Unpopular opinion: toning shampoo isn't a replacement for actual toner

I see so many newer stylists at my salon in Phoenix telling clients to just use purple shampoo at home to fix brassiness. But I had a client last week who came in after 3 months of that routine and her hair was this weird ashy purple mess with orange roots. Purple shampoo can't lift or deposit like a proper toner can because it's just a maintenance product. It works best on already toned hair to keep it fresh, not to correct a bad color job. I learned this the hard way when I first started doing hair 5 years ago and wasted a lot of time on clients who expected miracles from a bottle. Has anyone else dealt with clients who think a $12 shampoo can do what a $60 toner service does?

2 comments

2 Comments

joelp8114d ago

In Phoenix, via @amy975, purple shampoo actually just makes that brass seem darker before the fade.

amy97514d ago

The purple shampoo also can't compensate for hard water minerals that bond to lightened hair, which is a huge issue here in Phoenix that a toner can actually break down.