Each time that I use a toner to get rid of that dull yellow color on my hair, I always get confused about whether I should wet my hair first or if I can leave my hair dry. If you’ve asked yourself the same question then you’re in luck!
Toner can be put in dry hair but it’s not ideal. Ideally, your hair should be 70% dry when you put toner on it. This is because putting toner on dry hair can cause an uneven deposit of toner, your hair will be a dull dark color. That said, putting toner on wet hair can stop the toner from penetrating your hair strands, the toner will slide off.
Over the many years that I have bleached and toned my hair, I have narrowed down the best products and the best application method for each. Trust me, you won’t go wrong with these hair hacks for toning your hair. Take a look for yourself, you won’t regret it!
Can You Put Wella Toner On Dry Hair?
If you’ve been bleaching your own hair for a while then chances are that you’ve likely come across the Wella hair products. Wella is one of the leading hair brands when it comes to toners, they offer so many shades and are extremely affordable as well!
When applying a Wella toner, your hair should be damp, not dry or dripping wet. Ideally, you should be applying Wella toner to freshly bleached hair, but if that’s not the case, you can shampoo and towel dry your hair before applying the toner. But, if you’re using the Wella T18 and are trying to get an ashy-grey color, apply the toner to dry hair.
Preparing the toner
Step 1: Apply the Wella toner right after you’ve bleached your hair if you want the best results. Just wash out the bleach with shampoo but do not use your conditioner just yet.
Step 2: Towel dry your hair to make sure that it is not sopping wet. If water is still dripping from your hair, then your hair is too wet.
Step 3: If your hair was dry, to begin with, simply use a spray bottle to spritz some water onto it then comb through your hair.
Step 4: Make sure you wear gloves (either plastic or latex) and an old t-shirt before you apply the toner as the toner can be harsh on your skin and clothing.
Step 5: In a bowl, mix 1 part toner with 2 parts developer. If you have hair that is several inches past your shoulders then you will require an entire bottle of toner. Fill the empty toner bottle with the developer, twice and pour it into the same bowl as the toner.
If you have hair that is at your shoulders or just below, you will require half a bottle of toner and twice as much of the developer.
Applying the toner
Step 1: Section off your hair. You can use a clip or hair ties to clip away the top parts of your hair so it doesn’t get in your way when you’re toning the hair at the bottom.
Step 2: Use an applicator brush to brush the toner onto your hair. Make sure that you paint the toner as evenly as possible starting at the root and working your way to the tip. Your hair should look a lot wetter and darker if the toner is fully on.
Step 3: Work with one section at a time for accuracy. Release more hair from the clip or hair tie when you’re done with the first section. Repeat the process as you move up your head.
Step 4: If there is any toner-developer mixture left, scrunch it through your hair using your glove-covered hands. I recommend focusing this on your roots and the back of your head.
Step 5: Let the toner do its thing for 20 minutes. If your hair starts to look blue or purple, stay calm. This means that the toner is working, it won’t be purple when you wash it out.
Step 6: Thoroughly rinse out the toner. Do not use shampoo on your freshly-toned hair. A cool water rinse is more than sufficient, followed up by a moisturizing conditioner. Rub the conditioner in from the middle of your hair all the way down to your tips.
A good moisturizer to use is the Wella moisturizing conditioner for fine hair and also coarse hair.
So you’ve just bleached your hair and you’re nervous about applying toner on it right away, you’re probably asking yourself: Can I wait a few days to do it?, or What’s the best time to apply toner?. Well, let’s find out! I’m here to ease all of your concerns, keep reading to find out more!
Can You Put Toner On Your Hair At Any Time?
The best time to tone your hair is right after you have bleached it. However, you can apply a toner to your hair within 8 weeks of bleaching your hair. That said, it may be worth waiting at least 10 days after your bleach job to tone your hair if you notice that your hair looks dry and damaged after bleaching.
This is because at 8 weeks after your bleach job, your roots will have grown substantially and it will make it difficult to tone without color banding. This refers to an overlap of colors on your hair. Trust me, it’s not a cute look!
So to avoid having to spend more money by going to the hairdresser to color-correct your banding issue, tone your hair within 6 weeks of your last bleach job. Better safe than sorry!
So now that you know how to apply toner to your hair as well as when to apply it, let’s take a look at another popular toner on the market. The Jerome Russell Maximum Bblonde Platinum Toner. Don’t let the lack of informative box instructions fool you, this product is actually an amazing toner! Keep reading to find out more about it!
Can You Use Bblonde Toner On Dry Hair?
Bblonde toner should be used on hair that is damp or 70% dry so that it can properly coat your hair strands. This toner does not lift color from your hair, it simply neutralizes the yellow shades in your hair. Therefore, applying it to dry or sopping wet hair will not give you the results you are after.
This Bblonde Maximum Platinum Toner is perfect for hair that has been recently bleached or hair that is naturally blonde. It is a non-permanent, peroxide-free, and ammonia-free toner. This product is very gentle on your hair and actually prevents damage, unlike most platinum toners.
How to apply it:
Step 1: Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo. Do not condition it just yet
Step 2: Towel dry your hair
Step 3: Evenly apply the Bblonde toner from the roots of your hair to the tips (section off your hair to get the toner on as accurately as possible)
Step 4: Wrap your hair in a plastic shower cap or even cling wrap
Step 5: Apply heat to your hair for 5 minutes. You can use a hairdryer to do this. Move it evenly over your head
Step 6: Let the toner sit on your hair for another 30 minutes
Step 7: If you have dry or damaged hair, keep a close eye on it. Every 10 to 15 minutes, check on its progress
Step 8: Thoroughly rinse the toner out, until the water runs clean
Related Questions
Can I tone my hair twice?
You should never tone your hair twice in a row. It’s important to remember that toning is a chemical process, just like bleaching, and as we know chemicals are the number one cause of dry or damaged hair.
That being said, you should only repeat toning your hair at least 4 weeks after you’ve initially toned it, never in the same week! This will give your hair time to recover from the chemicals.