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Hair toner can be a godsend when colored hair has shades that are brassy or unnatural. Since brassy shades are usually yellow or orange in color, getting rid of them requires using the right kind of toner. Picking a good toner when you’re blond requires a little bit of homework.
Soft Blonde
When you’re already blond, you don’t want a toner that is going to make you look even more blond. You want a toner that will bring down those bright orange or yellow tones and create a softer blond look. So pick a toner that has the word “light” in the title, like “light blond,” “light ash” or even “lightest” blond or ash.
Platinum Blond
If Marilyn Monroe is the direction you’re headed and you want to be a platinum blond, but you just don’t want to be an orange or yellow Marilyn, pick a toner that actually isn’t blond at all but white. Find a white-base toner for that platinum look but remember that you’ll need to bleach hair to a pale yellow shade before you add the toner, otherwise the toner won’t work as effectively and you won’t get the desired result.
No Color
Sometimes you just want to lift the blond color and create a more even shade. If this is the case, choose a no-color toner. Look for toners labeled “No Lift Color” to get a shine that will stay basically true to the current blonde but help get rid of the more brassy tones.
Recommendations
When purchasing your toner, look for semi-permanent. Because the peroxide level is low, this will cause less damage to the hair. If possible, pick a toner with no ammonia and natural products for even more gentle results.
