Selecting the right shade of Wella toner can be incredibly frustrating. And that's because there are just so many shades to choose from. If you're looking for a neutral, natural blonde, you may have been told to choose Wella T28. But is this shade the right choice for you?
To help you decide, we'll tell you all about Wella T28 before and after expectations and everything else you need to know about it. Let's get right into it!
What Is Wella T28?
Wella T28 is a permanent toner that's formulated to deposit color onto your strands, neutralizing yellow and orange tones in the process. It's part of Wella's Color Charm toner range, and it provides users with a natural blonde hue that's so believable that you can fool your friends.
Like other permanent toners, Wella T28 requires you to use a developer to activate it. Without a developer, the toner won't be able to penetrate your strands and change your hair's toner. Though this toner is technically permanent, it will fade over time, and you'll have to re-tone it to keep your hair color fresh.
What Should Your Hair Look Like Before Wella T28?
Each toner is designed to work with a specific hair lightness. So, it's incredibly important to know what your hair should look like before using Wella T28.
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To use Wella T28, you should lighten your hair to at least a level 8 - it should be a shade lighter than the color you're going for. Once you've done that, you can proceed with using Wella T28.
Wella Color Charm toners
Which Wella toner for the level you reached
Your hair has to be light enough before any of these toners can give you the result shown on the box. The rows move from less pre-lightening to more, so find the level your hair has already reached and choose a toner from that row. Don’t move to a higher row unless you lighten your hair again. Each shade code opens the before-and-after guide for that toner.
| Toner | What it leaves | Lighten to | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| T27 | Medium beige blonde | Level 8 | Your hair is level 8 and you want a soft, medium beige blonde instead of a pale or ashy result. T27 itself sits at about level 7. |
| T15 | Pale beige blonde | Level 8 | Your hair is pale yellow at level 8 and you want a cool, pale beige blonde. T15 isn’t strong enough to cancel noticeable orange tones. |
| T28This page | Natural, neutral blonde | Level 8 | Your hair has yellow and light orange tones, and you want a natural-looking blonde instead of an ashy one. |
| T35 | Beige blonde | Level 8 | You want a natural beige blonde with a little warmth instead of a cool ash blonde. Your exact result will depend on how light your hair is before you tone it. |
| 7A | Medium cool blonde | No fixed pre-lightening level | You want to tone, gloss, refresh, or blend gray with a demi-permanent cream color. For the closest match to medium cool blonde, start around level 8. Unlike the other shades in this chart, 7A isn’t a T-series liquid toner. |
| T11 | Lightest beige blonde | Level 9 | Your hair is level 9 and you want violet pigment to soften yellow and brassy tones. T11 itself sits at about level 8. |
| T14 | Pale ash blonde | Level 9 or 10 | Your hair is yellow with a little orange left in it. T14’s violet-blue base gives you a cooler result, but it won’t completely neutralize hair that is still strongly orange. |
| T50 | Pink blossom, a pinkish blonde | Level 9 or 10 | You want a visible pastel-pink tone instead of a neutral blonde. This toner creates a new color rather than simply correcting brassiness. |
| T10 | Pale blonde, sold as Ivory Lady | Level 10 | Your hair is light yellow with a hint of gold, and you want the palest blonde result. It can work on darker blonde hair, but the result will be darker and cooler than the shade shown on the box. |
| T18 | Lightest ash blonde | Level 10 | Your hair is a pale or bright yellow with little to no orange left. If your hair is below level 10, T18 won’t give you the lightest ash-blonde result shown on the box. |
The level is the part most people skip. Toner can change the warmth or coolness of your color, but it can’t take level 8 hair to level 10. Check a strand in daylight before you buy. The full Wella toner chart sets all of these shades side by side. If your curls feel gummy, brittle, or begin snapping after bleaching, stop there and give them time to recover instead of lightening again just to use a paler toner.
What Should Your Hair Look Like After Wella T28?
After using Wella T28, you should be able to achieve a natural-looking, neutral blonde tone. The result may be a little lighter or darker depending on the level of lightness you start with. In addition to the blonde hue, you should also notice significantly less yellow or brassy tones in your hair.
Wella T28 Before and After Results
You won't get the same results if you use T28 on hair that's too dark. In fact, you may not notice any results at all. So make sure you lighten your strands to the correct level before using this toner.
How to Use Wella T28 on Your Hair
If you want to get natural blonde hair with Wella T28, you've got to be systematic. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use Wella T28 for the best results:
- Lighten your hair to a level 8. To do so, you'll need to apply a mixture of 1 part bleach powder and 2 parts 10 or 20-volume developer to your hair. For the most precision, you'll use a tinting brush.
- Allow the bleach to sit for between 20 and 45 minutes before rinsing it out. While the bleach is sitting on your hair, check it a few times to make sure your hair doesn't become overprocessed. Once your hair reaches the right level of lightness, rinse the bleach out and shampoo your hair to remove any excess bleach mixture.
