Your natural level decides how much work ice silver takes: anyone darker than a level 10 must bleach first, then tone with purple and 5- or 10-volume developer.
Redken’s 1.5 oz Shades EQ mix covers the color itself, but it gives no timing, so a colorist sets the timing.
The Icy Silver Shade
Redken describes icy silver blonde as a cool-toned, almost snow-white blonde with a soft, silver-cloud quality, and I haven’t found a tighter definition.
Yellow-leaning blonde carries warm gold underneath, which reads buttery in daylight. Ice silver hair carries none, and one hint of gold breaks the effect.
Plain gray is a different thing again. It tends to look flat and muted, while this shade is lighter and closer to white, with a faint shimmer instead of a dull cast.
If your saved photo looks like fresh snow under a silvery haze, that is the target.
Bleach and Toner
- Start with your natural level. Only level 10 hair, the palest natural blonde, can skip lightening. Every other shade has to be lightened dramatically first.
- Bleach the hair. The amount depends on your natural color, and I won’t hand you a formula for it. Used wrong, bleach damages hair and irritates or burns skin, so wear gloves and read the directions closely. If you start dark, a stylist is the safer call.
- Rinse the bleach out and towel off the excess water.
- Mix a purple-based toner with 5- or 10-volume developer. The purple cancels the yellow left behind by bleaching.
- Apply the toner and leave it on for about 30 minutes, then rinse.
Keeping Silver From Fading
Silver fades quickly, so I keep the routine short and steady between dye sessions:
- Use a purple shampoo that is also color correcting to hold yellow tones back for as long as possible.
- If hair turns slightly yellow anyway, bring in a toner to correct it.
- Apply a deep conditioning treatment, such as a hair mask, once a week to keep hair feeling healthy.
- Switch to sulfate-free shampoo, because sulfates tend to strip color.
- Space out your washes, since the more you wash, the faster silver fades.
The Redken Formula
Redken’s icy silver blonde recipe is a four-part formula:
- 0.25 oz Shades EQ 010T
- 0.25 oz Shades EQ 010P
- 1/2 oz Shades EQ 09V
- 1/2 oz Shades EQ 000 Crystal Clear
- The amounts add up to 1.5 oz of mix, with the 09V and the Crystal Clear each making up twice the share of either 010 shade.
- The result is a cool-toned, almost snow white blonde with a soft, silver cloud quality.
- Redken lists the formula and nothing more here: no application or processing steps. I won’t guess at timing or technique, so take the exact recipe to your colorist and let them set both.
Who Can Pull It Off
Silver flatters dark and fair complexions alike, and Schwarzkopf says as much:
It’s perfect for those with dark complexions as well as those who are fairer, making it an all-round champion color. Of course, not everyone can pull off silver hair and it takes a certain amount of courage to take the plunge from dark to light!
Skin tone is the smaller hurdle. Your starting point is the bigger one: unless you’re a natural level 10, silver means lightening dramatically first, so the darker your hair, the bigger the commitment.
I’d only go ahead if you’re ready for bleach, toner and the upkeep that follows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a difference between gray hair and silver hair?
Yes. Ice silver is lighter and closer to white, with a faint shimmer, while plain gray tends to look flat and muted with a dull cast.
Ice silver also carries no gold at all, and even a hint of it breaks the effect.
What color does your hair have to be to dye it silver?
Only level 10 hair, the palest natural blonde, can skip lightening.
Every other natural shade has to be lightened dramatically first, then toned with a purple-based toner to cancel the leftover yellow. The darker you start, the bigger the job, and a stylist is the safer choice.
What skin tone looks best with silver hair?
Silver suits both dark and fair complexions, and Schwarzkopf calls it an all-round champion color. Skin tone is the smaller hurdle; your starting hair color decides how much bleaching the change takes.
