Lighten Your Hair Naturally
1. Lemons
Lemon juice, dilute half-and-half with distilled water. Will lighten dark blond or light brown hair and won’t leave reddish tones unless your hair already has them.
2. Chamomile
My grandmother used to swear by chamomile to lighten darker hair. She said to brew a strong cup of chamomile tea and let it cool.
Then apply to individual strands of hair for highlights or pour over entire head for all over colour. Go out into the sun and let it dry, usually about 30 minutes. Wash out and style as usual.
3. Vinegar
Vinegar, like raw apple cider vinegar, will leave reddish highlights in the same hair colour. Mix apple cider vinegar 50/50 with distilled water. Spray on all over to lighten all your hair or apply with a cotton ball or brush for strands of highlights. Leave on 30 minutes and rinse out. Dry as usual. This will not work for some naturally dark hair.
4. Peroxide
Dilute hydrogen peroxide half-and-half with water as well. Apply as directed above and test after 15-20 minutes. Peroxide will lighten quickly without the worry of drying out like commercial hair bleaches. Wash out well after you get to the shade you want.
5. Honey and Olive Oil
I’m not sure the exact mechanics of how this works, but it creates nice subtle highlights and softer hair. Warm ¼ cup of honey and add ¼ cup olive oil. Stir well to combine. Apply to your hair where you want the highlights and leave on for 30-60 minutes. About 5 minutes before you wash it out, work it into all your hair, focusing on ends. Wash out well. If you are using the shower to wash it out, be very careful as oil can create a very slippery surface.
6. Cinnamon
Take a half a cup of your normal conditioner and add enough cinnamon powder to make a thick paste. Apply this to your hair and leave on 3-4 hours or overnight. The longer you leave it, the richer the colour. In the morning (or at the end of the 3-4 hours), wash it out well and style as you normally would.
This will also soften your hair and leave it nice and silky. Bonus – cinnamon has antioxidants and natural sunscreen that will protect your hair from the damaging rays of the sun. Advice: This will not lighten some dark hair but will more condition the hair.
7. Honey and Vinegar
Why not get both for the benefits of honey and vinegar at the same time? Use 2 cups of raw apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of honey. Add a tablespoon of warmed coconut oil and blend together well. Apply to your hair, wrap in an old towel, and leave on overnight. Shampoo out in the morning.
8. Rhubarb
This is another old favourite of my grandmother’s. She told me to use ¼ cup of chopped rhubarb to 2 cups of water. Boil these together and strain the juice. (You can add some sweetener and make a nice toast spread with what’s left!) Then after the juice has cooled, apply it to your hair and leave on for 10 minutes. Wash out well. Rhubarb contains pectin and will get sticky if left on your hair too long.
9. Henna
On most hair, henna will only darken, but on very dark brown or black hair, henna can lighten and leave reddish highlights. Use about 3 tablespoons of henna powder to a ½ cup of boiling water. Let this sit for 12 hours or overnight. Then apply to your hair and let sit for 2-3 hours. Wash out well and style as you normally do.
10. Baking Soda
You can make a paste with warm water and baking soda to lighten your hair. Take about ½ cup and add enough warm water to make a medium paste. If it’s too thin it won’t cover well and if it’s too thick it will dry out quickly and not work either.
Apply the paste and leave for 15-20 minutes. Check your hair to see what it looks like. If you are happy, wash it out. If you want it lighter, leave it for a bit longer. This will not lighten some dark hair but is brilliant in cleaning the scalp and removing chemical build-up on hair – highly recommended for that.
11. Vitamin C
Crush 8-9 Vitamin C tablets and mix into the amount of shampoo you would normally use on your hair. Shampoo as usual and follow with conditioner.
12. Salt
Dissolve 1 tablespoon salt (any kind) with ½ cup of warm water. Leave on 15 minutes and rinse out. We all know how salt will highlight our hair after swimming in the ocean. Now you can do it at home. Be sure to follow up with our Sea Salt Spray to get those nice beach waves!
Have a happy result.
