Do you want to know what the differences are between Wella T14 and Wella T18 toners?
I’ll tell you the differences between the two toners, but more importantly, I’ll help you choose the best toner for your hair according to the results you’re looking for.
- If you have orange tones in your hair and you’re looking to get to a gray or ash tone, then you should opt for the Wella 14 toner.
- If your hair has some yellow tones and you want to get to a platinum or light, bright gray color, then you should go for the Wella 18 toner.
- The amount of time you should leave the toner in your hair is different for each product. The 14 toner works in a maximum of 20 minutes, while you should leave the 18 in for a maximum of 15 minutes.
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When you bleach your hair, you’re probably looking to get a lighter color in your hair, which usually means a blonde color.
Of course, bleaching your hair is just the first step on the path to blonde hair.
Why?
Because after bleaching your hair, it’s likely that the color you have in your hair isn’t the exact blonde of your dreams.
How do you fix it then?
By using a toner, and one of the most popular toners out there are Wella’s toners.
Now, not all hair has the same reaction to bleach because the results vary widely depending on your base color.
That’s why sometimes yellow or orange tones appear in some people’s hair after bleaching it.
And so Wella, well-aware of the situation, developed a complete line of toners made for getting rid of yellow, orange, and red tones.
The most popular of those toners are the 14 and 18 toners. Now, which one is best for your hair?
In order to find out, you should keep in mind two key things.
- First, what tones in your hair you want to cancel out.
- And second, what you want the final result to be, because dark gray isn’t the same as light gray or platinum blonde.
If you don’t choose the right toner, then you might go through the same difficulties as one of my clients. Do you want me to tell you what happened to her?
They say that curiosity killed the cat, but in this case, believe me, it will save your hair.
Lucy is a frequent client at my salon. She’s 25 years old and has a one-track mind. The last time I saw her, she was obsessed with one thing and one thing only: platinum blonde.
She wanted to have platinum blonde hair, that same kind of platinum that the greatest poets compare to the stars.
Before and after using Wella T14
We started with a series of bleaching sessions to get to a buttery blonde color. Eventually, we just had one session left until we could use the platinum she so wished for.
But, impatience doesn’t make for good judgment. If you also add to that the advice of a friend who doesn’t know much about hair, things will never end well.
What did her friend tell her to do?
Before and after using Wella T18
She told her to use Wella t18.
But Lucy, whose base color was a light brown 6, didn’t keep in mind that she had orange tones in her hair as a product of the bleach sessions.
And the worst happened: her hair turned out purple in some areas, and in others, those ugly orange tones stuck around.
What was her mistake?
Well, instead of using Wella t14 to get rid of orange tones, she used Wella t18. As such, she wasn’t able to cancel out the orange tones, nor was she able to get that platinum she was dying for.
So, if you don’t want to make the same mistake as Lucy, stick with me because I’ll tell you:
- The differences between Wella t14 and t18
- How to use Wella toner correctly
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Differences between Wella t14 and t18
Toner is a marvelous product because it lets us stylists do any color correction we need after bleaching our clients’ hair. But, you should never underestimate its power.
And at the root of its power lies a simple wheel: the color wheel.
And in this wheel, each color has a relationship with another color. The colors that are exactly opposite each other cancel each other out.
Purple cancels out yellow, blue cancels out orange and green cancels out red.
- That’s why it’s key to look closely at your hair before you decide if you should use Wella t14 or t18.
- If your hair has yellow tones, YOU SHOULD USE T18, which will completely cancel out the yellow thanks to its purple pigmentation, precisely the color opposite to yellow on the color wheel.
- If your hair is orange, YOU SHOULD USE T14, which will cancel out the orange tones, because its pigmentation is blue, the color opposite orange on the wheel.
But, in addition to knowing which tones you want to cancel out, you should also keep in mind what color blonde you’re hoping to end up with.
Do you want to very pale ash or gray color?
Do you want bright white or silver-gray hair?
If so, then now is the time to define the intensity of the color you want to end up with in your hair.
- If you’re looking for pale ash or gray color, then you should use T14
- If you’re looking for a bright white or silver color, then you should use T18
I’m going to give you an example so you can see exactly what I’m talking about.
What would happen if you used a t14 on hair with orange tones to get to a platinum color.
Your hair would end up without the orange tones, but it would look ashy or gray.
Why?
Because to get to platinum, silver, or white, you need to have a yellow base, specifically a level 9 or 10 yellow. And then the t18 would get rid of the yellow and leave your hair platinum.
If your hair has orange tones, it means that you still have color pigments in your hair, so if you use the t14, your hair will turn gray. If you want platinum, you’ll need to bleach your hair again to get rid of the orange tones, and then you can use t18.
How to correctly use Wella toner
Once you’ve decided which of the two products you need for your hair, it is time to use them on your hair. The way to use them both is the same, but the amount of time you should leave them in your hair is different.
And this is where you need to be extra careful because if you leave t18 in your hair for too long, you can end up with purple hair.
So, the maximum amount of time you should leave t14 in your hair is 20 minutes, and the maximum amount of time you should leave t18 in is 15 minutes.
With that in mind, it’s time to cancel out those unwanted tones in your hair.
- Part your hair down the middle, so your roots are clearly exposed.
- Mix the toner with a 20 volume developer in a plastic container.
- Use that mix on your hair, starting at your roots and moving down your hair.
- If you used T14, don’t leave it in your hair for more than 20 minutes, and if you used T18, don’t leave it in your hair for more than 15 minutes. In both cases, check on the color every 5 minutes.
- Once the necessary amount of time has gone by for each toner, rinse your hair with cool water. Don’t use shampoo, just conditioner.
And now look at your hair. No trace of either yellow or orange tones, right?
Remember that toner fades with each wash, so it lasts about 3-4 weeks, depending on how often you wash it and your other hair care habits.
If you want to maintain it better and for longer, you can follow these tips.
How to take care of your color after using toner
- If you used t18, use a purple shampoo each time you wash your hair.
- If you used t14, always choose a sulfate-free shampoo so you can diminish the amount of toner you’re washing out with each wash.
- Please don’t wash your hair every day, try to do it every 48 hours, so your toner will last even longer.
- Don’t abuse hydrating masks, it’s best to use them every 15 days.
- You can use coconut oil to moisturize your ends.
Lastly, you’ll need to use the toner on your hair again – the same one – after three or four weeks.
Conclusions
When it comes time to choose between different Wella toners, it’s important to pay attention to which unwanted tones you want to get rid of and what your goal color is.
- If your hair has orange tones after bleaching it and you want to get to an ash or gray tone, your best option is Wella t14.
- If you have yellow tones in your hair after bleaching it and you want to have platinum or white hair, then Wella t18 is best for you.
And now you tell me: After taking a close look at your hair, which toner is best for you?
