Toning shampoo is a haircare product designed to neutralize unwanted brassy or yellow tones in hair, particularly in blonde, highlighted, or color-treated hair. These shampoos contain pigments, usually purple, blue, or green, to counteract these undesirable tones. They work by depositing color to cancel out the complementary colors on the color wheel.
How Toning Shampoo Works
Toning shampoos are pigment-depositing shampoos. They utilize the color wheel principle: purple cancels out yellow, blue cancels out orange, and green cancels out red. Therefore, a purple shampoo is commonly used to neutralize brassiness in blonde hair, while a green shampoo can counteract red tones in hair.
- Purple Shampoo: This is the most common type, used to combat yellow and brassy tones in blonde hair. Examples include Redken Color Extend Brownlights blue toning shampoo and Olaplex No.4P Blonde Enhancer toning shampoo.
- Blue Shampoo: Used to correct unwanted orange tones.
- Green Shampoo: Corrects unwanted red tones. L'Oréal Paris offers a green toning shampoo for this purpose.
Many toning shampoos also include conditioning ingredients to help maintain hair health while toning. Brands like dpHUE and Formula 18 offer toning shampoos and conditioners formulated for this purpose. Some, such as Evo Fabuloso Platinum Blonde Toning Shampoo, are specifically designed for blonde and gray hair. XMONDO Hair's Supernova Blonde Toning Shampoo uses a unique blend of pigments for yellow tone reduction. Furthermore, some brands, like Formula 18, focus on sulfate-free and pH-balanced formulas to extend the life of color-treated hair. Ultimate Salon Professionals offers a Copper Toning Shampoo to revitalize and protect copper hair hues.
Benefits of Using Toning Shampoo
- Keeps color fresh between salon appointments.
- Neutralizes brassiness and unwanted tones.
- Improves overall hair vibrancy and shine.
