If you’ve recently purchased a Wella T18 toner, you are likely looking for a light ashy blonde hair color or to tone down a more brassy orange or red dye. However, you might only have a 40-volume developer at home. Is it okay to use Wella T18 toner with a 40-volume developer?
Highlights
- Wella T18 toner is an ash-blonde toner used to give a slightly ashy tone to the hair and reduce brassiness in dye jobs.
- A developer is needed to activate the color in the toner or dye.
- Using a 40-volume developer with Wella T18 toner is not recommended as it can damage hair without making a visible difference.
- Lower-volume developers like 10 or 20 are ideal for Wella T18 toner.
- If you don’t have a lower-volume developer, you can dilute a 40-volume developer with water in a one-to-one ratio.
- Toners should almost always be used with 10 or 20-volume developers.
- Always follow package instructions when applying toner or dye.
- It’s crucial to time hair products wisely so that you can use them before the developer goes bad.
- Use gloves and eye protection when handling toner or developer.
Can You Use Wella T18 Toner with a 40-Volume Developer?
No, you can’t use a 40-volume developer with Wella T18 toner. The toner is too light for the strength of the developer, and it’ll damage your hair without making any visible difference. With a toner as light as Wella T18, you should use 10 or 20-volume developers.
If you don’t have access to lower-volume developers, you can dilute 40-volume developers with water. Use a one-to-one ratio of water and developer, and mix it well before applying.
However, this should only be used as a last option because it can damage the hair, and the color won’t last as long.
The main reason you can’t mix Wella T18 with a 40-volume developer is the chemical makeup and coloring of the two products.
Wella T18 Toner
Wella T18 toner is an ash-blonde toner designed to give a slightly ashy tone to the hair. It’s not a hair dye, so it doesn’t change the actual color of the hair. Instead, Wella T18 can remove some harsher or more brassy tones from an orange or red dye job.
Many choose Wella T18 because it works well on bleached hair and reduces brassiness in dye jobs. However, it doesn’t work on darker hair, so you’ll have to bleach or have a naturally light color to tone it properly.
40-Volume Developer
With any toner or dye, you will need a developer. A developer activates the color in the toner or dye and helps it to work. The volume of a developer is how strong it is; the stronger the volume, the more the developer will work on the color.
While it may seem like a 40-volume developer is excellent because it’s so strong, it will damage hair when used with a lighter coloring or toner. Toners should generally use a ten or 20-volume developer, as that is the perfect strength to activate the toner without damaging the hair.
Which Developer Should You Use with Wella T18?
Wella T18 toner is ash blonde. It’s the lightest toner available and is meant to tone hair or tint bleached hair. Because the color is so light, you’ll only need a 10-vol or 20-vol developer on this particular toner.
Whenever you bleach your hair and re-dye it, you should use the correct strength developer. If the developer is too strong, it can damage your hair too much and leave any brassy or harsh tones you may be trying to tone out.
For the best results, use a 10 or 20-volume developer with Wella T18. If you’re dying your hair from bleach, you can use a 10-vol developer with Wella T18. However, if you’re trying to tone down some brassier orange or red tones, a 20-volume developer might work better.
Which Toners can be used with a 40-Volume Developer?
A 40-volume developer is meant to develop darker, richer colors on the hair. The higher the volume of the developer, the more color it will pull out of the dye and put on the hair. 30-vol and 40-vol developers are generally reserved for darker hair dyes or more permanent dyes.
Toners should almost always be used with 10 or 20-volume developers because toners don’t dye the individual hair strands. Instead, they put color on top of the color already there, tinting it to change the overall appearance slightly.
A lower-volume developer is perfect, whereas a 40-volume developer should be reserved for heavier dye jobs and darker colors. The heavier the developer, the more chance of hair damage, so it’s crucial only to use 40-volume or above when you need to.
Related: Which Wella Toner Should You Use? Ultimate Guide
Tips to Apply Wella T18 Toner
When applying Wella T18 toner, it’s crucial to follow all the instructions on the package. To use it with 40 volume developer, first dilute the developer with water in a 1:1 ratio. Use gloves, as a toner can involve bleach, harming the skin.
Always wear eye protection and ensure that the toner and developer don’t contain any known allergens.
Once you’ve mixed the toner and developer, you have about an hour to apply it before the developer goes bad. It’s crucial to time your hair products wisely so you can use them all. Always follow package directions.
Final Thoughts
Although Wella T18 does need a developer to activate and tone your hair properly, you shouldn’t use a 40-volume developer on a toner that light. Instead, save the 40-volume for a darker color and buy a ten or 20-volume developer with your Wella T18 toner.