7 Ways To Lighten Hair Naturally
Want to have lighter hair, now that spring is on the way? Ditch the old school Sun-In and raid your cupboard instead for natural alternatives. If you’re going for some subtler bright shades in your hair, there are several natural ways to get lighter hair. Most of these natural hair lighteners are found in commercial hair lightener sprays, so you can get the lightening effects without the weird chemicals.
As a quick note, if you try to naturally lighten your hair, you’ll always end up with the underlying color that acts as a contributing pigment. That means light blondes will get paler, sun-kissed locks, and medium-to-dark blondes will get gold coloring. Light browns will get a more ginger look. Light brown through black will get varying shades of red, from red-orange with lighter browns to dark auburns with black hair.
Bringing out those contributing pigments will give you a natural look like you’ve been out in the sun and can give off a gorgeous highlighting effect. Just don’t expect to go platinum blonde with these methods if you have dark hair.
Lemon Juice
One of the most popular ways to lighten hair naturally is to use lemon juice. Combine one cup of water with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and work it into your hair. The let your hair dry in the sun. Repeat for increasingly lighter hair. Make sure to moisturize the hair deeply to combat any dryness from the lemon juice.
Honey
Honey actually works as a natural bleach. Combine honey with a carrier oil like coconut, olive, or jojoba (combine one part honey to one part oil). Work the mixture into your hair and leave it in for an hour. This is a treatment that will double as a conditioner.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile’s been known as a natural hair lightener for ages. Brew a couple strong cups of chamomile tea and let cool. Drench your hair with the tea and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Let your hair dry in the sun similar to the lemon juice process. Use repeatedly for increased lighting effects.
Cinnamon
Even cinnamon can lighten your hair. Just combine it with either your conditioner, a carrier oil, or honey for an extra lightening boost. Add enough cinnamon to make a paste. Work the mixture into your hair and then enjoy the scent for at least a half an hour—though you could also leave it on overnight for the most dramatic results.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is actually one of the more conditioning ways to get lighter hair. It’s a popular natural conditioning treatment for hair. You can combine one part apple cider vinegar to one part distilled water and leave it on your hair for 30 minutes, then rinse.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Remember when Margaret Houlihan used hydrogen peroxide to lighten her hair on MASH back in the day? For this one, you can combine one part water to one part hydrogen peroxide, and then leave it on your hair for about 20 minutes. Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful hair lightener.
Baking Soda
This is another powerful hair lightening agent. Combine baking soda and water so that it makes a paste. Work that into your hair so it saturates the hair. You’ll only have to leave it in for about 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
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