Have you considered lightening your hair but worry about potential risks? Maybe your hair is very sensitive and you’re afraid that chemical dyes will lead to damage or maybe you’re all about clean beauty and looking to avoid commercial hair dyes. Whatever your reason for exploring alternative ways to lighten your hair, we are here to help. The alternatives below are generally not as dramatic as those you would get from using traditional dyes nor are they likely to be as instant, but with a bit of patience, you may well end up loving your results. Let’s take a look at alternative ways to lighten your hair.
Lemon Juice (and conditioner)
Lemon juice is one of the most commonly used DIY hair lighteners. It will lighten your hair but due to its acidic nature may dry hair out too much. To counteract this, you can add lemon juice to your conditioner or combine it with some honey, which is also able to lighten your hair. Leave on for at least 30 minutes before rinsing your hair.
Vitamin C
Due to its citric acid content, Vitamin C is an effective hair-lightening agent. Using Vitamin C is also a lot easier than having to cut lemons for your juice. You can dissolve Vitamin C tabs or powder in a little bit of water before adding it to your shampoo and you’ll be all set. Be sure to use a conditioner afterward.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Raw apple cider vinegar will give your hair reddish highlights. Mix equal parts water and vinegar before spraying all over hair or applying just to the sections of the hair you want to be highlighted. In addition to lightening your hair, your vinegar solution will help to dissolve any buildup from your hair and scalp and will smooth your hair to reduce frizz and improve shine.
Combine Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide to Make a Paste
Make yourself a baking soda and hydrogen peroxide paste by combining a cup of baking with 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Apply to hair and leave on for up to an hour. Results vary but, your hair will likely be a shade or two lighter after application.
Henna
When applied to black or dark brown hair, henna will lighten the hair and cause reddish highlights that are particularly noticeable in bright light. Mix your henna powder with hot water to create a paste. Let your paste sit overnight before applying to hair and leaving it on hair for a couple of hours. Wash and condition hair as usual.
Honey and Cinnamon
Naturally lighten your hair with a honey and cinnamon mask. Mix 2 parts honey with 1part cinnamon and let sit for about 45 minutes before applying the mixture to your hair. Leave on as long as you like (the longer the better) and your hair should be a couple of shades lighter once you rinse your hair.
Honey and Olive Oil
Mix equal parts honey and olive oil and apply to your hair, leaving on for an hour or so before rinsing. The mixture will give you delicate highlights and softer, moisturized hair.
Cinnamon
Create a paste with your usual conditioner and cinnamon powder. Apply your cinnamon-conditioner paste to your hair and let sit for as long as you like, even overnight. The longer you leave it, the richer the resulting color will be. Rinse well and style your hair as normal. Your hair will also be softer and shinier.
Honey and Vinegar
Honey and vinegar on their own will lighten your hair and provide other benefits to the hair as well, so really, it’s a no-brainer to combine them. Whip up a two to one mixture of vinegar and honey and apply to hair overnight before washing your hair as normal.
Lightening your hair naturally is not an exact science and no two individuals are likely to achieve the same results. A lot depends on the length of time you let your mixture remain on your hair and you may need to repeat your treatments several times until you achieve your desired results. Your ingredients and even the water you use can have an impact on the overall results but if you are willing to experiment a little bit and exercise a fair bit of patience, you’ll likely end up not just with lovely color, but because of the additional benefits of the ingredients involved, hair that’s a lot softer, shinier and more manageable at the end of your hair lightening experience.
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