I finally figured out why my toner kept turning orange on certain clients

Took me like 6 months of trial and error to realize it was the water quality in my area. I'm in a small town outside Boise and our well water has crazy high mineral content. Had a client literally say "my hair looks like a pumpkin" before I clued in. Switched to distilled water for my final rinse and the difference was night and day. Any other stylists deal with hard water ruining their formulas?

3 comments

3 Comments

jackson.matthew25d ago

Oh man, the pumpkin comment made me laugh but I feel your pain. I've been dealing with the same thing here in Phoenix where our tap water is basically liquid rock. I started using a chelating shampoo once a week on clients with stubborn brassiness and it helped a ton, plus I add a little Malibu C hard water treatment to my routine. Distilled water for rinsing is genius though, I'm gonna try that with my problem water clients.

uma_martinez25d ago

Chelating shampoo is key but you gotta watch the frequency or it dries everything out. I use a Malibu C packet on my own hair every few weeks and it makes a noticeable difference with the mineral buildup. Have you noticed any issues with chelating shampoo fading color faster on your clients?

the_faith20d ago

Girl YES, this is such a real struggle! I literally just went through the exact same thing with my own hair after moving to an area with terrible hard water. My color was getting this weird orange tint no matter what I did, and I was about to lose my mind. The chelating shampoo made a huge difference for me too, but I learned the hard way that using it too much just leaves everything feeling like straw. I've been doing a once a month deep condition after the Malibu C and that seems to keep the brassiness away without wrecking my hair.