warm
cool
A toner is a semi-permanent hair color that is designed to only deposit color. It doesn’t use a developer that causes a “lift” or the ability to remove existing color on the hair (whether virgin or colored), so it can only alter the tone and/or darken the hair that it is applied to.
The words toner/gloss/glaze were often used interchangeably when I was working in a salon. I usually called them a “gloss” because I liked how it sounded and the toners I used left exceptional shine on the hair as well!
Toners are not bad. They are often necessary to execute the right tone (warm or cool) to the hair, as well as correct any unwanted tone that may have popped up. Toners cannot make your hair lighter or brighter.
Toners, though, can remove a bit of the brightness from a raw lift from bleach. So if you are someone who likes a really bright blonde, and your hair can lift to a pretty end result from bleach alone, you may be able to skip the toner altogether.
Toners only last a few weeks and are designed to slowly fade away without leaving an obvious line of demarcation on the hair. This can mean, though, if you are lightening your hair and having it toned to a particular shade (let’s say a cool caramel color), over time it will fade away and you may feel that the lightened parts of your hair are looking warm/brassy/coppery. This can be very easily fixed with another toning process at the salon!
Toners are gentle on the hair and add shine and softness. They take away the harsh lines that bleach can sometimes leave behind. They “dim” the hair either a little bit or a lot, and when properly formulated will give you the perfect color!
The hair needs to be properly lifted to the right lightness for the toner to work. If your hair was highlighted to a level 8, for example, and is looking really brass/orange in the shampoo bowl, you will have a hard time achieving a pale highlight result no matter how many rounds of a neutralizing light toner your stylist applies. Conversely, if you find that your toner is leaving your lightened hair too cool, and almost grey or purple-looking, you can easily ask your stylist to tweak the formula for a warmer result!
Toners can also be diluted, so their impact can be lessened. I’ve had a toner applied that is primarily “clear” with a “capful of 9N” or something along those lines. That means that only a hint, and I mean that literally, of toner is actually being deposited on the lightened hair to adjust any unwanted warmth.
I’ve talked a lot about lightened hair, but toners can also be great for darker hair! If you have dark brown hair and are looking for a very subtle shift in tone, a toner applied all over the hair is a super easy, low-maintenance option to create a rich color. You can go warm or cool and about as dark as you would like!
Toners cannot fully cover grey, but they can very softly “dim” the stark contrast between grey and brown hair. For clients who were not quite ready for the commitment of a full permanent color, a toner applied all over the hair and perhaps placed under light heat, is an easy way to attempt to blend the grey without creating a strong line of growth when the hair grows out.
So toners can be used in a lot of different ways! I used them very often in the salon! I like them, but sometimes I want the brightness of a raw lift blonde throughout my hair, so I tend to decline to get a toner applied to it. If you are looking for a brighter blonde result, you can discuss either skipping or tweaking your toner formula to help get you closer to what you are going for!
