Fixing your hair colour used to cost you loads at the salon but now there is a whole range of different toners and colour correctors out there in your drug store and even supermarket.

If you are a brunette you will most probably have a natural warm, reddish undertone. In the sunshine your hair may have a reddish copper shine. The problem is when you start to lighten your hair this reddish pigment becomes more prominent and this is why your hair can sometimes turn out an awkward shade of orange. This is perfectly normal though and with the use of a toner you can balance out the orange colour with a purple pigment to cool it down and give it a more ash finish, this can also make your hair appear brighter and healthier because it be a more natural colour.

Purple toners are most commonly used to help achieve a platinum blonde colour, they are also used on grey and white hair to fight against yellow discolouration. These products work really well on lightened brunette hair too because it is the same principle- you want to remove the warm orange and yellow tones.

Toners are less damaging on your hair than hair dyes and colourants as they generally don’t contain ammonia or other harsh chemicals.

I would recommend Touch of Silver Twice a Week Brightening Shampoo. It is aimed at really light coloured hair such as platinum blonde and grey so its vibrant violet colour can course a colour build up and a purple tinge to the hair if over used but on my brunette hair I use it almost every time I wash my hair and it helps maintain my ash tone perfectly. This product is great. It is priced about £3 which is perfectly reasonable, it leaves my hair feeling strong and shiny and my hair even stays cleaner for longer plus it smells great. I can not fault this product! A definite staple shampoo for lightened hair. 

A similar product is Silver Shampoo by Bleach London it is more pricey at £5 a bottle and if I’m honest, has an unpleasant chemically smell and the results were no different to Touch of Silver. The product still works really well but when others are cheaper and have a nicer smell they are going to win every time in a comparison.

When lightening your hair, I believe it is important to work with your natural colour, don’t force it or dye it a new shade just lighten what you have and use toners such as purple shampoos to keep your hair looking bright, healthy and natural.