How to Remove Ash Tone from Hair

Co-authored by April Ferri and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: December 1, 2021 References Approved

Toning your hair can help it turn from bright and brassy to cool and sleek. However, applying too much ash toner can make your hair turn gray or look dull. If you accidentally toned your hair too much, that’s okay! You can use at-home remedies, like a clarifying shampoo or lemon juice, to adjust your toner. Or you can try adding a color remover or bleach wash to completely remove the ash tone from your hair.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Washing with a Clarifying Shampoo

1
Purchase a clarifying shampoo that contains acetic and citric acid. Clarifying shampoos are stronger than normal shampoos. They are great for removing toner since the stronger ingredients tend to strip away color^{[1]
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April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 8 December 2020.}. Find a clarifying shampoo that has both acetic acid and citric acid for the best results.^{[2]
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- You can find clarifying shampoos at most grocery, drug, and beauty supply stores.
2
Massage a generous amount of clarifying shampoo into wet hair hair. Wet your hair with warm water in the shower. Apply a palmful of clarifying shampoo to your hair and massage it in, paying special attention to the parts of your hair that are the most ashy.^{[3]
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3
Rinse out the clarifying shampoo thoroughly with warm water. Warm water opens up the cuticles in your hair so that the toner can wash out more easily. Be sure to get all of the shampoo out of your hair. Then, check out your results in the bathroom mirror.
4
Wash your hair 1-2 more times to get rid of stubborn ashy color. If you have a lot of ash toner in your hair, one shampoo might not cut it. Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo a few times in a row until you achieve your desired results.^{[4]
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Tip: If your hair is being stubborn, you can wash it 3-4 times with the clarifying shampoo. Keep in mind that this will dry out your hair quite a bit and may damage the ends.
5
Deep-condition your hair to replace the lost moisture after shampooing it. Apply a quarter-size amount of deep conditioner from root to tip. Let it sit on your hair for 10-15 minutes. Then, rinse it out with cold water.^{[5]
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- You can find hair masks and deep conditioners at most beauty supply stores.
- Products that contain shea butter, avocado oil, or jojoba oil are the most moisturizing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Mixing Lemon Juice and Conditioner

1
Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice in with your conditioner. Lemon juice is acidic, so it can bleach your hair just slightly without harming it too much. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice and into a quarter-sized amount of conditioner. Make sure your mixture is thick enough to stick to your hair.^{[6]
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- The conditioner helps to protect and add moisture back into your hair as the lemon juice strips it.
2
Apply the mixture to your hair from root to tip. Use your hands to apply a generous amount of the mixture all over your head, including the roots. Pay special attention to the areas of your hair that are the most ash toned.^{[7]
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- The ends of your hair will probably be the most toned, but it's different for everyone.
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Let the mixture sit on your hair for 10 minutes. Put your hair up with a hair tie or a large clip to keep it out of the way. Wait 10 minutes or so to give the lemon juice time to work.^{[8]
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- Lemon juice can be drying, so try not to leave it on for much longer than 10 minutes.
4
Rinse the mixture out with cool water. Cold water closes your hair cuticles and allows it to take in moisture. Rinse out your hair thoroughly until all of the lemon juice mixture is gone.^{[9]
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- If your hair is still ash toned, you can apply this treatment 1-2 more times. Avoid using it more than 3 times in a row, since it's very drying.
Tip: If your hair feels dry, use a deep conditioner after you rinse out the lemon juice mixture.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Applying a Color Remover

1
Purchase a color remover that contains bleach. Color remover only contains a little bit of bleach so that it is less damaging. Find a color remover that has a small amount of bleach in it by looking on the box at the ingredients list.^{[10]
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- You can purchase color remover from most beauty supply stores or drug stores.
- Consider the risks before putting a color remover on your hair. Adding bleach to already damaged hair can make it brittle or break off.
2
Paint the remover onto your hair with a hair dye applicator. Read the instructions on the box of color remover. Mix the ingredients according to the instructions, if needed. Then, use an applicator to cover your hair with the product. Focus on the parts that are most ashy, like the ends. Try to avoid any hair that isn’t ashy.^{[11]
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- Leaving out the hair that isn’t ashy will help to protect your hair and preserve its moisture.
3
Let the remover sit on your hair for 30 minutes. Put your hair up with a clip or a hair tie and let the remover sit on your hair. Do not let it sit for longer than 30 minutes, or you could dry out your hair or damage it with the bleach.^{[12]
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- If you are worried about losing track of time, set a timer on your phone or computer.
4
Rinse the color remover out with cold water. Cold water helps to close up your hair cuticle and protect it from further damage. Rinse your hair completely until there is no color remover left.^{[13]
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5
Apply a deep conditioner after to your hair after rinsing if it feels dry. If your hair was already bleached, adding a color remover to it may have dried it out further. If the ends of your hair feel crispy, apply a deep conditioner to your hair and let it sit for about 15 minutes before rinsing it out with cool water.^{[14]
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Tip: You can apply your deep conditioner once a week until your hair feels soft and smooth again.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Doing a Bleach Wash

1
Mix a 1:1:1 ratio of bleach powder, 10 volume developer, and clarifying shampoo. Bleach washes are milder than an actual bleach treatment, so they can help to preserve the life of your hair while removing color and tone. Mix together a 1:1:1 ratio of bleach powder, 10 volume developer, and a harsh, clarifying shampoo in a plastic bowl. Make enough to cover all of your hair.^{[15]
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- Always use a 10 volume developer for a bleach wash because it is the most mild developer.
- If your hair is already bleached or damaged, consider the risks before you use a bleach wash.
2
Paint the bleach wash onto your dry hair with a hair dye brush. Pick up your bleach mixture in scoops with a hair dye brush and apply it all over your hair. Paint in a downward motion to make sure all of your hair is permeated. Focus on the areas that are more ash toned than other areas. Try to avoid your roots if you can.^{[16]
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- You may see the bleach start to lighten your hair as you paint it on.
3
Let the mixture sit on your hair for 5 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on your hair as the mixture sits to make sure the toner is being removed. Let it sit for only a few minutes to avoid damaging your hair.^{[17]
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Warning: Do not put a shower cap or plastic bag over your head like you would with a bleach treatment. This can make the bleach wash work too fast and damage your hair.
4
Rinse your hair thoroughly with cold water. Hop into the shower and use cold water to remove all of the bleach wash from your hair. Cold water helps to close the cuticles of your hair and protect it from further damage.^{[18]
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5
Wash your hair with shampoo to get rid of all the bleach. It is important to remove all traces of the bleach from your hair. Use a sulfate and silicone-free shampoo to avoid drying your hair out further and rinse it out with cold water.^{[19]
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- Do not use purple shampoo to wash your hair, as this could turn it back into an ashy or purple color.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you get toner out of your hair?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Go in with a clarifying shampoo or another stringent shampoo. Wash your hair a few times with that to pull out some of that excess toner.
Question

Why does hair absorb too much toner?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

A lot of times when your hair soaks up too much toner, it's usually because your hair is dry. When your cuticle gets roughed up, it makes your hair more porous.