If you want to change your look, lightening your hair can be a fun option. However, the same is not true of the horror stories that we have all heard at some point about dyes. Although chemical bleaching may be the easiest and safest way to lighten hair, it can often lead to weakened and brittle hair or even hair loss.
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How to lighten hair naturally?
Learning how to lighten your hair naturally is an attractive option, so are you ready to give your everyday look ? Let’s look at how to lighten your hair with items you may already have at home. Some of the tips below are not only good for natural highlights and tans; but they will also leave your hair shinier and softer.
Mix lemon juice with conditioner
Lemon juice works, but use with caution. Lemon lightens, although it can also be dangerous, since it is so acidic that it could burn your hair. The best way to use it is to mix it with conditioner or even coconut oil. This way you get important moisturizing and repairing benefits.
Simply squeeze a fresh lemon into a spray bottle. You’ll want to add a little water to help dilute the acidity of the juice, as well as mix it with conditioner or coconut oil to moisturize. Then spray all over your hair or targeting the specific parts you want to lighten. Then, go out and sunbathe for about 30 to 45 minutes before rinsing. Don’t forget to use sunscreen!
Apply vitamin C
Vitamin C is an effective way to lighten hair, thanks to its citric acid. Just crush up some vitamin C, add to a spray bottle, and spray. This will help brighten your hair and remove mineral buildup.
Use a salt water solution in the Sun
If you already dye your hair and still have the bleaching bug, your hair may look even lighter in the sun. Colored people only have to mix, mainly, water with a little salt and spray their hair in a beach environment.
This will slightly open the hair cuticle and expose it to the sun. No matter what color your hair is, the sun will fade it. Just as the paint on a car fades in sunlight, so will your hair. If you want a bright color, use shampoo and conditioner with UV protection.
Add apple cider vinegar
A dose of apple cider vinegar will not only help gently lighten hair, but it will dissolve oil and residue buildup on the scalp. This will promote growth, plus the vinegar helps detangle and eliminate frizz.
Mix one part apple cider vinegar and six parts water to remove chlorine buildup, for example. This is a gentle way to lighten hair, but you may have to repeat it several times to get results.
Apple cider vinegar is much milder than lemon juice, which reacts to direct sunlight. You can use it up to twice a week without the risk of drying out or damaging your hair. Simply apply the mixture, let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes and rinse well.
Combine baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
Combining hydrogen peroxide with baking soda creates a paste that can sit on your hair and lighten it by a shade or two. However, you will need to exercise some caution because both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide can damage the cuticle and irritate the scalp if too much paste is added and left for too long.
To try this method and mitigate the risk of damage, combine one cup of baking soda with no more than three tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Mix and apply the paste, let the mask act for 30 minutes for a lighter tone and 45 minutes for a darker color. As an added precaution, you can protect your hairline with Vaseline and apply a moisturizing mask afterwards.
Try chamomile
Chamomile helps revive hair shine and adds natural highlights, thanks to quercetin, which is what gives plants their pigmentation. Quercetin is known to inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that helps control melanin production in hair.
When used with honey, or even alone, chamomile subtly enhances the overall tone of the hair. But if you’re interested in natural highlights, you should try a homemade solution that you can apply to more specific parts, such as the combination of lemon juice and conditioner.
To lighten your hair with chamomile, all you need to do is brew seven tea bags, let them steep for a while, and then put the tea in a spray bottle. Add a teaspoon or two of honey if you wish. Spray and let your hair soak for 30 minutes to an hour max before rinsing.
Honey mask
Another way to lighten your hair is with a honey mask. You just have to add two tablespoons of honey to your conditioner, apply it and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. Use this product for 10 or 15 days and you will notice how your hair becomes lighter. The best thing about this is that you will not be at risk of damage and you will have healthier and more nourished hair.
In the end we may not know if blondes have more fun in their lives, but what is certain is that all of us, at some point, have wanted to have golden hair (or at least some pretty blonde locks). And with these tips, lightening your hair will no longer be a problem. Do you want a radical change? Go blonde!
