What Is Hair Toner? Celebrity Colorists Reveal All

Hair toner—ever heard of it? If not, you're in good company. Even though stylists consider toner to be an essential, final step of a hair coloring appointment, it remains a mystery for many of us—even those with color-treated hair. And with so many hair products and services available to us, it's easy to want to skip toner when you aren't sure what it does.

However, it turns out that skipping hair toner is a very common mistake people with color-treated hair make. To find out more about the treatment, we turned to two of the best colorists around—Aura Friedman and Tracey Cunningham—to break down how toner works and why no dye job is complete without it.

Meet the expert

• Aura Friedman is a salon master colorist at Suite Caroline in NYC.
• Tracey Cunningham is a celebrity colorist and Redken Creative Consultant for Color. Her clients include Jennifer Lopez, Lily Aldridge, and Jessica Biel, among others.

Keep reading for our complete expert-approved guide to hair toner.

What Is Hair Toner?

Simply put, a toner is a gel-like, demi-permanent hair coloring product that temporarily deposits color onto hair to enhance or soften hues while adding megawatt shine. It also helps to neutralize unwanted undertones (e.g., yellow tones in blonde hair and orange or red tones in brown hair) on color-treated hair.

Since the dye in toners is demi-permanent, Cunningham says it loses vibrancy each time hair is washed, but will typically last about four to six weeks. As such, it's an easy, low-commitment option for people who want to try out different shades.

Choose a hair toner depending on the undertones you want to counteract. For example, brunettes might opt for a blue- to green-based toner to offset any orange-to-red undertones. On the other hand, blondes may find a purple toner helpful in removing the brassiness that results from yellow undertones.

Hair Gloss vs. Hair Toner

"There are glosses and toners," explains Friedman. "Glosses deposit color but do not lighten hair, whereas toners may contain ammonia, which can lighten hair." Friedman prefers to use glosses over a traditional toner to blend color together to achieve harmony between hues and because glosses are effective "on universal hair types to give hair more body with a boost of protein." Tinted shampoos and conditioners are also considered a type of hair toner and are key for caring for color-treated hair at home.

"I am talking to all my clients about toning shampoos right now," says Cunningham. "Using a toning shampoo, like Redken Color Extend Blondage Shampoo and Conditioner for Blondes ($52) or Redken Color Extend Brownlights Shampoo and Conditioner for Brunettes ($75), means you're putting in the work to maintain your color at home. For blondes, you're keeping your hair bright and brass-free, and for brunettes, this is all about preventing those red and orange undertones from coming through."

How It Works

A toner is usually applied after a single or double process, says Cunningham. However, she adds that it can also be used in between color services to maintain and refresh your hair. One of her go-to moves is adding a gloss to a blowout appointment for an extra upgrade and instant shine boost. Take it from a pro: "It's fabulous!" the stylist exclaims. Glosses have a lifespan of six to eight shampoos, and Friedman recommends applying a gloss every eight weeks to revitalize hair color and strengthen strands for maximum volume.

Hair Toner Benefits

Toners have way more benefits than just adding dimension to hair color. Thanks to their versatility, Cunningham says toners or glosses are likely part of your in-salon color service already—whether you know it or not.

To get technical, using an acidic demi-permanent toner is an essential part of a color appointment to strengthen the hair's cuticles and reduce damage. This specific type of toner "closes the hair cuticles and helps bring the hair's pH levels back to a normal, healthy state after a color or lightening service," says Cunningham, who also uses an acidic toner during root touch-ups.

"When doing a root touch-up, I'll apply alkaline permanent color to the regrowth (aka roots) and acidic Redken Shades EQ Gloss to the previously colored hair to get the best results and minimize damage." Translation: You walk out of the salon with vibrant, shiny, and most importantly, healthy hair. "It's a quick service that works wonders on hair to tone color, refresh highlights, and correct uneven tones," adds Cunningham. "A hair gloss offers big results that you can see and feel."

Risks and Side Effects

Since the dye in toner is temporary and loses vibrancy with each wash, there isn't a huge risk factor with using it. However, with every color appointment, it's wise to bring your stylist a photo of the final look you're envisioning. And from there, "your colorist can work out how to make that look come to life," says Cunningham.

How to Use Hair Toner at Home

If you are absolutely desperate, go for a gloss or a demi-permanent color, says Friedman. This is definitely not the time to be a risk-taker, and you should follow the instructions exactly as they are outlined on the box, she adds. Also, stay far away from toners that contain ammonia in the formulation—this is how people end up with orange hair.

"My dream," says Friedman, "is to have my clients not touch any sort of color, and instead focus on getting hair strong with hair masks like K18 Peptide Masque ($75). That way when I get them back in the salon, we can go to the extreme with color, because their hair will be so healthy."

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do all hair types need toner or is it only for blondes?

  All color-treated hair can benefit from hair toner—not just blondes. Anyone looking to adjust or correct their hair's color and make it more vibrant can use toner.
  

• What is purple shampoo?

  Purple shampoo works to remove brassiness and is often used by blondes. Still, anyone with color-treated hair can benefit from incorporating it into their routine. Unlike regular shampoo, purple shampoo tones hair rather than washes it.
  

• Is toner the same as hair dye?

  No. Toner is much more subtle than dye. It is used to soften, enhance, or correct hair color, while dye permanently changes it. The latter is longer-lasting, too.
  

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