Not everyone likes the warm, brassy tones that brunettes naturally have, and blondes tend to pick up. But using store-bought toners regularly can damage your hair. But did you know that you can make your own toner solutions at home? Following is a list of 6 DIY hair toners that you can prepare at home.
What Is Hair Toner?
A hair toner removes the orange and yellow tones from your hair. Toners are often used when people want to try out cool toned hair colors like platinum blonde, gray, or blue. They are also used to attain colors like ash brown and ash blonde.
How Does A Toner Remove Unwanted Warm Tones?
People with dark hair tend to have warm natural pigments, and people with light hair tend to pick up warm yellow tones with the regular use of sulfate shampoos and mineral deposits from water and product buildup. A toner removes these pigments by using cool tones on the opposite end of the color spectrum to neutralize the warmth. If you have light blonde hair that has been picking up yellow tones, a clarifying treatment that removes product and mineral deposits would be sufficient to tone your hair.
How To Make Hair Toner At Home?
1. Baking Soda Shampoo
You Will Need
- Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- 2 drops Blue Food Color
- 2 drops Purple Food Color
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
Processing Time
10 minutes
Process
- In a jug, combine the ingredients with a few tablespoons of water. Set it aside and proceed to rinse your hair.
- After you’ve rinsed your hair with water, use the shampoo mixture you set aside to wash your hair.
- Leave the shampoo in your hair for 5-10 minutes before rinsing it out.
- Follow this up with conditioner. (You can add a couple of drops of food color to your conditioner for extra toning.)
How Often?
Do not use this shampoo mixture more than once a week as it can dry your hair. On the other days of the week, you can use regular sulfate-free shampoo with a few drops of purple and blue food color.
Why This Works
Baking soda shampoo makes an excellent clarifying hair treatment. This, in combination with the food color, works to remove product and mineral buildup while neutralizing the natural warm tones present in your hair.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse
You Will Need
- 4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Water
Processing Time
15 minutes
Process
- In a jug, dilute the apple cider vinegar with the water.
- Pour the mixture through your hair and leave it in for 15 minutes.
- Rinse your hair with lukewarm/cool water.
How Often?
Do not use this mixture more than 3 times a month as apple cider vinegar can dry your hair.
Why This Works
Apple cider vinegar is extremely acidic which makes it an effective toner for getting rid of orange/yellow tones. It also acts as a deep cleanser to remove product build up.
3. Hollyhock Herbal Toner
You Will Need
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Hollyhock Herbs
- 1 cup Water
Processing Time
10 minutes
Process
- Boil the ingredients until you get a thick liquid. Set it aside to cool.
- Once the mixture has cooled, apply it to your hair.
- Leave it in for 10 minutes and then rinse it out using cool/lukewarm water and a sulfate-free shampoo.
How Often?
Do not use this hair toning solution more than once a week.
Why This Works
Hollyhock, like apple cider vinegar, has toning abilities that can remove unwanted warm tones from your hair.
4. Lemon For Toning
You Will Need
- 1/4 cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 3/4 cup Water
- 2 tbsp Honey
- Spray Bottle
Processing Time
2 hours
Process
- Pour the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake well to combine.
- Spray the honey-lemon mixture onto your hair. Ensure that you aren’t saturating your scalp with the mixture.
- Leave it in for 2 hours.
- Try to spend 30 minutes of these 2 hours out in the sun.
- Rinse the mixture out with a sulfate-free shampoo and condition your hair.
How Often?
Do not use this mixture more than 3 times in a month.
Why This Works
Honey is a natural bleaching agent which is aided by the acid and vitamin C in lemons. Using this mixture a couple of times can tone your hair to make it at least a couple of shades lighter.
5. Ash Blonde Box Dye
You Will Need
- An Ash-Blonde Box Dye
- Gloves
- Plastic Mixing Bowl
- Applicator Brush
Processing Time
30 minutes
Process
- Following the instructions on the box, mix the dye in a plastic bowl.
- Apply the dye to your hair and leave it in for the amount of time specified on the box. (Usually 30 minutes.)
- Wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo and condition.
How Often?
- You will only need to do this once.
- Why This Work
- Ash-toned box dyes help remove yellow/orange tones. They do this by neutralizing the warm tones with cool ones.
6. Purple Dye
You Will Need
- 1 tbsp Purple Hair Dye
- 3 tbsp Conditioner.
Processing Time
30 minutes
Process
- Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl until you get a lavender mixture.
- Apply this to the parts of your hair that need toning.
- Leave it in for 30 minutes and then wash it out with a sulfate-free shampoo.
How Often?
Repeat everytime your hair starts to take on yellow tones.
Why This Works
Purple and blue are the most common colors used to tone yellow/orange hair. They are on the opposite end of the color spectrum and so help neutralize the warm tones.
Why Opt For Homemade Hair Toner Solutions?
These toning solutions are not likely to get rid of strong orange tones. In such a situation, you can always get a professional to tone your hair. But light yellow tones are easy to tone out without the added expense of getting a salon treatment. Subtle changes in your hair care routine such as switching to a sulfate-free shampoo and regularly using clarifying treatments go a long way when it comes to keeping warm tones out of your hair. Most of these treatments, except for No. 5, are also not as harsh as a chemical toning session would be.
