What Does Hair Toner Do? Colorists Explain the Benefits of the Treatment

Anyone who’s dyed their hair knows that maintaining a bright, balanced color is a full-time job. To keep that "fresh from the salon" look between visits, there are plenty of professional and at-home treatment options, with one of the most popular being hair toner. Like it sounds, hair toner tones the color of your hair to balance brassiness and add vibrancy. "Toner can help warm up or cool down the overall [hair] color depending on the desired end result ... whether you get highlights, root touch-ups, or grey coverage," Olaplex Global Brand Ambassador Bianca Hillier says.

Looking to learn more about this hair care game changer? In addition to Hillier, we tapped L’Oreal Paris Celebrity Hairstylist Jennifer Yepez, as well as board-certified dermatologists Brendan Camp, MD, and Marisa Garshick, MD, to answer all of your questions. Read on to discover what toners do, how to use them correctly, and how long their effects last.

What Is Hair Toner?

Hair toner is a hair product that deposits temporary pigment onto the hair shaft. "It is considered a hair dye product but it contains little or no ammonia and is categorized in the group of semi-permanent dyes," Garshick says.

Why Is It Used?

Hair toner is often used to even and eliminate yellow or brassy undertones and enhance a more natural tone after hair has been bleached or lightened. "Using a hair toner can help restore color, correct color, adjust a color, and also enhance gloss," Garshick says, "It is commonly used for blonde hair, but it can also help for some brown and red hair too. Its purpose is to achieve a more even hair color and, particularly in blonde or gray hair, give a more natural appearance."

How Does It Work?

To understand how hair toner works, it’s important to understand what is in our hair that allows it to work. There are two types of pigment in your hair: Eumelanin, which is brown or black shades, and pheomelanin, which is yellow, orange, or red shades. "When someone gets their hair treated with bleach, it is stripping the eumelanin," Garshick says, "Therefore, dark hair tends to appear more orange when bleached, while lighter tones appear more yellow."

Hairstylists use the color wheel to determine what tone is necessary for your toner service. They'll choose a toner that is on the opposite side of the color wheel from the tone you’re trying to reduce. "For example, purple toner is commonly used to neutralize yellow tones, which is beneficial for very blonde hair," Garshick says, "Blue toner is for neutralizing orange or brass tones and may be best for light brown hair. Green toner helps neutralize red tones, while red toners help enhance red tones."

How Is Toner Applied?

Hair toner is often used in conjunction with highlighting and bleaching services in the salon to ensure perfect final results or at home in between salon services. At the salon, toner will be applied at the shampoo bowl after a double process service is completed. "Toner can be applied in a number of ways—sometimes I tone the root to create a shadow and blend the highlights, while other times I put the chemicals all over the hair for a shiny effect," Hillier says, "I love to add a splash of OLAPLEX N°1, which is part of their signature in-salon treatment to my toner formulas to rebuild hair bonds while the toner processes. "

Toner typically takes five to 20 minutes to process, depending on the type and application method utilized. Your hairstylist will determine if a toner is necessary (it isn't always), which type to use, and how it should be applied. Questions? Ask them. Particularly with bleaching services, if you're curious about what is going on with your hair, it's important to ask. You want to get the exact shade you're looking for.

Aftercare

According to Garshick, after getting your hair treated with toner, "It’s best to avoid hot water and overall any treated shampoos and cleansing the hair that day. Additionally, chemicals, including chlorine, must be avoided, and it may be best to avoid any heat processing. Heat and chlorine can cause damage to the hair as the hair is more vulnerable once toned."

Is Hair Toner Suitable for All Hair Types?

Hair toners can be used on a wide range of hair types, including straight, curly, coarse, or wavy. They are primarily designed to address color concerns rather than specific textures. Therefore, whether you have blonde, silver, or dark hair, you can use a specific hair toner to meet your color wishes.

How Long Does Hair Toner Last?

According to Hillier, the effects of hair toner can last for up to two months with proper care. Since products that contain harsh cleansers or sulfates can affect the durability of toners, "You want to make sure you’re using proper shampoo and conditioner that is sulfate free like OLAPLEX No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo ($30) and OLAPLEX No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner ($30), which also helps repair the hair bonds for healthier hair," she says.

Toner can be reapplied at the salon in between full coloring sessions if desired. "Some of my highlight clients visit every six months for their new balayage, but in between around 10 weeks, they will visit for just a toner refresh. This way, we ensure there are no lines of demarcation and a fluid blend from root to tip," Hillier says.

How Much Do Hair Toning Services Cost?

If you're looking to get your hair toned by a professional, you can expect to pay anywhere from $40 to $200 dollars. Prices vary by location and salon, so if you have questions about how much a hair toning service will set you back, ask your stylist.

Potential Side Effects

According to Camp, hair toners are generally safe to use. However, "Pigments or dyes have the potential to cause skin sensitization and contact dermatitis," he notes, "Overuse of toners can cause hair to become dry or damaged."

Can You Apply Toners at Home?

Unless you are an experienced hair colorist, you avoid using salon-grade toners at home, as a small mistake can lead to overtoned hair. However, there are plenty of toning and gloss kits, as well as toning shampoos, on the market formulated for at-home users.

It's often recommended that bottle blondes use a purple toning shampoo once or twice a week; for example, Yepez recommends using L'Oréal Paris EverPure Purple Collection to keep hair from becoming brassy. "My other go-to is L'Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss ($16)," she says, "They have 15 shades, and it’s an in-shower at-home toning gloss that corrects brassy, faded tones, leaving the hair with a glassy shine and luxurious feel. The vegan formula is keratin-safe and ammonia-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, sulfate-free, and mineral oil-free."

A red depositing toning shampoo, like Davines' ALCHEMIC Shampoo Red ($30), amplifies warm undertones while green toning drops, like Amika's Mixtape Teal Brunette Toning Drops ($10)—which can be mixed into the products you're already using—neutralize red tones. For those looking to amplify warm tones, go with an orange or yellow-based toning product, like Pureology's Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss ($29) in Gold or Copper.

The Final Takeaway

Hair toner is a semi-permanent color correction hair care product that utilizes opposites on the color wheel to cancel out unwanted tones. While typically recommended for blondes wanting to cancel out brassy tones, hair toner can be used on every hair texture and shade. The application process can be done in between full coloring visits at home or in the salon. If you opt for professional hair toning, expect the treatment to cost anywhere from $40 to $200. While hair toner is generally safe, pigments or dyes can potentially cause skin sensitization and contact dermatitis. Overuse of toners can cause hair to become dry or damaged, so speak with a hairstylist before choosing products or attempting an at-home tone.