How to Remove Toner from Hair

Co-authored by Gina Almona

Last Updated: January 29, 2024 Fact Checked

Applying toner to bleached hair can help remove yellow, orange, or brassy tones. Unfortunately (as with any hair dye product), the results of toner are not guaranteed, and you may not like the look of your toned hair. If you are unhappy with the look of your toner, the good news is that toner fades all on its own. The even better news is that you can speed this process along. Start by washing your hair with a strong clarifying product, such as clarifying shampoo, dandruff shampoo, baking soda, or dish soap. If you need a slightly more powerful solution, try removing the toner overnight with lemon juice.

Things You Should Know

Wash your hair with clarifying or dandruff shampoo to gently strip color out. Rinse and repeat few times, then deep condition afterward.
Add 1 tsp (5 g) of baking soda to your regular shampoo and wash your hair with the mixture. Rinse thoroughly and follow with a deep conditioner.
If you toned your hair in the last 24 hours, mix 3 parts lemon juice to 1 part conditioner. Apply the mixture to your hair and rinse it out after 3 hours.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Washing the Toner Out

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1
Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo. A clarifying shampoo cleans your hair deeply, removing dirt, oil, and product buildup. If you are unhappy with how your toner turned out, the good news is that toner will fade in time.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Gina Almona
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 12 February 2021.} You can speed up this process a bit by washing your hair with a clarifying shampoo.^{[2]
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- Look at your local beauty supply store of online for a clarifying shampoo product. Amazon has a variety of options available here.
- You will need to wash your hair several times to see results.
- Avoid washing your hair more than 4-5 times per day, as this can damage your hair. (Under normal circumstances, you should not wash more than 1-2 times per day.)
- Use a deep conditioner after washing.
2
Scrub your hair with dandruff shampoo. Dandruff shampoo is intended to remove excess dirt, oil, and skin from your scalp. But it has the added benefit of gently stripping color from your hair.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Gina Almona
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 12 February 2021.} Try washing your hair with dandruff shampoo several times.^{[4]
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Research source} You can find a highly rated dandruff shampoo on Amazon here.
- Avoid washing your hair more than 4-5 times per day.
- Use a deep conditioner afterward.
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Add baking soda to your shampoo. You can help to scrub the toner from your hair by adding baking soda to your shampoo. Add about 1 tsp. (5 ml) of baking soda to a dollop of shampoo. Mix this together, and shampoo your hair normally. Take special care when rinsing, to ensure all the baking soda is removed. Follow with a deep conditioner.
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”Chelate” your hair at home. “Chelating” is a process intended to remove the buildup of hair products and grease from your hair. Normally, this is done prior to dying the hair, but it can also be used to remove unwanted toner. First, wash your hair with a tiny bit of dish soap, and rinse. Then squeeze a lemon right onto your head, and leave the lemon juice on for 1-2 minutes. Rinse the lemon juice from your hair, and follow with a deep conditioner.^{[5]
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- If you do this, be aware that it will strip all of the natural oils from your hair, leaving it very dry.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Gina Almona
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 12 February 2021.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Lemons and Conditioner

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If you are unhappy with the color of your toner, you can try to lift this color out at home. Unfortunately, the longer the toner sits on your hair, the harder it will be to remove. For best results, perform this method within 24 hours of toning your hair.^{[7]
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Mix lemon juice and conditioner. Juice several lemons using a citrus press, or simply squeeze them by hand. Then mix 3 parts lemon juice to 1 part conditioner. To minimize damage to your hair, use a deep conditioning product like one of these.
- For short or medium-length hair, you will probably need about 3 lemons.
- For long hair, you may need 6 lemons.
- Fresh squeezed lemon juice will work best, but pre-packaged lemon juice can work in a pinch.
Carefully apply the lemon-conditioner from root to tip, making sure to saturate every strand. If your hair is long, you may want to tie it up. Cover your hair with plastic wrap or a plastic bag.^{[8]
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Leave the mixture on for at least three hours. The acid in lemon juice will slowly strip the color from your hair, while the conditioner helps to minimize damage. Leave this mixture on your hair for a minimum of three hours. For best results, leave the mixture on overnight.^{[9]
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- In the morning (or after three hours), shampoo and deep condition your hair.
- You can also add heat to the process, using either the sun, a hair dryer, or a hooded dryer. Adding heat is optional.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can you wash toner out of your hair?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Toner will fade slightly each time you wash your hair. If you are trying to fade it more quickly, try a clarifying shampoo and massage it along the length of the hair strands.

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Question

Do you wash your hair after applying toner?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can rinse toner and condition after but shampooing, but doing it right away is not recommended. Washing too soon could cause the toner to fade faster.

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Question

What is in a clarifying shampoo?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

A clarifying shampoo is one that is designed to remove impurities and buildup from hair. You should use one once a month, but not more frequently as it can strip your natural oils.

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Toners fade with each shampoo, so washing your hair everyday will cause it to fade faster. Most toners last for about four weeks.^{[10]
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If you had a toner applied by a stylist and don't like it, it may be best to ask the stylist to re-tone it a different shade.

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