Toner for silver hair

January 22, 2025 7:54 AM

I have very nearly (but not entirely) silver hair and would like to improve the look of it. I already use purple shampoo and conditioner to minimize yellow/remaining light brown tones. I am aware that bleaching/coloring is the only way to perfectly even everything out, but I am not willing to do that. I am aware professionals can help, but I'd like a home solution. ACTUAL QUESTION: Is there a way I can use a silver toner to minimize off-tones and enhance the silver shine quality to my hair?
posted by DirtyOldTown to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

I use a silicone-based shine gel and it makes my originally-black, now mostly white hair sparkle a little. You notice the remains of the brown, but I'll bet others think it looks a bit golden yellow and looks good. Take pics and post them, we'll be honest.
posted by theora55 at 8:30 AM on January 22

You can definitely try a toner. Wella Color Charm is inexpensive and easy to use at home. I've personally used T18 to tone my (home bleached starting from brown) hair and I was blown away by how effective it was.

I have zero personal experience with this on naturally gray hair but I bet if you look on YouTube you'll find some people doing tutorials.

If this is a route you decide to go down, go into your nearest Sally's and ask one of the Cool Teens working there for advice on what you need to get. They give really good advice!! I bet the T16 "polar ice" toner is probably where you'd be looking for silver hair maintenance.
posted by phunniemee at 8:52 AM on January 22

I do not doubt those tutorials are there... somewhere.

Maybe it's a matter of me learning the search terms that would lead me specifically to those results and not ones for people starting with gray hair and then looking to cover it up or starting with little/no gray hair and then bleaching/toning to switch to trendy silver/platinum hair. Whatever I need seems to be buried under an avalanche of those two categories.

I'm ready to enroll in YouTube University on this! I just can't find the right course.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:41 AM on January 22

Here's a YT video called How to Neutralize Warmth in Grey Hair Using True Grey, by Wella Professionals. It's a whole video of the process you want to explore, with names of the specific Wella toner products included.
posted by little mouth at 10:28 AM on January 22

I had a hairdresser tell me years ago - before color-depositing products were even a thing - to just get toner in the shade I wanted and get a travel-size bottle to mix shampoo and toner. She suggested starting at 4:1 and see if that's too strong/not strong enough.

But if my hair was mostly grey I'd outsource the thinking/mixing and use Overtone's Silver products. There's a zillion reviews of Overtone products on youtube, I'll bet you can find someone with the same natural hair color as you to see what it looks like on them.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:34 AM on January 22

IGK:
Color Depositing Mask in Magic Storm
Clear high gloss treatment, "Expensive" (I recommend this on top of darn near any hair color as well as on natural hair, it's lovely)

Manic Panic:
"Virgin Snow" toner
"Stiletto Silver" toner
"Blue Steel" toner

Kirsten Ess:
"Platinum" Icy Translucent Ash toner

None of these have lift and are deposit-only. I have used and trust all these brands, but the only colors I've personally used are Kirsten Ess "Platinum," and Manic Panic "Virgin Snow."
posted by erst at 4:12 PM on January 22

I use a 70/30 shampoo/purple shampoo mix every time I wash my hair (basically daily). And then I use a 60/40 conditioner/toner mix on the areas that need more cool tones. My hair was originally dark brown, and I use Four Reasons Graphite toner. It's a cool toned dark grey that works with my coloring.
posted by xo at 4:43 AM on January 23