If you've got a warm golden blonde or caramel hair color, using purple shampoo and a toning conditioner treatment biweekly should be enough to keep brass at bay and those golden undertones shimmering.
Add Cool Tones: Cool tones counter-balance and reduce unwanted warmth. You can add cool tones by applying a toner or demi-permanent colour. If you want to reduce warmth without adding any depth, we recommend selecting a toner or demi-permanent colour which is lighter than the lightest colour level in your hair.
In case you want a cool tone shade of blond, I would recommend adding about 3 inch of blue additive per oz of color used you without adding peroxide to the mix if you are using a level 7 color and 2 inch of blue additive per oz of color used if it is a level 8. This would help neutralize the unwanted warm in the hair.
To achieve a cool shade, you should use a blue shampoo over a warm hair base. What does blue shampoo do? Blue cancels out orange tones and gives you a cool base for further color applications.
Toning to balance out the warm tones
You can also use toners to correct the color and balance out the warm tones. By looking at color theory and choosing the opposite color of your hair in the color wheel, such as purple or blue shades, you can neutralize the yellow and orange.
Purple Shampoo helps to correct yellow and gold tones in blonde hair in tone 8-10 and in gray hair. Blue Shampoo helps to correct brass tones in medium brown hair at a tone of 5-7. Green Shampoo helps to correct brass tones in dark brown and black hair at a tone of 1-4.
Make sure you get washed immediately after you notice you have over-toned those locks! Most toners are not permanent, therefore eventually, after several washes, the 'cool' tones will fade. If you want that toner gone quicker, 2-3 washes with a clarifying shampoo will start to remove the blue, grey or purple stains.
An essential for both natural and coloured blonde hair, purple shampoo with a mild toning effect can keep brassiness at bay to help maintain a cool, icy shade.
There's two reasons why your hair is still brassy after toning or colouring. Either the undertone of the toner/colour is wrong, or the product is too light for you.
Highlighted hair is often porous and can take on ash tones heavily – the hair then appears greyish or sometimes even silver. When you say your blonde highlights look grey, it is often because they take on a grey-blue tone, sometimes all over and sometimes in patches.
If you have light brown or golden blonde hair, there's no need to reach for the bleach: you can achieve an ice blonde hair colour without it. Simply choose a dye like Garnier Nutrisse Natural Light Ash Blonde, Shade 9.13 and you're ready to go!
The super light, pale, icy shades—think platinum blonde hair—are cool. Golden, strawberry blonde, or honey blonde hair is warm, while neutral shades fall somewhere in the middle, think those wheat-y or buttery blondes, says Celene.
Q: For folks who don't want ashy hair color, is it hard to fix? A: It's super easy to fix. When formulating your shade, your colorist will likely use a copper or golden tone to counteract the ash.
"For cooler blonde, I would do a heavy highlight all over with a cream bleach mixed with a low volume to get as much warmth out as possible. Then after the blonde processes (it needs to be as close to a level 10 or lighter as possible) I tone with a level 9 or 10 blue or violet based demi-permanent gloss."
Heat styling tools can also contribute to yellowing hair. If you are using a flat iron, curling iron, or blow dryer on a regular basis, you may be drying out your hair and contributing to discolouration. Consider cutting down on heat styling and using a heat protectant spray when you do use heat tools.
If your highlights are feeling too cool-toned, silvery, or ashy compared to the rest of your hair, you'll want to add warm tones to your highlighted areas. Color Therapy is a luxurious, effortless, color depositing hair mask that can correct your tone.
Clarifying shampoos are also called detoxifying shampoos and they do exactly what they sound like. They strip off the toner in your hair and reduce the ashy tones. With regular use of a clarifying shampoo, you will see a difference. Your hair will be much warmer and you will feel the ashy tones melt away.
Use Purple Shampoo and Conditioner
If you are seeking an at-home solution, start with purple shampoo and conditioner. "Purple shampoo is great for neutralizing yellow or brassy tones by balancing them with cool pigments," shares Korab.
Blue and purple shampoos neutralise unwanted brassy tones to reveal a cooler blonde or light brown shade.
You want the hair cuticle to be open for toning. Towel-dry hair to about 65 - 75% dry then start toning. Usually color & bleach is on dry hair, even toners and colors that do not require developer; however toner that uses developer is recommended on towel dried hair.
Luckily, regular salon maintenance can help. Toners and purple shampoos are your best friends in this situation. A toner can neutralize those unwanted warm tones, keeping your blonde bright and cool, while purple shampoo helps maintain your colour at home between appointments. A toner is an essential step for blondes!
Use a color-correcting cream
Add warmth. This can be done in a salon by adding a gloss or toner onto the hair. But if you're looking to solve your ashy issue at home, reach for a color-correcting treatment, like the Better Natured Color Refreshing Crème in Rose Gold.
This is because it can strip the toner out of the hair! Instead, wait until your toner has faded completely before fixing any brassy tones with a purple shampoo.
Toners last anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks before they start to fade or wash out completely. However, it's essential to note that each person's hair is different and may react differently to toners, so the longevity of the toner's effects may vary from person to person.