Purple hair toner is a hair product containing violet pigments designed to neutralize yellow or brassy tones in blonde, bleached, or gray hair. It works based on color theory; purple is the complementary color to yellow, so it cancels out unwanted yellow undertones, resulting in a cooler, more even blonde or silver hue. Think of it as a color corrector for your hair.
How Purple Toner Works
- Neutralizing Brassiness: The violet pigments in the toner directly counteract the yellow or orange pigments that cause brassiness. This leaves the hair looking brighter and more vibrant.
- Achieving Desired Shade: Purple toners help achieve a range of cool blonde shades, from icy platinum to ash blonde. The intensity and duration of the toner's effect depend on the formula's strength and application time.
- Maintaining Hair Color: After bleaching or coloring hair, a purple toner can help maintain the desired color and prevent brassiness from returning too quickly.
Types of Purple Toners
Purple toners come in various forms:
- Shampoos: These are often gentler and easier to use, good for light toning maintenance. (Example: Nexxus Blonde Assure Color Toning Purple Shampoo and Conditioner)
- Conditioners: Similar to shampoos, but may provide extra hydration.
- Toning Drops: These are added to your regular conditioner or shampoo to customize the toning effect and are ideal for a more subtle tone.
- Dedicated Toners: These are usually more intense and professional-grade products, offering more significant color correction.
Using Purple Toner
- Follow Instructions: Always follow the specific instructions provided with the chosen purple toner.
- Patch Test: Before applying to the entire head of hair, do a patch test on a small, inconspicuous area to check for allergic reactions and to see how the toner reacts with your hair.
- Application Time: Avoid over-toning, as this can lead to an unwanted purple tint. Use a timer and remove it when the desired color is achieved.
Examples of how people use purple toners and potential issues:
- Some use purple toners to correct existing yellow or orange tones in already purple hair, creating a cooler tone. (Reddit example: Can I put a toner over purple hair to pull out some warmth?)
- Over-toning can result in hair appearing too purple, requiring corrective measures like clarifying shampoos or lemon juice treatments. (Quora example: How to get purple toner out of blonde hair?)
- A stylist leaving the toner on too long can also cause hair to appear too purple, which could require multiple corrective washes to return to a preferred color. (Reddit example: Stylist left toner in too long)
- Homemade toners can be created by adding purple dye to conditioner but require careful measurement to avoid unwanted results. (Reddit example: How much purple dye will make my conditioner a toner?)
