Why the Brassy Curl?

Brass happens (it's not you, it's chemistry)

You walked out of the salon with cool, bright, fresh-as-a-daisy curls. A few washes later, they've gone a bit... brassy. Yellow-ish. Warm in a way you didn't order.

Good news: it's not something you did wrong, and you don't need to rush back to the salon. Meet Tone It Down, LOHY.'s blue toning conditioner made especially for lightened curls. It uses violet pigment to cancel out unwanted yellow and brassy tones, while still giving your curls the hydration they need to clump, bounce and behave.

Let's break down why brass happens, how toning actually works, and how to slot Tone It Down into your wash day.

Why lightened curls go brassy

When hair is lightened, bleach breaks down the dark pigment in each strand. The trouble is that warm pigments are the last to leave, so there are always some yellow and gold undertones hanging around underneath your toner.

Salon toner sits on top of those undertones, but it fades a little with every wash. Add sunshine (hello, Aussie summer), hard water, chlorine and heat styling, and those warm tones start peeking back through.

Curls have an extra challenge too. Lightened curly and wavy hair is often more porous, which means it can lose moisture and toner faster than straight hair. So the goal isn't just to fix the colour, it's to fix the colour without drying your curls out.

Colour wheel 101: how toning works

Remember the colour wheel from primary school art class? Colours that sit opposite each other cancel each other out.

Violet sits opposite yellow, so violet pigment neutralises yellow and brassy tones.
Blue sits opposite orange, which is why blue is used for deeper copper and orange brass.

Tone It Down deposits a soft wash of violet pigment onto your strands. That pigment quietly cancels the yellow, so your blonde, highlighted or silver curls look cooler, brighter and more "just left the salon".

The key word is deposit. A toning conditioner doesn't bleach, lift or change your actual colour. It just adds a little cool pigment on top to balance out the warmth. Use it more often for more toning, less often for less. You're in control.

Why a toning conditioner (and not a purple shampoo)?

Lots of toning shampoos are drying, which is the last thing lightened curls need. Curls already struggle to get moisture down the length of a coiled strand, so stripping them on toning day can mean frizz, tangles and curls that won't clump.

Tone It Down tones and conditions in the same step, so your curls get cooler and softer. Here's what's doing the work:

Violet pigment gently neutralises yellow and brassy tones.
Cucumber fruit extract brings moisture and vitamin C, a little hydration superpower for curls and scalp.
Jojoba seed oil adds elasticity and shine, and helps bring out the natural brilliance of your colour.
Coconut oil adds strength and helps protect against breakage, which matters for lightened hair.
Soy protein repairs and strengthens, and helps your hair hold on to moisture.

And like the rest of the LOHY. range, it's vegan, cruelty-free, Australian-made and free from silicones, sulphates and parabens.

How to use Tone It Down on wash day

Use it weekly, or whenever you notice brass creeping in.

Cleanse first. Wash with Nourish & Flourish Shampoo to clear build-up, so the pigment can reach your strands evenly.
Apply 20-50c to damp curls. Work Tone It Down through from mid-lengths to ends, where colour is usually lightest and most porous.
Distribute it through. Use the Paddle Flexi Brush to spread it evenly. Even coverage means even toning, and no patchy spots.
Leave it on. Leave for 20 minutes. For maintenance, leave for 5-10 minutes.
Rinse. Rinse in tepid water, roots first, until it runs clear.
Style as usual.

Tip: If your hair is very light or very porous, start with a shorter leave-in time. Violet pigment loves to grab onto porous ends, and you want cool blonde, not lilac (unless lilac is the vibe, in which case, go for it).

Keep your cool

Brass is just chemistry doing its thing, and now you know how to talk back to it. A weekly date with Tone It Down keeps your lightened curls bright, cool and hydrated, so they look salon-fresh for longer.