Permanent Hair Toner for Blondes: A Professional Guide

Have you been trying out toners and color correctors on your client's yellow hair, and finding that you are not getting good results?

Then you are not alone.

And have you ever experienced dark brown hair that refuses to lift, hair that turns orange when you bleach, and toned hair that stays yellow after toning?

Then this guide is for you.

In this blog we will show you how to use professional permanent toners to lock in your shade and neutralize unwanted pigments at a structural level. 

In the process you'll learn how to analyse the hair and come up with a well thought out blonding technique that targets the different parts of your client's hair.

And brings everything to one consistent level 10 base before you tone.

You will also learn the exact science of developer ratios and pigment saturation to achieve salon-quality results that don't wash out.

We'll also break down your toner options to help you understand the specific differences between permanent high-lift toners, permanent regular lift toners, and level-on-level gloss toners. We'll also end up by teaching you how to select the right Pearl or Silver tones for your base, and the precise steps to ensure your blonde remains luminous for weeks.

Key Takeaways in this blog

• Master how to do a level assessment of each part of your hair.

• Learn which combination of bleach and toners to use where.

• Learn when to use professional high lift toners, when to use professional regular lift and when to use gloss toners.

• Learn about mixing ratios and application techniques.

• Learn how to select between Pearl and Silver tones to achieve a specific corrective finish, from iridescent glow to icy white.

• Learn how to do appropriate hair care and treatment during and after bleaching and toning to maintain hair integrity, shine, and softness.

How to do a level assessment of each part of your hair

What color are the roots?

You need to look at the roots separately from the mid-lengths and separately from the ends.

Typically the roots is where you find your client's natural hair level. This is where the netural hair would have grown out since the previous coloring.

Check the level of this hair and compare it to a color chart such as the one below.

What color are the mid-lengths?

Now you need to look at the mid-lengths. These are often brassy yellow from previous color applications which were not done right or which have faded over time.

To be honest, this part frequently looks a mess.

Follow the same procedure and check its level.

What color are the ends? 

Now look at the ends. This part of the hair is literally the oldest part of the hair.

And depending on the length of the hair it could easily be 2 years old.

This is the part of the hair that has been subjected to the most color applications. Not to mention hair brushing and blow drying.

Hair at the ends is often whiter and requiring very little or no bleaching.

Often times it is also thinner. It may even be breaking at some places.

So check the level at the ends.

Do you need to use bleach?

If the hair level at any part of the hair is 8 or darker, then the rule is you are going to have to use bleach on that part.

For the bleach application, we would recommend you use Brilliant Blondexx.

It's our premium bleach because it contains Bond Protect and gives you both scalp and hair protection while lifting hair safely and effectively.

Use with 20 Vol developer for 2-3 levels of lift and with 30 Vol developer for 4 levels of lift and more.

Make a mix using 1 part bleach with 2 parts of developer and apply to all parts of the hair which needs it, segmenting finely and saturating heavily.

Don't forget the bleach mix needs to be fresh and wet and needs to penetrate every part of the hair fibre, otherwise it won't work.

Make sure you don't apply the bleach to parts of the hair that don't need it - for example, the ends.

Otherwise you will be over processing the hair and causing major damage.

If you apply on those parts by mistake, just wipe back using a wet cloth and you will be fine.

As long as it is not processing on those parts, you are good.

Getting the hair to a consistent level 10 base

Your goal is to get every part of your hair to the same, consistent level 10 base.

See the picture above for what it should look like once you are done. 

So keep applying and processing your bleach mixture until that is achieved.

If one part has achieved it, you need to rinse.

If a part is still orange or bright yellow, you need to keep processing there.

It's rather like frying onions. You don't want to burn them, but you want every part to be equally brown.

Which toner to Use

Ugly Duckling has 2 types of toners:

Permanent and demi-permanent.

Permanent Color and Toners

Intense Pearl Blonde 100V on bleached hair.

Permanent toners go deeper into the hair cuticle, achiever a bigger transformation and last longer.

Use these for major color correction.

