get their hair colored blonde in the salon. It looks good at that point in time.
But with the passage of time the hair gets brassy or yellow.
Worse, sometimes the hair was not lifted correctly by the stylist in the first place and the hair is too warm straight after the coloring.
Hair toners correct for all these situations and give the hair a nicer, whiter reflect.
Toning refreshes the hair, and make the look more finished, less brassy and bleached.
Using Hair Toners: Choosing the Right Level of Toner
Most toners don't lift a great deal. Instead they operate level-on-level.
Many colorists make the mistake of randomly applying a toner regardless of the hair color level of the hair.
And choosing for a level 10 toner when their hair is level 6.
That is literally the most common mistake you can make with a toner and the surest way of getting an imperfect result.
Instead, assess the level of your hair first. Use the images below to help you decide.
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Hair Color levels
Permanent versus Demi-Permanent toners
Ugly Duckling makes both permanent and demi-permanent toners.
A permanent hair toner (cream toner, comes in a tube) contains ammonia, and will lift the hair more.
If your hair is very very brassy, and needs lifting as well as toning, use a permanent toner and you will get essentially a total color correction.
A demi-permanent is ammonia-free, and will tone the hair without lifting a great deal.
The demi-permanent toners are liquid toners.
Liquid toners are generally easy to mix and apply, and processing is usually faster as well.
Liquid demi toners will give you excellent refresh applications, provide for gloss and for shine.
But they stay broadly speaking on the same level.
They are designed for more frequent refresh applications.
Some Recommended Toners For Blonde Hair
Intense Pearl Blonde Toner 100V is ideal for achieving a cool, pearl-like blonde tone.
This toner has 1-2 levels of lift and neutralizes yellow undertones particularly fast.
Use this if the client's hair is very brassy (level 7/8) and you want to take the hair to level 9/10 as well as tone it pearl.
Result using 100V Intense Pearl Blonde.
Intense Silver Blonde Toner 100B is also a high lift toner, It is perfect for those looking to achieve a striking silver or platinum blonde look.
It also has 1-2 levels of lift and excellent neutralization. It gives the hair a luminous silver-blonde finish.
Blondify Natural Ash Blonde. This liquid toner is a level-on-level ammonia-free toner.
It will create a natural-looking ash blonde shade. It will also neutralize warm, yellow undertones and adds a cool, ashy finish to the hair.
This toner is suitable for those women looking for a regular, natural wearable ash blonde color.
Nothing too extreme or too white.
At the same time, zero brass. All extra warmth eliminated by the natural ash blonde pigments.
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Result Using Blondify Natural Ash Blonde 010A
Blondify Natural Violet Blonde is best for those who want to neutralize yellow tones and add a hint of violet to their blonde hair.
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Blondify Liquid Gel Toner. Use this toner on level 10 bleached hair.
If you have lifted the hair to this level with bleach, use Blondify 09V.
The violet/purple tones will neutralize any remaining light yellow and give you a very beautiful white blonde result.
The picture below shows what that looks like.
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Result using Blondify 010V
Does a Hair Toner Work for Darker Bases?
If you mean level 5, 6 7 (see the chart above) the answer is yes.
But this is where you need to choose a darker level of toner. Level 8 would be about right.
And blue-based pigments are also what you need.
These blue pigments neutralize the yellow much better.
Some Recommended Toners for Darker Bases
Ugly Duckling 09B is perhaps one of the most heavily pigmented level 9 toners.
Its blue based pigments will neutralize yellow and orange and even some red very effectively.
This is what makes it one of the most sought after toners for darker bases.
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Blondify 09B
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Before Blondify: brassy level 6 hair
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After using Blondify 09B
Extra Strong toners to use in Countering Yellow Brassy hair and Unwanted Red and Orange.
Sometimes, hair needs even stronger toning.
At times like these, we suggest you add one of these 2 additives into your selected toner.
Use just about an inch from the tube and mix in to your regular toner and developer application.
Because these 2 additives, although very effectives, are really strong and may tend to make the hair darker.
Ash Blue Additive should be mixed in with level 8 and level 9 toners. You will find it is amazingly effective at countering yellow.
Ash Blue Additive mixed with level 8 toner achieved this result.
Ash Grey Additive should be mixed in with level 6 and level 7 colors and toners. This will counteract red and orange in dark hair.
Ash Grey Additive mixed with 4N dealt with these strong red undertones.
Toning Shampoos and Masks
Toners can also come in the shape of shampoos and masks.
These contain purple to tone away yellow, but of course, since they are haircare products, they only act on the surface of the hair and will be more temporary in nature.
They do, however, contain important ingredients that can balance porosity, improve the condition of the hair and make the hair look healthier as well as take away yellow.
These toning shampoos and masks are best used as maintenance or post-toning products after you have done the real thing.
Brilliant Blonde Purple Shampoo & Mask will help maintain your white hair after toning.
Purple Mask in use at the backwash
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Hair after Purple Mask
How do You Use a Hair Toner?
First step, prepare the hair for toning.
Toners work best on hair that has been bleached or lightened to the desired level. Use a good quality bleach.
The better the bleach you use, the better result you will get.
Try and get your hair to a level 9 or level 10 blonde.
See below, for some pictures as to the result you should achieve.
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Hair which has been correctly bleached to level 10. Ready for toning
Next, mix your toner with developer.
We generally recommend you mix Ugly Duckling toners with 20 Vol developer.
However, 10 Vol can also work if the hair is really well lightened and all. you are looking to do is tone correction.
Pay attention to the correct mix ratio. The toner you use should provide mix instructions.
For Ugly Duckling cream toners we recommend 1 part toner to 2 parts developer.
Whereas for Blondify liquid gel toners the correct mix is 1 part toner to 1 part developer.
You need to use a coloring bowl to mix cream toners. Make sure you get a really nice smooth paste.
Whereas the liquid gel toners can also be mixed in a plastic applicator bottle. Just shake and you should be ready to apply.
Now, application.
If you have mixed the toners in a bowl, you will need to use your dye brush.
If you have mixed in an applicator bottle, you can pour straight out of the bottle.
Make sure you apply on every bit of the hair. Regardless of how you have applied, it is a good idea to rub in your color into the hair with a little extra color, using fingers. Wear a glove of course.
You will get better color saturation and a more beautiful color result that way.
Processing Time
The processing time for toners can vary from five to twenty minutes, depending on the type of toner and the desired result.
Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for the best outcome.
Aftercare
To maintain the toned color, always use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners, which are color safe.
If possible, use acid-based formulas. This helps the hair cuticles to close and makes for healthier hair.
Consider using purple shampoos or masks to keep brassy tones at bay.
We also recommend that you use Bond Protect hair care also. This will fight against hair breakage and keep the hair strong. Blonde hair which tends to be quite fragile, does need this.
Conclusion
Hair toners are an indispensable tool in the arsenal of any hair colorist.
They allow for precise customization of hair color, neutralizing unwanted tones, enhancing the desired shade, and adding shine and depth.
By understanding how to use toners effectively and incorporating high-quality products like those from Ugly Duckling Color, hair colorists can achieve stunning, professional results for their clients.
