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Hair Toner Color Guide

Pick the brassy tone you see and your hair level to find what color toner cancels it — with purple vs blue shampoo advice and how often to tone.

Which tone do you want to get rid of?

Look at dry hair in daylight, not under a warm bathroom bulb.

5 is light brown, 10 is the lightest blonde. Not sure? Use the hair level chart first.

What result do you want?

How to use the Hair Toner Color Guide

  1. Pick the tone you do not want

    Look at dry hair in daylight and choose what you see: yellow, gold, orange, red-orange, red, a green tint, or hair that has gone too ashy.

  2. Choose your hair level

    Select how light your hair is now, from level 5 (light brown) to level 10 (lightest blonde).

  3. Choose the result you want

    Pick neutral, cool or warm. A cool result needs more toning than a warm one.

  4. Press “Find my toner color”

    You see the color that cancels your tone on a color wheel, the type of product to start with, how often to use it and what toner cannot do.

How to use the Hair Toner Color Guide (58 s)

How the guide works out which toner cancels brassy hair

Toning is color theory applied to hair. Two colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel cancel out when they are mixed, leaving a neutral shade. Brassiness is simply leftover warm pigment, so the fix is a sheer layer of the opposite cool color. The guide looks up the tone you chose on a 12-hue wheel and takes the color six steps away. 

toner color = the color opposite the unwanted tone on the color wheel
yellow → purple   gold → blue-violet   orange → blue
red-orange → blue-green   red → green   green → red

Why the level matters

Each level of lightness has its own leftover warmth: orange around levels 5 to 7, gold around 6 to 8 and yellow from 8 up. The guide checks whether the tone you picked is usual for your level and tells you when it is not, because a wrong diagnosis is the most common reason a toner seems to do nothing. The level also decides whether a pigmented shampoo is strong enough. Purple shampoo is very sheer and only shows on light hair, so below level 8 the guide points you to a toner instead.

Shampoo or salon toner

Purple and blue shampoos deposit a little pigment each wash, which is enough to keep yellow or orange in check. For a cool, ashy result, or for red and red-orange tones that no common shampoo covers, the guide recommends a demi-permanent toner applied by a colorist, and keeps the shampoo for upkeep. A demi-permanent toner fades over about 4–6 weeks, which is why the result gives a refresh interval rather than a single date.

Green and ashy hair

These two are not brassiness. A green cast is usually minerals, so the first step is a chelating shampoo — the hard water hair test helps you check. Hair that has gone too ashy has been over-toned; it normally fades with washing, and a little warm gold corrects what is left.

What toner cannot do

Toner cannot lighten. At level 6 or darker it gives a neutral brown or dark blonde, never a pale blonde; for that the hair has to be lifted first, which you can plan with the hair color level chart. The guide also cannot see your hair or name a shade number, because shade codes differ between brands. Take the result to your colorist as a starting point, do a patch test before any salon toner, and follow the manufacturer’s directions on every product.

Toner color chart: what cancels each tone

Unwanted tone Cancelled by Usual levels At home At the salon
Yellow Purple 8–10 Purple shampoo (level 8+) Purple-based demi-permanent toner
Gold Blue-violet 6–8 Purple shampoo (level 7+) Blue-violet-based demi-permanent toner
Orange Blue 5–7 Blue shampoo (level 5+) Blue-based demi-permanent toner
Red-orange Blue-green around 5 None common Blue-green-based demi-permanent toner
Red Green below 5, or from dye None common Green-based demi-permanent toner
Green tint Red any Chelating shampoo Sheer warm gloss if a tint is left
Too ashy or gray Gold any Clarifying shampoo to fade it Sheer gold or beige gloss

How often to tone, by the result you want

Result Start with Purple or blue shampoo Salon toner refresh
Neutral Pigmented shampoo where one exists once a week every 4–6 weeks
Cool Salon toner, shampoo for upkeep up to twice a week every 4–6 weeks
Warm Pigmented shampoo where one exists every other week every 4–6 weeks

Frequencies are rules of thumb. Always follow the contact time on the product label.

Frequently asked questions

What color toner cancels brassy hair?
It depends on which brassy tone you see. Purple cancels yellow, blue-violet cancels gold, blue cancels orange, blue-green cancels red-orange and green cancels red. Each is the color directly opposite on the color wheel, so the two neutralize each other.

Should I use purple shampoo or blue shampoo?
Purple shampoo is for yellow tones in light blonde, gray or silver hair, about level 8 and up. Blue shampoo is for orange tones in darker blonde and lightened brown hair, about levels 5 to 7. Using purple on orange hair does very little.

Can toner make my hair lighter?
No. Toner only deposits color. If your hair is orange at level 6 and you want pale blonde, it has to be lifted further first — toner will only turn that orange into a more neutral dark blonde. The hair color level chart shows how much lift a change takes.

How often should I tone my hair?
A salon demi-permanent toner fades over roughly 4–6 weeks of regular washing, so that is the usual refresh interval. Purple or blue shampoo is typically used about once a week — more often for a cool result, less for a warm one. These are estimates; go by what you see in the mirror.

Why did my hair turn purple or gray after toning?
Very light, porous hair soaks up cool pigment quickly, and leaving a purple product on too long over-tones it. It is not permanent: a few washes with a clarifying shampoo usually fade it. Next time shorten the contact time or use the product less often.

How do I get a green tint out of blonde hair?
Green usually comes from copper and chlorine in pool or hard water, or from an ash shade over very yellow hair. Start with a chelating shampoo, which removes mineral build-up. If a tint remains, a colorist can neutralize it with a sheer warm gloss, because red sits opposite green on the color wheel.

Is toning safe on relaxed hair?
Pigmented shampoos are the gentlest option, but follow them with conditioner because they can be drying. Salon toners are mixed with developer and are a chemical service, so keep them well apart from relaxer days and ask your stylist for a strand test first.

Sources

Last data update:

  1. Robbins CR. Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair. 5th ed. Springer; 2012. Reference text on hair structure, surfactants, conditioning agents, protein, heat and chemical treatments.
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hair Dyes. Coal-tar hair dyes must carry a caution statement and directions for a skin patch test before each use.

How we research and update pages: editorial policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.

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