Whether it’s because of the time of year, or just because it’s time for a change, it can be fun to try lightening your hair colour. Bleach is one of the most important products at your disposal for achieving blonde hair, but what happens if you’re very sensitive to the product, or you simply don’t want to use it? Bleach does have its drawbacks, but luckily, it’s not always necessary to use it- thanks to some natural ways of lightening hair! The following methods explain techniques to lighten your hair with natural ingredients that cause significantly less damage than bleach:
CHAMOMILE
Brew a strong pot of chamomile tea and let cool. Saturate your hair (or, alternatively, the areas where you want highlights) in the tea, then hang out in the sun until it’s dry. The sun will work with the chamomile to naturally brighten. And because chamomile is so gentle on hair, you can even use it to lighten salon highlights without concerns of brassiness.
LEMON
Depending on how much you are planning to lighten, squeeze two to four lemons, or use a lemon juice concentrate. If you have chosen to squeeze them, dilute the mixture with 1/2 to a whole cup of water. If you are planning to coat your entire head, you may now pour the mixture into a spray bottle and shake well for about two minutes. Apply the mixture using your fingertips or a hair dying brush (for highlights) or a spray bottle. Apply sunscreen to your body and head out into the sun for at least an hour. The UV rays from the sun in combination with oxygen and the citric acid in lemon juice creates a natural bleaching effect. The final step is to shampoo and condition your hair. You may now dry and style your hair as normal.
CINNAMON
Cinnamon is a truly magic ingredient for bleaching hair. Ground up about 3 tablespoons of cinnamon, and mix it with a few tablespoons of your favourite conditioner. Then apply the conditioner on your hair, making sure to cover evenly. Put on a shower cap and leave this mixture on for four hours (or overnight). Repeat the process to maintain colour, or reach the colour you desire.
HONEY AND VINEGAR
You need 2 cups of distilled vinegar, 1 cup of raw uncooked honey, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of ground cardamom or cinnamon. You just have to mix the ingredients together and then apply onto damp hair. You can use a brush or comb to make sure that you get it evenly distributed or just apply it wherever you want highlights. When you have the mixture applied, just wrap your hair in plastic wrap. If you have one, you can put a shower cap or swim cap on to keep the plastic wrap in place or just wrap a towel around your head. Leave the mixture overnight and wash it off in the morning.
VITAMIN C
To lighten your hair with vitamin C, you’ll need to obtain vitamin C tablets or pills. Crush 8-9 of your vitamin C tablets into a powder and then add the powder to your regular shampoo. Use your shampoo normally and the added vitamin C will slowly lighten your hair.