Hair toners are underestimated. A celeb colourist explains why they’re total multi-taskers

It’s not just all-over colours that can benefit, agrees colour expert, Josh Wood. “Toners can be used to refresh and soften blonde looks, such as balayage and sun-kissed highlights,” he says. The trick is to apply them tactically.

“I would always recommend targeting the warmest (brassiest) parts of your hair first so they have been neutralised first,” says Harriet. If you only have balayage on the end on the ends of your hair, you may find you only need to apply it there. If you think you need it all over, “rub the toning shampoo on the area that needs the most work first, then rub over the rest of the head.”

And, if you’re unsure whether your shade has gone a little funky, try taking a selfie, says Harriet. “Sometimes it can be tricky to spot brassiness in your own hair, taking a selfie sometimes shows it more than the mirror – this is a good way to know when you need to reach for your toning shampoo.”

To change colour

As well as pushing your existing hair colour in the right direction, toners can add a subtle veil of colour to hair, too. Josh Wood created his Shade Shot Gloss (£19) to refresh hair colour vibrancy, shine and condition between colouring. The blue-toned Icy Blonde shot simply helps to counteract yellow in the hair (the two shades cancel each other out), likewise the Smoky Brunette shots dark brown colour helps to neutralise red tones.

But others add in colour. Subtle shades like Champagne Blonde Gloss add sun-kissed golden tones to blondes who want their hair warmed up, Caramel Gloss enhances the richness of brunette colour, adding honey-like tones, while statement shades like Copper Gold introduce a coppery veil over strands and Rose Brunette introduces a pink gloss over darker strands. Bleach London have a range of options too, such as the Rosé Toner (£8.50) which lasts for 15 washes on pre-lightened hair and gives a rose gold tint.

To boost shine and condition

The second, less well-know reason for using a toner is to reveal the glossiest strands possible. “Toners aren’t just for colour, but shine too,” says Harriet. “Acid-based toners can add shine to natural hair and won’t affect the colour. By reflecting the light, this gives hair a super glossy varnish-like effect which we call ‘glossing’,” she adds. “Think of this as being like a lip gloss for the hair (clear or otherwise): it boosts the condition while adding shine.”

Harriet recommends booking the Redken Shades EQ Glosses when we’re out the other side of lock-down to revive, condition and add shine to locks. “It will literally take hair from drab to fab,” she says Harriet. But in the meantime, existing glosses like Rita Hazan’s in-shower True Color Ultimate Shine Gloss’s (£21) and Josh Woods Shade Shot Glosses (£19) are being joined by brand new launches such as the L’Oreal Elvive Dream Lengths Wonder Water.

We’ve selected the best at-home toners for your hair whether you want to upgrade your colour or boost shine…