Here are the best toners to keep your blonde hair in peak condition
Whether you're using a purple shampoo to get that ice white blonde and knock out any brassiness or calling upon a touch of pastel pink for a rose gold effect, blonde hair is a blank canvas just waiting to be toned. Plus, a good toner can help prolong the longevity and brilliance of your hair colour, allowing you to leave longer in between your salon appointments.
For the uninitiated, let Aveda's Advanced Creative Director, Bruno Ellorrioroz, answers the all-important questions about hair toner, including how it works and which shade to go for...
What is hair toner and how does it work?
Toners are used to enhance the shade and correct the undertone of your hair colour after (and in-between) treatment, especially if you have blonde or bleached hair. For example, lots of blondes like a cool effect and a toner the perfect product to help to neutralise any brassiness.
Does hair toner work?
Yes, toners can make a significant albeit nuanced difference, as the changes in coolness and warmness create a subtle change based on suitability of each hair type. Although you can’t massively alter the shade of your hair from the colour you have had - you can really transform the tone. Colour isn’t actually being applied, it is a non-permanent rinse that lasts up to two to three weeks. However, if you're looking for a dramatic colour transformation, toners aren't for you.
Can I do a hair toner at home?
You can use a hair colour toning treatment at home in the form of silver or purple shampoos. These are great to use as maintenance in-between salon visits to prolong the brilliance and shine of your colour.
An in-salon toner will be far more pigmented and have more of an effect on your colour. In this case, the toner is applied at the backwash to keep your colour looking fresh and can be reapplied every two to three weeks.
What colour toner should I choose?
Toner is not a self-select process and your colourists will be best to advise based on your colour appointment and what you have discussed in terms of the final finish you are looking for.
Does hair toner wash out?
Toner is temporary, so even if you choose to experiment with a peachy tone or the full pastel rainbow, you'll always be able to return to your blonde base shade after a few weeks of washing.
Would a toner help get the icy blonde look?
A toner will help to get the icy blonde look, but you should discuss this with your colourist as it is used for subtle shifts in tonality such as cooling or warming up colour, so it's important to select the right one for the look you want to achieve.
Are there different colours of hair toner?
Toners aren’t designed to create crazy colours however they are ideal if you're blonde and want to play with pastel shades (however, these subtle shades will hardly show up on brunette or black hair). Pinks and lilacs in particular are very popular and look stunning.
Which celebrities have toner?
The majority of celebrities would be having a toner after their colour appointment, it’s quite a salon standard these days as it's such a great way to subtly bespoke your colour. Poppy Delevingne is a good example.
Can brunettes use a toner or is it just for blondes?
Ultimately toners can be used on all shades of colour to eliminate brassiness but they do tend to be more useful for blondes due to specific blonde ambitions and the current craze for cool, icy shades.
Is there a one-shade-suits-all toner?
No, toners are very bespoke.
How do you keep your colour vibrant once the toner fades?
Regular refreshing every two - three weeks is advised to keep colour looking super fresh and to maintain your preferred tonality.
Can you have just a toner appointment and if so, is it worth it?
You can book in for just a toner and it is advised for in-between your colour treatments which you would have every few weeks to keep colour looking super fresh.
Does hair toner damage your hair?
Hair toner should not damage your hair if you use the correct strength and use it at the correct intervals. If you're using an at-home toning shampoo or getting a toning treatment at a reputable salon, you should be totally fine - if anything, you hair will look healthier!
Check out some of her favourite toners and silver shampoos to boost your blonde colour...
Best purple shampoo for beating brass
Fudge Clean Blonde Damage Rewind Shampoo, £15, Beauty Bay
The original Clean Blonde shampoo from Fudge has been one of the best brass beaters on the market for years – and it just got even better. As bleached blondes tend suffer from damage as well as brassy tones, it now includes an Opti-Plex technology, that penetrates deeply into the hair follicle to reconstruct bonds and smooth the shiz out of your hair follicle. Two birds, one stone? Yes please.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these Beauty Bay discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for speedy results
Redken Color Extend Blondage Shampoo, £16.20, Look Fantastic
A powerful purple shampoo, containing ultra-violet pigments to kick any brassiness to the curb after just one wash. Leave this Redken shampoo on for a few minutes to achieve an even icier blonde.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these LookFantastic discount codes.
