What Is A Hair Toner & Why Do I Need One?
Toners are sweet, sweet angels in bottles that help you achieve a desired tone. We use Toners to cancel out any undesired tones. For example: a toner will cancel out brassiness and give you a cool or ashy look. However, toners are not just used for achieving blonde shades, they are also a must for redheads and brunettes. Toners can add warmth to achieve beautiful caramel hues and also bring life to gorgeous red hair, all while adding vibrancy and shine.
The thing is, toners are the most important part of the hair coloring process.
First, “pre-lightening” or “lightening” are words we use in the hair world, but you may recognize them as “bleaching”. (Doesn’t lightening just sound so much more gentle than the word BLEACH?) We use lightener to remove color, or pigment, from the hair. During this process, we pull the pigment from the hair, stripping away the color but not adding any color. In most cases, after your processing time is complete we will reach anywhere from a bright yellow to brassy orange and even in some cases a vibrant red. Then, the MAGIC happens... your favorite stylist will reach up to the hair gods and receive your beautiful bottled angel. Well kinda... but it really is magic... with a splash of science, I guess.
Finally, your final color comes from the toning process and again, as I mentioned earlier, this is the most important step. It’s time for the “top coat”. This is where the toner will work to emphasize or deemphasize certain tones in your hair, as well as add shine. It will process anywhere between 5-15 minutes. Typically, toners can last about 2-6 weeks, but this all depends on your hair porosity and integrity. This is another reason to maintain your hair’s health at the highest level possible because the healthier the hair, the longer the toner will last. Your stylist may recommend scheduling a toning appointment in between full color, highlight, or balayage services. I personally recommend around 4 weeks after your initial lightening service. At ADAE Salon we offer a Toning service which is, in most cases, a quick one hour appointment and costs around $40.
What are some products that can be used to tone my hair at home?
The ADAE Team has your back! Here is a list of our favorites take home Toning products:
-BLONDA Toning Shampoo- This shampoo is designed to get blonde tones lighter and brighter in just ONE minute. (You read that right! ONE MINUTE! Ladies, no excuses for not having the time). This ultra-violet formula gently cleanse and purifies while neutralizing any unwanted brassy tones. This product is a great once a week shampoo and the best part is it lasts through several washes.
-BLONDA Fix- Ever feel a bit dry after a toning shampoo? I highly HIGHLY recommend the BLONDA FIX. This treatment not only strengthens and repairs strands, but it also tones and brightens hair all in one formula. This deeply reparative, ultra-violet treatment will have stressed out, overworked, brassy, blonde hair looking healthier and brighter, and even feeling smoother and stronger, in just one use.
-OLIGO Blacklight Anti-Violet Shampoo & Conditioner- This unique Anti-Violet formula is enriched with 11 amino acids and argon oil. It moisturizes and repairs surface damage while eliminating brassiness and yellow tones.
-OLIGO Blacklight Blue Shampoo & Conditioner- The Blacklight Blue Shampoo and Conditioner is perfect for brunettes! With the same enriched formula as the Anti-Violet Shampoo and Conditioner, this blue formula will also moisturize and repair surface damage. This is the perfect answer to eliminate those harsh warm tones that appear orange or even red.
Keep your head and standards high and your ADAE Glam Team will keep you classy and not brassy!
XO,
Nikki + The ADAE Team