Hey Lili - I haven't tried it personally but I think it works the same as a toner would that you get in the salon. However - I think because your hair has been through so much, I might hesitate to add another thing into the mix. You could try calling the L'Oreal 1-800 # (1-800-4-LOREAL) and see what they think given your "hair history". Maybe you could just use it on the underneath sections only so that it doesn't change the upper layers... but I would probably ask them just to get a professional opinion.