This year has been tough on most of us, and we are longing for a change. It is always a good idea to start with yourself. Every little change counts!
For example, changing your hair color can cheer you up instantly. If you do not want to make a permanent change, you can always rely on hair toners. They are affordable and easy to apply and will wash out of your hair in a month or so.
But what if you mess something up or simply do not like the new color on you? Can you do something to speed things up and remove the color sooner? How to wash the toner out of hair?
We have all the answers; do not worry! Stick with us, and your hair will be healthy and beautiful!
What Is Hair Toner?

It is always exciting to change your hair color. It is a small investment that everyone is sure to notice.
If you want your color to last longer or control brassy and red tones that tend to wash out rather quickly, you can turn to hair toner. You can use it on its own, too, when you want to try out a new exciting color that you are not sure whether or not you will want to stick to.
In short, hair toner is a product that enables you to correct or personalize your hair color. It will make your color last as long as possible, and your hair will look healthier.
Professionals use it to add natural or more visible tones after a color treatment. It serves to enhance the tonality of your hair and create a professional finished look.
For best results, your hair needs to be dyed or pre-lightened. Most often, hair toners are used on blonde hair of different shades. It is highly beneficial for brunettes and redheads too.
You can substitute your silver or purple shampoo with a hair toner of similar shade since it is more pigmented and will last longer. Hair toners are also great for trying out currently very popular bright or cool colors such as blue, green, or pink.
So, what does a hair toner do? Just as its name suggests – it tones your hair. For best results, use it on freshly bleached or colored hair to either emphasize or de-emphasize certain tones.
The Benefits Of Hair Toner
If you have never used a hair toner before and you have a dilemma whether to do it or not, here are some of its benefits that might convince you to try it out:
- Your hair will gain a natural shine and look healthier.
- You can change your hair color tone and make it cooler or warmer without damaging your hair.
- The toner can brighten up your hair without making it lighter.
How To Tone Your Hair?
You have two options. You can do everything yourself at the comfort of your home, or pay up and visit a reputable beauty salon.
Toning Your Hair at The Salon
If you lack the courage to color or tone your hair at home, you should best leave it to the hair salon professionals. Hair professionals use toners to neutralize any unwanted tones in your hair or make sure you get the exact color you are after. Hair toners can be used in different ways, but they are often mixed with either bleach or a hair gloss depending on the effect the stylist is aiming for.
Toning Your Hair at Home
If you want to save some money, and you already have some experience with similar products such as purple shampoos, you can tone your hair on your own. It can be a great tactic to prolong the time between two salon visits. Simply follow the instruction – it should not be too difficult!
Can you put toner on wet hair? Find out here.
How Often Can You Use Hair Toner?
It all depends on how often you wash your hair. It has to do with the quality of your hair too.
The good news is that hair toners do not damage the hair much and can thus be used as often as needed. Most often, the effects of the hair toner will last from two to six weeks.
If you wash your hair every day, the hair toner is not the best choice for you since it is bound to fade out quickly. Also, remember that you must not wash your hair immediately after toning it since the color needs time to set. If you do wash it too soon, all the color will be gone in no time at all.
Learn More:
How Can You Make Your Hair Toner Last Longer?
Even though hair toners do not damage your hair too much, it is still not a good idea to use them too often. No hair treatment, not even the nourishing hair masks or restoring keratin silicone drops, should be continuously applied, or they will do more damage than good.
Therefore, it is a good idea to try to prolong the hair toner’s effects for as long as possible. You can try out the following tricks:
- Apply a color protection product onto your hair each time you wash it.
- Try not to expose your hair to direct sunlight.
- If you blow-dry your hair or use any other heated hair tool, apply the heat protection spray first.
How To Wash Toner Out Of Hair?

So far, you have learned all about hair toner and its benefits, as well as how to apply it and prolong its effects. What if you do not like the results as soon as you use the hair toner? Is there turning back?
If you do not like the look of your toned hair, you can always wait for the toner to fade away on its own. Simply wash your hair more often than you usually do to speed up the process.
If you are too impatient, or the results are horrible, the good news is that you can speed things up significantly. For starters, switch to washing your hair with a strong clarifying shampoo such as dandruff shampoo. You can use dish soap too. There are even more powerful methods that include things you already have at home, such as baking soda or lemon juice.
We will explain each method in detail, so stay tuned!
1. The Clarifying Shampoo Method
Clarifying shampoos have a much stronger cleaning effect than regular shampoos. They are meant to clean your hair deeply and remove any oil, dirt, or product build-up. Find a reputable clarifying shampoo product at your local beauty supply store and wash your hair a couple of times.
Do not wash your hair more than five times per day, or you risk damaging it. When you are satisfied with the results, apply a deep conditioner, and dry your hair. If the color is not entirely gone, repeat the same process in a day or two.
2. The Baking Soda Method
As you can assume, all you need to do is to add some baking soda to the shampoo you normally use. The soda will help remove the toner from your hair. A tablespoon of soda mixed with a dollop of shampoo should be enough to do the trick.
Shampoo your hair as you usually do but take special care when you are rinsing it. Make sure you wash off all the baking soda out of your hair, and always use a deep conditioner at the end to restore your hair.
3. The “Chelate” (Dish Soap) Method
“Chelating” is usually done before dying your hair. The aim of this process is to remove all the grease and hair products build-up from your hair and enable it to soak in the new color. You can rely on the same process to remove unwanted hair toner.
Start by washing your hair with some dish soap. Rinse it thoroughly. Squeeze some lemon juice directly onto your hair and let it sit for about two minutes or so. Rinse the lemon juice well, too, and finish the treatment with the deep conditioner.
4. The Lemon Juice Method
This method should be done within the first 24 hours and is thus best for those of you who had just used toner and immediately realized you do not like the results. Start as soon as possible – the longer the hair toner sits, the harder it will be to remove it.
To begin, mix some fresh lemon juice with your conditioner. The ratio should be 3 to 1 in favor of lemon juice, so you’ll need a couple of lemons. Typically, three lemons are enough for short hair, while you’ll need about six lemons for extra-long hair. Do not use pre-packaged lemon juice as it does not have the same effect.
Carefully apply the mixture to your hair, starting from the roots and working your way downwards. Make sure every strand is completely saturated. When you are done, cover your hair with a plastic bag or wrap and leave it be for about three hours. For best results, you can leave the mixture on overnight.
Check out How to wrap long hair.
The acid in lemon juice should start doing its magic and slowly strip all the unwanted color from your hair. The conditioner is there to help minimize the damage. You can aid the process or speed it up by heating your hair. Use your hair-dryer, or if you are able, use a hooded dryer for even better results.
After three hours, or the following morning, shampoo your hair and apply a deep conditioner to help it recover.
How To Wash Toner Out Of Hair – Final Words
Hopefully, we have helped you restore your hair color and undo any mistakes you have made
while applying a hair toner. Try not to repeat those mistakes too often, though, or you risk damaging your hair. Feel free to share your tips and tricks on how to keep hair healthy and beautiful!