If you’re looking to give your hair a little pick-me-up, you may have come across the terms “hair gloss” and “hair toner” and wondered what the difference is. Both hair glosses and toners can deposit color into your hair, but they serve totally different purposes.
When you first try to figure out what’s going on, you might find yourself spiralling in confusion, but not for long!
After reading this post, you will have learned all about hair glosses and toners, including what they are, how to use them, and the benefits of each. So when it comes to your hair, you use the right one every time!
What is Hair Gloss?
Before we get into their uses and differences, we have to talk about what each of them is! A hair gloss is a temporary dye that adds shine and condition to your hair. Hair glosses generally last between 6 and 8 weeks and can be applied at home or at the salon. Although hair glosses don’t provide as much coverage as permanent dyes, they can enhance your natural color or lightly tint it.
What is a Hair Toner?
On the other hand, toner is a demi-permanent or semi-permanent hair color that helps to enhance the tone of your existing shade—think of it as fine-tuning for your color. Toners can be used on their own or after bleaching your hair to help neutralize unwanted yellow or orange tones. So you don’t really use it as a refresher. It’s used at the time the hair is being colored to make sure that it’s colored correctly. They typically last around 4-6 weeks and will fade gradually over time. You can go back in and tone it again if it starts to look brassy or dull, but most of the time toner is used at the time of coloring the hair.
How to Use a Hair Gloss?
Applying a hair gloss is a pretty simple process. First, shampoo your hair as you normally would. Focus on the scalp, and let it run down the rest of the hair as you wash it. Wait for the water to run clear, and then skip the conditioner. Conditioner tends to leave a residue that might get in the way of the gloss being able to penetrate the hair shaft properly.
Then, towel dry it, so it’s damp but not wet. Next, put on gloves to protect your hands from the dye. Even though gloss isn’t too pigmented, there is still some pigment that may stain your hair. Plus, it’s generally best to keep your hands safe from chemicals, and even though it’s not the same as a full-on dye, gloss isn’t really natural.
After that, squeeze some of the hair gloss onto your palms and apply it evenly through your hair, focusing on the mid-lengths and ends. Try your best to not leave any sections dry. You can even gently run a wide tooth comb through the hair to get everything coated evenly so that even if you accidentally miss a spot, the comb gets it instead.
Once your hair is coated with the dye, leave it in for the amount of time specified on the instructions—usually around 20 minutes.
Finally, rinse the dye out with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. Once your hair dries, it’ll be all refreshed as it had always been that way!
Benefits of Using a Hair Gloss
There are several benefits to using a hair gloss. First, as we mentioned before, hair glosses can enhance or lightly tint your natural color. This is a great way to experiment with new colors without making a major commitment.
Additionally, hair glosses add shine and condition to your locks, making them look healthier overall. And since they’re only temporary, you can switch up your look as often as you like without any damage to your hair!
How to Use a Hair Toner
Applying a toner is similar to applying a hair gloss—you’ll want to start with clean, towel-dried hair that’s free of any product buildup so the color can deposit properly.
Once again, put on gloves to protect your hands from the dye. Squeeze some of the toner onto your palms and apply it evenly through your clean, damp hair focusing on the mid-lengths and ends (if your roots are light enough).
Leave the toner in for anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes (check the instructions on the bottle), then rinse it out with lukewarm water until the water runs clear.
Benefits of Using a Hair Toner
There are several benefits that come along with using a toner. First, toners can help neutralize unwanted yellow or orange tones in bleached hair—this is especially helpful if you’ve gone too light or if you’re trying to rock an ombre look. It’s a great alternative to using another dye to fix the color because it targets the undertones, not just the color itself. That way, you get the color you wanted without having to go through an entire dying process.
Additionally, like hair glosses, toners can add shine and condition to your locks while also helping to extend the life of your color between appointments. Saves you some extra money and keeps your hair looking great!
The Bottom Line
So there you have it, everything you need to know about hair glosses and toners!
These two products can help you achieve healthy-looking locks that are full of shine while also allowing you to experiment with new shades without making a major commitment.
So whether you’re looking for something temporary or something that will last a little longer, consider giving either one (or both!) of these options a try.
Just remember to always follow the instructions on the bottle and do a patch test before applying it to your entire head of hair. After following these tips, you’re a shoe-in for having great hair days forever!
