How to Use Green Toner to Get Rid of Red Tones in Brown Hair

green, violet and blue

Green toner neutralize unwanted red tones in brown hair.
Using the green toner is very simple. You just need to apply it on wet hair and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
You must respect how long it stays in, because if you leave the toner in for longer than necessary, your hair can end up completely green. I’ll tell you in this article how to use it correctly so your hair looks perfect.
There are many brands and varieties of green toner, which is why I’ll tell you about two of my top choices: Pravana ChromaSilk toner, and Color Stage green toner.

Often after bleaching your hair, some red tones appear that aren’t exactly what you were looking for. Those reddish shades also tend to appear in some dyed brown hair after applying various dyes in succession.

Green toner exists to get rid of those unwanted red tones.

In some ways, toner is pretty similar to a dye. For example, it has a creamy consistency and it uses a developer for the pigment to penetrate the hair fiber.

But there are two important differences.

The first is how long it should sit in your hair.

While you must wait between twenty and thirty minutes for a dye to act in your hair, you should only wait five to ten minutes with a toner.

And you must control minute by minute how long the product stays, because if you don’t, your hair can end up totally green.

Probably something you wanted even less than the undesirable red tones you had.

The second difference is that while dyes have a wide range of shades, toner is only made in a few colors such as violet, blue, and green.

These tones are used to neutralize the opposite color. Have you ever heard of the color wheel?

You can use the color wheel to quickly visualize the opposite colors. For example, blue nullifies orange, violet cancels out yellow, and green neutralizes red.

That’s why if you apply green toner to the unwanted red popping up in your brown locks, it will disappear like a magic trick. Trust me, it’s not magic, it’s a basic rule of color.

Opposite colors neutralize each other.

That’s why, for your hair to not end up like a lucky charm, keep reading, because I’ll tell you:

How to apply green toner correctly to eliminate red tones
What the best brands of green toner are

If you hate those reddish colors in your brown hair, you’re close to disposing of them. Get your green toner ready and let’s begin the battle.

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How to apply green toner properly to neutralize red tones

All recipes begin with the ingredients, that’s why the first thing you have to do is get all the materials.

Green toner
20 volume developer
Gloves

Once you have all this in hand, you can proceed with the next steps to cancel out the red tones in your hair.

Step 1: Prepare your hair

I recommend that you always apply toner to wet hair. Carefully brush your mane and wash it without shampoo or conditioner.

After drying excess water from your hair with a towel, brush it again to make sure you don’t have any knots.

Step 2: Prepare the mixture

In a plastic container – never metal – combine the tube of green toner and the bottle of 20 volume developer, blending it well until you have a homogenous mixture.

Step 3: Apply the mixture

With your gloves, so you don’t stain your skin, apply the mixture onto your wet hair. You can use a dye brush if it’s easier for you.

Once you finish applying the toner all over the surface of your hair, start the most important phase: controlling how long it sits in your hair.

You’ll notice that the color starts to change right away, and once the red color disappears, you need to immediately rinse your hair.

In general, the time it sits in your hair should never be over 10 minutes, which is why it’s so important that you shouldn’t let yourself get distracted during this phase.

Even if toner is a quite useful tool, if you let it sit in your hair too long, the results can be disastrous.

First, because your hair will become green all over. And second, because to get rid of the green color you’ll have to bleach your hair several times, which will seriously damage it.

Step 4: Rinse and dry

Once the red color has been neutralized, you should rinse your hair, then use shampoo and conditioner like normal.

That way, you’ll make sure you get rid of any remaining green toner that could remain on your scalp. Once the water runs clear, wrap your hair in a towel to get rid of the excess water.

After all this, you’ll see that no more red remains.

Now that you know how to use green toner the right way to get rid of unwanted red tones, I’ll tell you about the two brands I generally recommend to my clients.

Which green toner to choose

As I told you about at the beginning, two quite popular toners are:

PRAVANA CHROMASILK – ASH GREEN: This toner is excellent for damaged hair as it contains silk extracts and lasts for a long time. On top of that, its soft texture will make it easy to apply.
COLOR STAGE GREEN TONER: This toner is ideal for beginners. If it’s the first time you’ve used a toner, I recommend you try this one. Even better, it’s 100% vegan and doesn’t contain sulfates, so it won’t damage your hair fiber.