Ugly Duckling's permanent toners and colors are in cream form and come in tubes.

Use the cream colors when you are looking for full 3D rich and vibrant effects.

Use the cream toners when color correction and neutralization of brassiness is more important.

They should be mixed with 20 Vol.

Demi-Permanent Toners

Blondify Natural Ash Blonde 010A

Demi permanent toners are for quick 10 minute gloss toning.

They contain no ammonia and are gentler. Ugly Duckling demis are under the brand name Blondify.

They are in liquid form, and they contain Bond Protect and Argan oil and are hence more gentle.

They are what we recommend for those who tone hair very frequently.

What if your client has grey hair?

The best place to judge the percentage of grey hair is at the root area. That's where you are seeing natural hair that has not been colored.

It's also where you are seeing the most recent growth.

If you are seeing more than 25% grey hair, then what you need to do once you have bleached the hair and brought everything up to level 10, is to add in some Color Gel 10N or 9N into your toner mix.

How much of the Color Gel should you mix in?

It depends on how much grey hair you are seeing, but the general rule would be about 50/50.

In other words half of your chosen toner with half of the appropriate Color Gel mixed in.

The Color Gel is also ammonia-free. But it has been made specifically to get you a natural looking grey hair coverage.

Mixing it with the toner gives you the natural. luminous blonde shade that you are looking for.

Plus a natural grey hair coverage.

This picture shows the application of intense silver blonde 100B mixed with Color Gel 10N

What if you are looking to do a smudge root?

In that case you can probably skip lifting the root. Just use a dark level 7 or level 8 permanent cream color and apply it at that part.

The rest of the hair, however, will need bleaching and toning as explained above.

What about Purple Masks? Can't I use them to get hair white blonde?

Purple shampoos and masks are great products and Ugly Duckling has an excellent set: Brilliant Blonde Purple Shampoo and Mask.

But these product act on the surface of the hair and will wash out in a few days.

Use these after you have done your regular bleaching and toning.

Not instead of.

Why use 20 Vol developer rather than 10 Vol when Toning?

20 Vol gives you better penetration to the cuticle of the hair, where the toning needs to happen. Better penetration means better activation of the color molecules and more lightening of the pigments.

Use 20 Vol only when the hair is truly, truly level 10 and you just need a light tone.

Do I need to bleach my hair before using a toner?

Yes, you must lift your hair to a Level 9 or 10 using a lightener like Brilliant Blondexx before applying permanent toner. Toners are corrective tools, not lifting agents; they require a pale yellow base to function correctly. If you apply a Pearl or Silver toner to dark hair, the pigments won't be visible. They cannot bypass the heavy orange or brown melanin present in unbleached hair. 

Will permanent toner cover orange hair or only yellow?

Permanent toners are specifically engineered to neutralize yellow tones at Level 9 or 10. If your hair is orange, it's likely at a Level 7 or 8, which is too dark for high-lift toners to be effective. In this scenario, you must re-lighten the hair to a pale yellow state before toning. Applying a violet-based toner to orange hair often results in a muddy, uneven color rather than a clean blonde.

Can I use permanent toner on damaged hair?

If your hair is severely compromised, you should avoid permanent toners and opt for an ammonia-free demi-permanent like our Blondify range.

What happens if I leave permanent toner on too long?

Over-processing can lead to "over-toning," where the hair absorbs too much pigment and appears darker or takes on a purple or grey cast. Permanent toners should typically process for 20 to 30 minutes, but you must monitor the visual development closely. If the hair reaches the desired cool state early, rinse immediately. Once the pigments are locked in, removing the excess color requires a clarifying wash or a gentle bleach bath.

Does permanent toner lift your natural hair color?

Yes, the ammonia and 20 volume developer in permanent toners will slightly lift or "bump" your natural hair color. This is why you must be careful when applying toner to hair with dark roots, as it can cause "hot roots" or a slight orange shift in the natural regrowth. To prevent this, focus the application on the pre-lightened areas and avoid overlapping onto the natural base whenever possible.