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How to Get Toner Out of Hair | Step-by-Step Guide

While hair toner can give you beautiful results, things can also go south. If you’re currently experiencing frustration due to the results of using hair toner, you’re reading the right article. 

On this page, we’ll show you how to get toner entirely out of your hair. We’ll also break down the steps and materials involved and give you a few important things to consider.

How to Get Toner Out of Hair 7 Ways

There are different methods for removing hair toner. Top of our list is using a clarifying shampoo. These are uniquely designed shampoos that can remove oils and other products from your hair. 

Although it won’t happen the first time, multiple washes over a few weeks using clarifying shampoo will remove toner in your hair.

Baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice are other materials helpful in getting toner out of your hair. Keep reading for simple explanations on how to use each material.

Removing the toner from your hair isn’t as easy as applying the product. To wash the toner out of your hair, you’ll need certain materials. 

Some of the items you need are food items, while others are regular hair products. They include:

  1. Dandruff shampoo 
  2. Baking soda and vinegar
  3. Lemon juice
  4. Clarifying shampoo
  5. Conditioner
  6. Hydrogen peroxide 
  7. Dish soap

If you only have one of the above, you’re well on the way to removing hair toner. All you have to do is follow these steps and you’ll be one step closer to “de-toning” your hair.

Method 1: Clarifying Shampoo

When you think of getting toner out of your hair, the first option that usually comes to mind is shampoo, but not any shampoo will do. If your first thought is to use regular shampoo to wash the toner 0ut, you’re not going to get very good results. Regular shampoos won’t lift toner color unless they are mixed with other components. 

Clarifying shampoo, on the other hand, has heavy-duty cleansers that are designed to go deep and pull dirt, grime and buildup out of the hair. They can also fade (lift) temporary and semi-permanent color, which is what many toners are made from. If you have clarifying shampoo in your home, you can wash the toner out gradually. Clarifying shampoos can also remove oils and dirt from your hair. 

How does it work? The primary ingredient clarifying shampoo is a surfactant, and it has the power to do magical things; it can even lift toner just a bit with each use.

Using such a product to clean toner out of your hair won’t give you sudden, magical results. In most cases, you need to wash your hair with the clarifying shampoo multiple times to get hair toner out completely. 

But this doesn’t mean you should wash your hair with clarifying shampoo multiple times every day. If you use it excessively, you’re stripping your hair of its natural oils. 

You should use clarifying shampoo within the same interval you use regular shampoo. Remember to apply a hair conditioner after washing to keep your scalp nice and healthy.

Method 2: Clarifying Shampoo and Baking Soda

If you decide to use clarifying shampoo to get toner out of your hair, you must be patient. Clarifying shampoo will wash toner away, but it’s a slow and steady procedure. 

You can fast-track the process by adding baking soda. Here’s how to use baking soda and clarifying powder to get toner out of your hair:

  • Add about half of a teaspoon to your clarifying shampoo.
  • Carefully apply the mixture to your hair.
  • After a few minutes, wash off the mixture from your hair. You need to wash the hair thoroughly until there’s no trace of baking soda. 
  • As usual, apply a deep conditioner.

Method 3: Baking Soda and Vinegar

Baking soda and vinegar may be kitchen items, but they can help remove toner from your hair. Simply mix the baking soda and vinegar, then apply it to your hair. The effect of baking soda and vinegar on your hair is similar to that of clarifying shampoo. 

Regardless of how bad you want to get toner out of your hair, you should exercise caution while using baking soda and vinegar. The frequent application of baking soda and vinegar on your hair can make it super dry. So, if you want to use this method, don’t use it consistently and be sure to follow up with a deep-conditioning treatment. 

Method 4: Lemon Juice and Conditioner

Lemon juice and conditioner is the most natural method of removing toner from your hair. The combination of these materials is a safe way to remove hair toner. For this method to work effectively, you should implement it within twenty-four hours of toner application. 

Lemon contains citric acid, which can wash out dirt and colors from your hair. However, you have to be careful so the acid won’t affect your hair. 

Here’s how to use lemon and conditioner to get toner out of your hair:

  • Depending on your hair’s length, you may need between three to six lemons. 
  • Squeeze the lemon juice into a container. 
  • Mix the lemon juice with a hair conditioner. Ensure the ratio between the lemon juice and conditioner is 3:1. That means, for every three spoons of lemon juice, you add one of hair conditioner. 
  • Apply the mixture of lemon juice and conditioner to your hair and leave for a few hours.
  • Wash your hair carefully and apply conditioner. 

Method 5: Dandruff Shampoo

Dandruff shampoo has specific ingredients for washing dandruff from your hair. But these ingredients can also remove toner from your hair. 

Simply wash your hair with the dandruff shampoo as you would normally. You may have to get multiple washes in before you start to get the results you want.

Method 6: Dish Soap

The soap you use to wash your dishes has features for removing oily stains. When you apply this soap to your hair, it’ll help return your hair to its normal color — unless you lightened your hair before applying toner. In that case, you will end up with lighter, untoned hair.  You can also try mixing lemon juice and liquid soap. 

Method 7: Hydrogen Peroxide

Using hydrogen peroxide to wash toner out of your hair may be a fantastic option, but it comes with its disadvantages. Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound that can permanently damage your hair. So, you should only consider using hydrogen peroxide for toner removal as a last resort. 

To reduce the effects of hydrogen peroxide, you have to make it a solution. You can either mix it with water or regular shampoo. If you use water, apply a mix of hydrogen peroxide and water to your hair. In 16 seconds after application, rinse your hair carefully, then add hair conditioner.

The process for using shampoo and hydrogen peroxide is similar to the water mix. Once you have your peroxide and shampoo mix ready, you can spray it on your toned hair (which should be moist). 

After a few minutes (less than five), you can wash your hair with warm water. As always, using a high-quality hair conditioner afterward will prevent the damaging effects of peroxide. 

Things to Consider When Removing Toner From Hair

The process of removing toner from your hair may seem simple until you try it. To avoid mistakes, here are some things you should consider:

  • Most of the solutions above have adverse effects if you don’t rinse them out properly.
  • Always use a deep hair conditioner after you try to remove hair toner.
  • The longer the toner remains on your hair, the harder it is to remove it.

So, How Do You Get Toner Out of Hair?

For a piece on how to get toner out of hair, a woman pouring such a product from a plastic container into a glass jar

Anetlanda/Shutterstock

While working on how to get toner out of your hair, you must remain patient. As much as you want to get the toner out, you should be wary of the side effects of using too many products on your hair.

You have many options to help remove toner from your hair, as we have discussed above. Most of the methods above offer gradual results, but if you’re consistent with their usage, you’ll be getting your hair back in no time.

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