Do I Need a Hair Toner?

Advice - 30 April 2025

◴ Read time - 4 mins

Do I Need a Hair Toner?

With the rising cost of living affecting everything from our food shop to our daily essentials, it’s completely understandable to reassess where you’re spending your money. 

If you regularly visit the salon for colour, you might find yourself wondering if there are areas you can streamline – like toner.

But when it comes to having beautiful, healthy-looking blonde hair, a hair toner isn’t a luxury add-on. It’s an essential part of the process.

Whether your hair is highlighted, balayaged, bleached, or coloured with lowlights, a toner is what takes your colour from “lightened” to finished.

Here’s what a toner does for your hair…

1. It Neutralises Brassiness in Blonde Hair

Bleach always lifts the natural pigment in your hair, and that often means warmth – think yellow, orange, or brassy tones. A toner works to neutralise those shades, helping your colour look softer, cooler, or more refined. Whether you’re after an icy blonde or something more natural and neutral, toner gets you there.

2. It Enhances the Overall Colour

Think of toner as the top coat. Without it, lightened hair can appear unfinished. With it, your colour becomes more even and more dimensional. It ensures that the result looks intentional, whether you’re going for a bright blonde, a soft beige, or a cooler ash.

Toner doesn’t just adjust colour, it helps improve the overall condition and look of your hair…

3. It Adds Shine and Smoothness

Toner doesn’t just adjust colour, it helps improve the overall condition and look of your hair. By sealing the cuticle, it boosts shine and can leave your hair feeling softer and looking healthier. Especially for blondes, that shine is what makes the colour feel vibrant and fresh, not dull or dry. That’s our top blonde hair care tip!

4. How We Use Toner to Customise Your Colour

The blonde tones you admire on celebrities or in magazines aren’t achieved with bleach alone. From buttery blondes to icy silvers or champagne tones, those finishes come from a toner for bleached hair. It’s what allows your stylist to customise your hair to suit your complexion, lifestyle, and personal style. No two blondes are the same!

Final Thoughts

Don’t Overlook Toner!

We completely understand wanting to make your appointments more budget-friendly, but skipping toner can compromise your overall result, and even lead to extra maintenance or correction appointments down the line.

Instead of cutting it out completely, we recommend having an open conversation with your stylist. Let’s talk about your goals, your budget and how we can get the best possible result with what you’re comfortable spending. Often, there are smart ways to extend your colour or adjust your schedule without sacrificing the quality of your look.