how to use wella toner

You can use Wella toner to change up your hair color easily at home. I recently wanted to get rid of the orange hues in my hair, so I used the Wella T18 toner to neutralize the brassiness.

Continue reading to learn how to use Wella T18 toner at home, and to see before and after pictures.

Wella T18 Toner Instructions and Before and After Pictures

Here's What Is Covered in This At-Home Hair Coloring Guide

How to use Wella T18 toner + developer at home
Supplies needed to tone your hair at home
Wella T18 Toner versus other toners
How to mix toner and developer
How to apply Wella T18 toner
Before and after pictures of Wella T18 toner
Frequently asked at-home hair coloring questions

(This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.)

Want to See More Wella Toner Before and After Results?

If you want to see what Wella T35 toner looks like (no bleaching hair first), check out this article.
If you want to see what Wella T27 looks like, check out this article.
If you want to see what the Wella T18 toner looks like if you bleach your hair super blonde first, check out this article.

How to Use Wella T18 Toner + Developer At Home

Supplies Needed to Tone Your Hair at Home

The supplies to tone your hair at home are simple.

You will need

Gloves – Any disposable gloves will do
Hair clips or hair ties – Any brand of hair clips will work
Wella toner – Wella T18 for this at home hair coloring guide
20 volume developer – I recommend Salon Care
Mixing container – any mixing or applicator bottle will work

Online Special from Amazon: Wella T18 Toner + 20 Volume Developer

Wella T18 Toner versus Other Toners

Before getting started with Wella T18 toner, it's important to note that Wella sells 8 permanent liquid toners.

I chose T18 this time because I wanted an ash tone to get rid of the orange hues in my brassy hair. Wella T18 toner is great to use on orange hair.

Wella T18 toner for covering orange and yellow hues compared to Wella T28, T10, T14, T18, T15, T11, T27, and T35 for silver, ash, and beige blondes

Wella T18 Toner vs. Wella Toners for Silver, Ash, and Beige Coloring

Wella T18 Versus Wella T35

I've also used Wella T27 and Wella T35 in the past. Wella T18 is for a light ash look and Wella T35 is for a warm, golden colored look.

I may use Wella T14 or T11 next time I dye and tone my hair at home.

How to Mix Toner and Developer – Step 1 of Toning Hair at Home

The first step to using Wella T18 toner is to mix two parts developer with one part toner.

Pour the Wella T18 toner into the mixing bottle.
Fill up the empty toner bottle with volume 20 developer and pour it into the mixing bottle.
Fill up the empty toner bottle again with developer and pour it into the mixing bottle.
Shake up the mixing bottle.

How to Apply Wella T18 Toner – Step 2 of Toning Hair at Home

The second step is to apply the Wella T18 toner to your hair.

Make hair slightly wet. You can do this by getting your hairbrush wet, and then brush your hair.
Put on gloves.
Apply the toner + developer solution from the mixing bottle onto your hair.
Wait 20-25 minutes (no more!).
Rinse out toner with warm water in the shower and apply conditioner.
Go easy on your hair for 3 days. (No shampoo, no pool, no blow drying or hair styling.)

What Wella T18 Toner Looks Like After 25 Minutes

Below is a picture of what the Wella T18 toner looks like after leaving it on for 25 minutes. It will turn purple. That's okay!

Wella T18 toner on dark blonde hair after leaving it on for 25 minutes and before washing it out

Wella T18 Toner After 25 Minutes

Before and After Pictures of T18 Toner with 20 Developer

Want to see what your hair looks like after using Wella T18 toner plus 20 volume developer? Below are the before and after pictures.

Wella T18 versus Wella T35 Pictures

The before pictures are of my hair with Wella T35 toner on it, also called beige blonde. Wella T35 toner is the darkest of the Wella toner colors.

Wella T18 in lightest ash blonde versus Wella T35 in beige blonde

Before Pictures – Before Using Wella T18 Toner with 20 Developer

Note: These are the BEFORE pictures. This is when I had Wella T35 on my hair.

: Before Wella T18

: Close Up – Before Picture

: Alternative View – Before Picture

After Pictures – Hair after Using Wella T18 Toner (without Bleaching Hair First)

Below are the AFTER pictures. This shows what your hair may look like if you use Wella T18 toner on your hair. This is what my hair looked like using JUST 20 developer plus T18 toner.

I did not do the bleaching process this time around.

