🥇How to Darken Highlights With a Toner in (July 2020)

One of the most fun ways to refresh your physical appearance is to play with the color of your hair. If you’re feeling bold, you can choose to dye it altogether but that could come in a bit of a shock if the color change is too great.

Not to mention that you can damage your hair and that you’ll have to do it every time your roots grow which could turn out to be very frustrating.

A better way to play with the color of your hair is to do some highlights. They’re way more discreet and safer, but they will definitely make you look and feel more stylish and confident. The only problem with highlights is that they tend to lose their beautiful color fairly quickly which leaves you with a faded unflattering tone.

The solution? Well, considering you don’t have the time or budget to dye your highlights after every wash (and it’s not even recommended!) you can use a few other products to get to the desired color: a clarifying shampoo, a color spray, or, yet the best product for this situation, a highlighting toner. If you’re not sure how to darken highlights with a toner, we put together this article that will hopefully give you all the information you need before you get started.

Table of Contents

How to choose your toner

Before we get into the steps of applying the product on your hair, you must know which toner is the best one for your needs. And for that, you have to consider things like ingredients, hair type, color and so on.

Take your hair type into consideration

The toner’s effectiveness depends very much on the aspects and thickness of your hair. It usually works the best on thin, balanced hair, but as a lot of us don’t have it that way, many products are modified and adapted for any type of hair.

For example, naturally greasy hair tends to always have a film of grease over the roots and strands that a normal toner can’t penetrate. Make sure you read the label and find a toner that is specifically made for that than you get the best outcome.

Establish the desired shade/color

The difference between creating a masterpiece, or a disaster is made by the importance you give to choosing a color that goes with the current shade of your hair and skin.

To avoid unpleasant situations, pay close attention to the color of the toner as well as the product description. On the box, you will find a table with the shades that product will have depending on the color you apply it over. The best products have an image on the package with the initial hair color and the potential result

Action time

Follow the instructions on the package to ensure that you leave the product on long enough for the active ingredients to have time to lock the color in. The best products won’t ask for more than 5 minutes.

Pay attention! The more you let the toner on, the darker the highlights will become. If you decide to leave it on for longer to get a stronger color, you must know that the effect will most probably fade with the 1^st or 2^nd wash. To preserve the effect the toner should be reused each time you wash your hair.

Toner ingredients

The best toners are not only supposed to darken your highlights but also to hydrate and nourish them. The most expensive ones come with a serum or a conditioner that contributes to the silkiness and brightness of your locks.

Always choose a product that doesn’t contain ammonia or other oxidants because these substances are known to damage the hair shaft, making it more brittle and drier.

Instead, look for toners with avocado oil or nettle extract incorporated because they are suitable ingredients that prevent dandruff, nourish the hair, and make it shine.

Keratin is another star ingredient. It contributes to a smooth appearance of the hair, keeps rebellious strands under control, and deeply nourishes the hair.

Applying your toner

Highlights have a great way of saying ‘I have been enjoying the sun this summer’ because their main purpose is to make your hair look like it’s been touched and naturally bleached by the sun. Applying your toner correctly will be the best trick in achieving that natural, shiny look that will turn heads.

When to use the toner

Most commonly we use a toner to darken and adjust the final reflection of our highlights, so it’s recommended to use it on already bleached or dyed hair for best results.

Usually, highlights tend to get a yellow or orange shade that is feared by many because it makes the hair look faded and unhealthy. For example, a beige toner is great for rusty or orange tones, and a purple or grey toner gets rid of unflattering yellow shades.

How to apply it

Before doing anything, you must read the instructions on the package carefully. For best outcomes make sure you:

Wash your hair with shampoo and wipe with a towel
Comb your hair and leave it damp
Put a plastic wrap over your shoulders to keep away from stains
Apply toner only on highlights and wrap them up in foil for even darker tones. Make sure you start from the back and work your way up to the front.

To avoid all-over darkening, we recommend applying a conditioner on the areas that you don’t want to highlight. This will keep the toner away from undesired strands of hair. Leave on for as long as recommended on the box, and then rinse.

Conclusion

Highlights can be an amazing choice for changing your look, but you have to make sure you maintain their beautiful color with the best products. Choose toners with nourishing ingredients, pay attention to the color and do some research to find which one works best for you, and finally apply it correctly. All these will guarantee gorgeous and stylish highlights that you can’t get enough of.

How to Darken Highlights With a Toner 2020 – Guide