What level developer to use with toner?

Author: Jaleel Beahan  |  Last update: Monday, September 15, 2025

The volume relates to the strength of the developer, meaning the higher the number, the stronger the volume. 10 volume developer is commonly used with toners, while 20 and 30 are two of the volumes recommended for at home use.

Should I use a 10 or 20 developer with toner?

10 is the max you should use to tone. I'm a stylist and I use an even lower developer to tone. Toning is deposit only, meaning no lift. 20 vol will open the cuticle more than 10, which is why it will lift the hair. 20 will create more damage and usually make your toner not last as long too.

What happens if I use 20% developer with toner?

10 is the max you should use to tone. I'm a stylist and I use an even lower developer to tone. Toning is deposit only, meaning no lift. 20 vol will open the cuticle more than 10, which is why it will lift the hair. 20 will create more damage and usually make your toner not last as long too.

Can I use 30% developer with toner?

You can use a 30 developer in a Wella T18 toner IF you have first discussed your desires with a Wella educator or rep. Normally the Wella T18 works best with a 20-volume developer or even a lower developer (5 or 10), as indicated in the literature. A 30-volume developer will lift hair too much.

Should I use T14 or T18 toner?

Comments452 If your hair after bleaching is an orange tone, you use wella T14 (blue base). If your hair is more of a yellow tone after bleaching, use wella T18 (purple/violet base). If you put T14 on yellow hair, it will turn slightly green.

HOW TO DYE YOUR HAIR WITH DEVELOPER ONLY!!!

Is T14 for yellow or orange hair?

For creating the most ashy blonde.

This toner is for you if you hate even the slightest bit of warmth. Wella T14 has a blue-violet base, which means it will counteract (or reduce) gold / yellow orange tones. This is a super cool toned toner that works best on pale yellow hair.

What toner cancels out orange?

If your bleached hair looks more yellow than orange, you'll need a purple toning shampoo to neutralise the yellow. If your hair's turned orange, you'll need a blue toning shampoo to tone the brassiness and get rid of the orange.

Is 30 developer too strong for toner?

In general we don't recommend anything stronger than 20 Vol at the root. 30 Vol is the next one up: 9% peroxide. Use this with color and toner and you can lift up to 3 levels.

What developer do I use with toner?

If you're unsure of which level developer to mix with demi-permanent toners, it's best to go for either 1.9%/6V or 3%/10V depending on your desired intensity. A 1.9% developer will offer a gentle toning lift and is best when used with foils.

What happens if you use 30 developer instead of 20?

The choice between a 20 and 30 Volume developer hinges on your desired lift. A 20 Volume developer provides a lift of 1-2 levels, which is great for subtle changes and gray coverage. For a more significant lift of 2-3 levels, opt for a 30 Volume developer.

Do you put toner on wet or dry hair?

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.

Will 20 developer darken hair?

10 Volume Developer: Best for slight color deposit or darkening natural hair. It doesn't lift, so it's not ideal if you're looking for a lighter shade. 20 Volume Developer: Ideal for one to two levels of lightening and effective for gray coverage. Great for both depositing color and subtle lightening.

What happens if you use 20% developer with toner?

20 Vol Developer: This is the stronger choice.

Use 20 Vol Developer with your toner if you are looking to go lighter with your toner, if you've just bleached your hair and your hair is uneven, or if you're seeing a lot of brassy yellow tones. 20 Vol Developer gives the most permanent results.

When to use 30 volume developer?

Permanent hair dyes often call for 30 volume developer, especially when you're trying to achieve a vibrant color. This developer helps open the hair cuticle and allows the color to penetrate more deeply, resulting in longer-lasting results.

What happens if I use a 10 developer with a permanent hair color?

Use 10 Volume if you are applying permanent, no-lift hair color. If the desired result is keeping color at the same color level by simply adding a tone or a tint, this is exactly what you should mix with. It won't significantly lift your base color and is the least damaging to the hair.

Is 20 or 10 developer better for toner?

How do you know which developer to use with the toner? 10 volume will allow the toner to deposit more color, 20 volume will deposit less. Once you decide which toner shade and developer you will use, measure using a hair color measuring cup and mix 1 oz.

What developer is best for toning?

5 vol developer for a toning or semi-permanent finish. 10 vol developer for a demi-permanent finish. 20 vol developer for a permanent colour coverage. 27 vol developer provides permanent coverage of colour-resistant stubborn greys.

Do I shampoo after toner?

You should wait to shampoo your hair again after applying toner for about 24 hours. This will allow the toner to set and not wash out of your hair.

Can I use 10 volume developer with toner?

A: Yes. This is what I use with wella toner. I use 1 part toner and 2 parts of this 10 volume developer. I shake them up in a bottle with a skinny long nozzle and use it to apply as needed (I'm normally doing my roots), then use a brush or gloved fingers to distribute on my hair.

How to fix brassy roots on blonde hair?

Try Toning

This works especially well for blonde hair where the roots are slightly brassier or lighter than the rest of the hair. The right toner can help even out the color, but not all toners are made for the same hair color.

Why are my roots redder than the rest of my hair?

Frequently referred to by pros as “hot roots,” an orangey tint near the scalp is usually the result of using a dye that is too warm or too red for your natural hair color. Why this mismatch only shows up at the roots is because your virgin roots are less resistant to the dye than your previously-colored lengths.

What is the best toner for brassy highlights?

Purple toners are the best for brassy blonde hair! As a blonde, if you're seeing brass you're likely seeing unwanted yellow - and purple counteracts this.

Why does my hair go ginger when I dye it brown?

To avoid it going ginger or red then you must check what shade you are using. For example if the colour says golden, chocolate, mahogany, red, warm brown etc, these will all look 'ginger'. To achieve a rich colour, a basic shade must be added to create the depth (how dark it is).

What if my hair is too orange after toner?

Use Purple or Blue Shampoos

It's a simple matter of color theory, relying on the complementary colors of a color wheel to cancel out unwanted tones. 3 "Using a color-correcting purple shampoo will undoubtedly cancel out the overly warm, orange tones and keep that cooler, brighter blonde you desire," says Cunningham.

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