: After Picture of Hair with Wella T18

: Wella T18 After

: Wella T18 Toner

As you can see, my hair after using T18 with developer is definitely lighter, but not super blonde.

Want to Go Super Blonde?

If you have darker hair and/or want to go platinum blonde, you need to bleach your hair before applying toner. Check out step 3 in this article to learn how to bleach your hair at home.

What Does Wella T18 Look Like if You DO Bleach Hair First?

If you bleach your hair first, Wella T18 toner will make your hair MUCH lighter. It will be platinum blonde.

Check out this article to see what Wella T18 looks like if you bleach hair first.

Frequently Asked At-Home Hair Coloring Questions

Do I Need to Bleach My Hair Before Toning It?

If you only want to mildly change your hair color (like I did in this article), then you don't need to bleach your hair before toning it at home.

However, if you truly want to go blonde, then YES – you need to bleach your hair first.

How Long Should I Leave Wella T18 Toner on My Hair?

You can keep your toner on your hair for up to 30 minutes. But I'd recommend much less than that!

If you are bleaching your hair first, I'd recommend leaving on the toner for 15-20 minutes.

If you are JUST using toner on your hair, I'd recommend leaving on the toner for 25 minutes.

How Much Does It Cost to Tone My Hair at Home?

Toning your hair at home is pretty affordable.

Toner is usually $5-10 and the developer is $5-$15 depending on where you buy it.

After you've bought the basic supplies (mixing bottle, hair clips, and gloves), you can expect to spend about $10 to tone your hair at home. That's much less than a salon visit!

Where Can I Buy Wella T18 Toner?

You can buy Wella T18 toner from Sally's Beauty or Amazon. Right now, Amazon has a special with two bottles of toner plus developer for only $15.00.

Can I Mix Wella Toners?

Yes! Many women like to mix Wella T18 with Wella T11.

What Volume Developer Should I Use with Wella T18?

I'd recommend 20 volume developer.

What Color Wella Toner Should I Use?

It depends on what color you'd like.

Golden Toned Hair

If you want golden tones, go with T15, T11, T27, or T35. Wella T15 is the lightest color. Wella T35 is the darkest color.

Ashy Blonde Hair

If you want ash blonde hair, go with Wella T28, T14 or T18. T18 is great if you are worried about having your hair look too yellow or orange.

Silver Blonde Hair

If you want silver or pale blonde hair, go with Wella T10.

Conclusion – Will I Use Wella T18 Again?

In conclusion, I'm happy with the results of using Wella T18 toner.

Wella T18 versus Wella T35

Even though I like the results of the Wella T18 toner, I might actually like the results of the before pictures with Wella T35 more! Wella T18 looks a bit washed out on me.

I think the Wella T35 color looks "richer" and more vibrant.

I have warm skin tones, so I'll likely stick with Wella T15, T11, T27, or T35 moving forward. These are the best Wella toner colors for warm skin tones.

Going Platinum Blonde

For a more dramatic look (like the platinum blonde I had last summer!), you really need to bleach your hair first.

Salon Versus DIY Blonde at Home

If you want pretty highlights and multiple colors in your hair, it's best to go to a salon.

I'd Love to Hear From You!

Please leave a comment below or message me on Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

PS – Which color do you like more? The Wella T18 or the Wella T35, based on the before and after pictures above?

Lots of love!

Christina Marie from Very Easy Makeup (offering at-home hair coloring tips, very easy makeup tutorials, and beauty product reviews for women)

More Hair and Makeup from Very Easy Makeup

Did you like this article? Give it 5 stars below and share it with friends on Facebook!

Here are more articles by Very Easy Makeup that you may love.

DIY Stitch Fix Outfits and Fall Outfit Ideas
Halloween Costumes and Costume Ideas
Blonde to Brunette for Fall – See Before and After Pics
5 Cute Fall Outfits for Plus Size Women
White Engagement Photo Dresses and Engagement Photo Outfit Ideas for Fall

All Things Beauty, Fashion, and Fun from Very Easy Makeup

Very Easy Makeup on Facebook

Follow Very Easy Makeup on Facebook to get notified of new beauty, makeup, and fashion posts!

Very Easy Makeup - Facebook

Very Easy Makeup Tutorials on YouTube

Please subscribe to the Very Easy Makeup YouTube channel. You'll find how-to tutorials for very easy makeup and bleaching hair blonde at home.

Very Easy Makeup on YouTube

Very Easy Makeup Newsletter

Newsletter Sign Up

(This post contains affiliate links. View the disclosure here.)