How to Lighten Hair Naturally

Best homemade recipes for making your own natural hair lighteners! Try making your own hair lightener using natural ingredients rather than the box dyes, bleach and the hair lightening products available in the market. Most of the homemade hair lighteners listed here allows you to get brighter hair without the sunlight, making them useful for those dull winter and fall months as well.

How to Naturally Lighten Hair

Natural Hair Lightener

Ways to Lighten Your Hair without Bleach:

Chamomile Hair Lightener for Dark (Brown/Black) Hair

Ingredients

• Chamomile tea bags – 5
• Water – 2 mugs approx.

Procedure

1. Keep the tea bags in boiling-hot water for 15-20 minutes and allow the water to cool.
2. Now, use a mug and pour the water on your scalp, making sure to catch the rinse water in a bucket placed just below, so you can re-use it to thoroughly wet your hair.
3. Let your hair air dry. Sitting in the sun for half an hour can get better results.

Chamomile Hair Lightener

Chamomile contains natural coloring properties that can lighten your hair gradually, making it a suitable choice for brunettes.

Tip:

• You can also use rhubarb in place of chamomile. However, rhubarb is more suitable for those with lighter hair as it produces a mild yellowish tint.

Lighten Your Blonde Hair with Just Lemon Juice

This is an easy recipe for blondes, but also good for darker hair types. The citric acid in lemon juice is very effective in lightening your hair, and even your hair extensions (provided they are made of human hair). You can also try this to lighten the long-lasting hue of henna.

Ingredients

• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Water – 1 cup

Lighten Hair with Lemon Juice

Procedure

1. Mix 2 tbsp of lemon juice in a cup of water and apply it from the scalp to the hair end. Make sure to spray ample amounts of the mixture around the hair roots, especially if you have darker roots.
2. Expose your hair to sunlight to let it dry completely.
3. Later, deep condition your hair, since lemon juice will leave your scalp and hair dry.

Tip:

• You can replace lemon juice with lemon vodka, as the combination of citric acid and alcohol can have natural lightening effects. However, make sure to use a deep conditioner as alcohol dries the hair even further.

DIY Natural Lightener Spray

Hair Lightening Spray with Honey, Lemon, Chamomile, Cinnamon and Olive Oil

You can use this organic DIY hair spray on all types of hair (including straight, curly, kinky, Asian, etc.).

Ingredients

• Lemon juice – ½ cup
• Honey – 1 tsp
• Chamomile tea bag – 1
• Cinnamon – 1 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 tsp
• Warm water – 1 cup

Natural Hair Lightener Recipe

Procedure

1. Pour boiling water in a tea cup and steep the tea bag in the water for about half an hour (or until the water cools).
2. Pour the water in a spray bottle halfway and add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well-combined.
3. Spray it on your damp hair before bed. Wear a shower cap and leave it overnight. Rinse off in the morning.

Tip:

• You may skip the honey for a hair lightener suitable for vegans. In that case, use an extra chamomile teabag and another spoonful of olive oil. You may also substitute the olive oil with almond or coconut oil.

Baking Soda to Lighten and Highlight Your Hair at Home

Baking soda makes an excellent natural lightener if you can use it once in every 7 to 10 days. It also cleans your hair of any toxins or harmful chemicals.

Ingredients

• Baking soda – 1 tsp
• Water – enough to make a medium paste

Lightening Hair with Baking Soda

Procedure

1. In a bowl, mix the soda with water and make a paste. Remember, the baking soda will not cover the hair well if the mixture is too runny or too thick.
2. Massage it in your scalp and all over your hair, leaving it on for 15-20 minutes. If you want highlights, apply the paste on strips of your hair and cover with foil.
3. Wash off your hair.

Tip:

• If you want your hair a little lighter, leave the paste a little longer before washing.

Hydrogen Peroxide to Lighten Hair

Ingredients

• Hydrogen Peroxide – 1½ tsp
• Baking Soda – 2 tsp

Hair Lightener using Hydrogen Peroxide

Procedure

1. Mix the H2O2 and baking soda in a bowl and make a smooth paste. The consistency should be such that, you can easily smear it all through your hair.
2. Once done, brush it to spread it evenly.
3. Leave it for an hour if you have dark hair, or for 15-30 minutes, if you have lighter.
4. Wash off with cold water.

Homemade Hair Lightener with Conditioner

Ingredients

• Deep natural conditioner (for moisturizing) – 1 cup
• Cinnamon – 2 tbsp
• Honey – 1 cup
• Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Procedure

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Moist your hair and either apply on the strand you want to lighten, or else, all through.
3. Cover your hair with a cap and leave it for 3-4 hours or overnight, and wash off.

Tip:

• If required, you can repeat the process until you get the desired color.

Homemade Hair Lightener for Dark Hair

Lighten Hair with Shampoo and Vitamin C

Vitamin C acts as a very effective hair lightener. This recipe is good to lighten dyes from hair highlights or parts of your hair (as in ombre hair).

Ingredients

• Crushed vitamin C tablets (like ‘Emergen–C’) – 1 tsp
• Shampoo – Enough to mix the tablets

Procedure

1. Mix the powdered tablets and the shampoo thoroughly.
2. Massage evenly on the dyed part of your hair and cover with a foil (for highlights) or a shower cap and keep it for 1 hour.
3. Wash your hair thoroughly, making sure none of the shampoo-vitamin-C mixture stays back in your hair.

Lightening Your Hair with Egg

Ingredients

• Egg – 1
• Alcohol-free Beer – 1 bottle

Egg and Vinegar Hair Lightener

Procedure

• Beat the ingredients together to make a fine mixture
• Apply all over your hair and wait for 20 minutes
• Now, wash off the mixture with your regular shampoo

Natural Hair-lightening Tips

• Simply exposing your hair in the sun can also help your hair lighten gradually over time. So, those long hours spent at the beach during the summer months make your hair prettier too.
• Spending some time in the swimming pool can also have evident hair lightening effects due to the bleach/chlorine in the water. Sea bathing may be an alternative as the salts in sea water can make your hair brighter.
• Rinsing your hair with 1 part apple cider vinegar mixed with 6 parts of water is another fast and simple way to lighten your hair. Leave the mixture on for 15-20 minutes before washing off.
• Making a pot of extra strong coffee, spraying it over your hair after it cools down, and sitting in the sun for 30 minutes can bring out the natural highlights in your dark brown hair.