- After the bleach is totally washed out, move on to the toning process. Start by mixing the Wella T28 toner with a 10 or 20-volume developer using a 1:2 ratio (1 part toner and 2 parts developer).
- Apply the mixture to your damp hair using a tinting brush. If you have a lot of hair, you may need to separate it into several sections to get the best coverage.
- Allow the toner to sit on your hair for up to 30 minutes. To ensure that your hair doesn't end up overtoned, set a timer and check your hair every few minutes. It's as easy as wiping the toner off of a small portion of hair and taking a close look. If the hair isn't sufficiently toned, reapply the toner and leave it on for a few more minutes.
- When you achieve sufficient toning or the time runs out, rinse the toner from your hair. Take your time to ensure that you don't leave any toner behind.
- Finish off with a deep conditioning treatment to give your hair a pick-me-up after all the chemicals. If your deep conditioner contains protein, that's even better. It'll combat some of the damage incurred from the bleaching and toning process. You can also use an after-color sealer; its formula is specifically designed to make your toner last longer.
- Proceed with the rest of your hair care and styling routine.
Which Developer Should You Use with Wella T28 Toner?
The developer you use with Wella T28 toner, and any other toner, will significantly influence your results. Your developer choices for toning with Wella T28 include 10 and 20-volume developers.
- Opt for the 10-volume developer if your hair is on the compromised side or if you only want to keep the toned shade for a short time. This developer won't lift your hair much, if at all.
- A 20-volume developer is the stronger option. It'll lift your hair more, and the results will last longer. If this is what you're looking for, then 20-volume may be the best choice for you.
Note: Though the toning process isn't nearly as harsh on the hair as bleach is, it can still damage your hair. The damage may not be readily apparent but could develop over time. So, if the bleaching process has already done a number on your hair, it'd be in your best interest to go with a weaker developer. You will need to tone your hair more often if you go this route, but it could be totally worth it to ensure your hair's health.
Dos and Don'ts of Using Wella T28 Toner
You know how your hair should look before and after toning T28 and how to apply the toner like a pro. But to further ensure that things go off without a hitch, here are a few dos and don'ts to keep in mind.
Directions for Use: Pre-lighten the hair to the required level before applying toner. Mix 1 part Wella Color Charm toning color with 2 parts 20 volume Wella Color Charm developer. Apply to towel-dried hair and develop for up to 30 minutes, checking frequently for the desired result.
Do
- Lighten your hair first. If you don't, you won't end up with the toner results on the box.
- Test a small strand of hair before toning your entire head of hair. It requires you to mix up a tiny batch of toner (toner and developer) according to the instructions and apply it to a small section of hair. After leaving it to process for up to 30 minutes and checking your hair's progress throughout, you'll get a sneak peek at how the toner will work on your hair.
- Wear gloves throughout the process. Toner, bleach, and developer can all cause damage to your skin.
- Deep condition your hair after toning with Wella T28 to avoid dryness and minimize damage.
Don't
- Overprocess your hair with Wella T28. Keep an eye on the toner's progress.
- Forget to apply the toner thoroughly. It's essential for even coverage.
Is Wella T28 For You?
Wondering whether T28 is the right toner shade for you? We'll address that in this section. Wella T28 toner is perfect for those who want a natural blonde hue and have lifted their hair to at least a level 8.
It's also for those who simply want to make their blonde hair ashier or to get rid of yellow tints and other unwanted tones.
If your hair isn't dyed to the right level, though, you shouldn't use Wella T28 toner. Doing so could result in no noticeable change at all or even a wonky shade that you hate.
What Color Base Is Wella T28?
The base color of Wella T28 is violet-blue, which helps to neutralize any unwanted yellow or orange tones in the hair. Wella T28 is designed to give a light ash-blonde color to bleached or lightened hair. This makes it a great choice for people who want to achieve a cool, ashy blonde color without any brassiness.
What Developer Do You Use With Wella T28?
When using Wella T28, it's recommended to use a 20-volume developer. This will provide the right amount of lift for the toner to be effective without damaging the hair too much. The developer is mixed with the toner in a 1:2 ratio, meaning that for every one part of toner, you should use two parts of developer.
How Long Do You Leave Wella T28 Toner On?
The amount of time that you should leave Wella T28 toner on your hair depends on the level of lightness that you want, as well as the condition of your hair. As a general rule, you should leave the toner on for between 10 and 20 minutes, checking the color every 5 minutes to see how it's developing.
Related Articles
- Wella T18 Toner
- Wella T15 Toner Before and After
- Wella T10 Before and After
- Wella T11 Toner on Brassy Hair
So, there you have it - everything you need to know about using Wella T28 toner - the before, the after, and more. We hope that the information in this article was helpful to you, and we wish you the best of luck with your new hair color transformation!