Best purple hair mask
Redken Blondage Color Extend Express Anti-Brass Mask, £25.16, Amazon
This summer, Redken launched their Blondage Color Extend Express Anti-Brass Mask, designed to give a cooler, brighter colour in just five minutes. This hair mask neutralises your blonde colour for a salon-quality finish while also intensively moisturising your hair. We're huge fans.
Best purple shampoo to use pre-dying
Bleach London Silver Shampoo, £7.50, Cult Beauty
New kins on the block, BLEACH, have stormed the alternative hair market with a huge range of hair dyes - not least this hero product that will help flatten out yellow tones - especially good if you're planning to add a colour after.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for everyday use
Kevin Murphy Blonde Angel Wash, £22, Cult Beauty
Infused with lavender and optical brighteners to give dull and lifeless blondes a new lease of life, this everyday use shampoo is great at maintaining your shiny locks, preventing them from ever looking brassy.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for grey hair
L'Oreal Série Expert Silver, £9.65, LookFantastic
With magnesium and anti-yellowing agents, this L'Oreal shampoo helps to counteract unwanted brassy tones while softening your locks from root to tip. It works just as well on highlighted or bleach hair as it does for those with grey or white hair.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these LookFantastic discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for pre-night out
PRO:VOKE Touch Of Silver Brightening Shampoo, £2.66, Boots
Perfect for a fortnightly hit – don’t use the PRO:VOKE Touch of Silver shampoo every day, but do use before a big night out and you’ll really notice a difference. It’s super reasonable, too.
Save when you shop with these Boots discount codes.
Best purple shampoo on a budget
John Frieda Violet Crush Intensive Purple Shampoo, £5.99, Feel Unique
Designed to tackle brassiness that just won't shift, the John Frieda Velvet Crush Shampoo is designed to be used once a week and utilises patent-pending technology, which contains both violet and blue pigments, without staining the hair.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these Feel Unique discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for bleached hair
TIGI Bed Head Dumb Blonde Shampoo, £17.95, Feel Unique
Certainly not a ‘dumb’ move as the name suggests. Bleached hair will pack more of a punch after one wash with the TIGI Bed Head Dumb Blonde Shampoo and the conditioning is salon-quality.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these Feel Unique discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for bright blondes
Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo, £44.50, Cult Beauty
OK, we’ll admit it’s pricey but this one is definitely worth the investment. This colour-saving shampoo is free of sulphates, parabens, sodium chloride, gluten and cruelty-free, and really does keep blonde hair looking completely luscious. The violet pigments cancel out any yellow tones to make it look as if you’ve just come out of the salon.
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these Cult Beauty discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for shine
Philip Kingsley Pure Silver Shampoo, £17, LookFantastic
A cult product for blondes and those with grey-coloured hair. This is guaranteed stain-free and leaves hair looking shiny and silky (bonus points for the lovely lavender fragrance).
Save when you shop for the best silver shampoo with these LookFantastic discount codes.
Best purple shampoo for gentle toning
Lee Stafford Lee Stafford Bleach Blonde Shampoo, £6.99, Boots
Lee Stafford’s violet shampoo is a cult favourite. It gently tones and refreshes your colour and says goodbye to any brassiness. The conditioner is just as important as the shampoo, so make sure you use. It also has UV protection, so great for holidays.
Best purple shampoo for natural blondes
John Freida Sheer Blonde Tone-Correcting Shampoo, £5.99, Boots
Some colour-correcting shampoos can leave your hair dry and limp – not this one. Locks are left soft and shiny whilst canceling out minor brassy tones. Best for blondes whose natural colour isn't far off their dyed do, and just needs a zhoosh.
Best purple shampoo for highlighted hair
Sashajuan Silver Shampoo, £23, Escentual
Get Elle-Woods-worthy blonde hair with this Sachajuan professional shampoo that banishes unwanted yellow and brassy tones, while boosting locks' radiance.
