There are a variety of ways to lighten your hair with natural home remedies. However, the same good results are not achieved with all hair types or hair colors. With a light, already blond to light brown natural hair color, natural bleaching is particularly promising. The effect is weaker with darker hair tones. If you have dark brown hair, it is possible to conjure up reddish or slightly golden highlights in your hair.
In this article we will show you seven different home remedies that you can use to lighten your hair naturally and without chemicals. Finally, we list the most frequently asked questions and answers about naturally lightening hair.
the essentials in brief
- The home remedies lighten the hair slightly and ensure a particularly natural glow. With dark-haired types, however, the treatment is less noticeable.
- Particularly effective home remedies for lightening hair are chamomile tea, lemon, cinnamon, honey, baking soda, salt and vinegar.
- Although these home remedies do not attack the hair in an overly aggressive manner, the treatments should not be repeated daily and combined with moisturizing masks.
This should be considered before whitening
It should be clear that with the tricks of lightening hair with home remedies, hair color will not change 180 degrees. The home remedies lighten the hair subtly and ensure a particularly natural glow. The treatment is therefore less conspicuous on dark-haired types, but still shows up in slight highlights.
There are many different home remedies that you can use to lighten your hair for the summer naturally and without any chemicals. (Image Source: Ivana Cajina / Unsplash)
For example, if you are not yet sure whether and how blonde really suits you, you can slowly approach it with the home remedies. You're doing your hair an extra favor by not being hasty in experimenting with harsh dyes.
In the case of blondes, the results of the natural lightening are somewhat clearer. The home remedies emphasize the naturally blonde hair color even more, making the hairstyle look fresher and more radiant.
Lighten hair naturally: effective home remedies
If you want lighter hair and natural reflections like they have been kissed by the sun, you do not necessarily have to use chemical hair colors and bleaches. In the following section we will show you seven different home remedies that you can use to lighten your hair naturally and without any chemicals.
Camomile tea
Chamomile flowers are very nourishing for the hair. The naturally contained oils care for the hair structure and scalp without making the hairstyle look greasy. Boil 7 to 8 bags of chamomile tea in about 750 milliliters of water to get the added brightening effect of chamomile tea.
After the tea has cooled down, you can gently massage it into your hair and spread it evenly with a comb. Since the mixture does not have to be washed out (but of course it can), it is best to do the usual care with shampoo and conditioner beforehand.
After regular repetition of the additional chamomile treatment, the lighter shades of blonde become noticeable after a few weeks. It is preferable to repeat this procedure every time you wash your hair for better results(1).
lemon juice
Lemon juice is slightly more acidic than chamomile tea and this is reflected in the lightening effect on hair. For this reason, the preparation and subsequent care require a little more preparation, but the results are visible more quickly.
For a tincture you need the juice of about eight lemons (250 milliliters). For trickier hair types such as very fine and dry hair, you should dilute the liquid with a little water. You can then massage the juice into towel-dried or slightly damp hair and distribute well.
You should then wrap your hair in a towel turban and leave it on for about 20 minutes. If it's a sunny day, you can also let the hair air dry in the sunlight, which will intensify the lightening even more. Although lemon juice is a natural bleaching method, avoid stressing your hair with the acidic juice too often. As an optimal guideline, it is best to stick to one treatment per week(2).
Cinammon
Cinnamon is not only a delicious spice, but also very suitable for refreshing the hair color. For a spicy hair treatment, mix ground cinnamon with conditioner. You should then distribute the mixture well into your hair and massage it in. You should then let the paste soak in for a few hours. For a particularly intense lightening, you can also leave the paste on overnight(3).
Honey
The combination of water and oxygen can lighten the hair by up to two shades and is one of the reasons why honey is also included in cosmetic products for blonde hair. Two teaspoons of honey is enough for simple whitening. Before applying, you should mix the sweet nectar with a hair mask or your conditioner.
Honey contains the enzyme glucose oxidase, which turns into hydrogen peroxide when it comes into contact with water.
You can then distribute the mixture into your hair after washing your hair and then wrap it in a towel or cling film. This allows the care to be absorbed into the hair roots.
For faster visible lightening and the practical side effect of shiny, supple hair, leaving it on overnight is worthwhile. The next morning you should rinse your hair well and ideally repeat the treatment once a week to achieve visible results(4).
baking powder
The way to lighter hair without chemicals and without coloring can also lead to baking soda. Experts disagree on whether baking soda strengthens or damages hair. However, it has been confirmed that the home remedy gives the hair a lighter color.
To do this, you should mix two teaspoons of baking soda and 150 milliliters of water well. Then you can massage the relatively liquid mush into your hair and wrap it in a towel. Let the baking soda sit for about 20 minutes before thoroughly rinsing it out of your hair. To care for the hair, you can then use a hair treatment(5).
salt water
Salt is particularly suitable for blondes who want to help the sun a bit to create a beautiful summer look for their hair. The home remedy removes the color from the hair and is therefore ideal for lightening hair. However, if you don't have the sea at hand, you can simply mix up a salt water solution yourself.
Simply mix coarse salt with water and then massage into your hair. It is important to let the hair dry in the sun. However, keep in mind that salt will damage and dry out your hair. Therefore, you should not use this application too often(6).
Apple Cider Vinegar
Due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, apple cider vinegar is often used to remove product build-up and excess oil from the scalp. It was found that the vinegar lightens the hair color slightly and provides natural highlights.
To lighten your hair, fill a spray bottle with equal parts apple cider vinegar and water and shake well. First spray the whole hair with the mixture from roots to ends. You then have to let the diluted vinegar soak in for about 30 minutes, then rinse out with water. If you repeat this process once or twice a week over the course of a month, you will soon see results(7).
| home remedies | strength of the effect |
|---|---|
| Camomile tea | medium effect |
| lemon juice | strong effect |
| Cinammon | strong effect |
| Honey | strong effect |
| baking powder | medium effect |
| salt water | medium effect |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | strong effect |
How to lighten hair naturally: Questions & Answers
In the following section we list the most important and most frequently asked questions and answers about naturally lightening hair.
What exactly happens when whitening with home remedies?
When bleaching without chemicals, natural essences are used. These do not penetrate deep into the hair and lighten the pigments. The natural brighteners only settle on the outer cuticle layer and have a bleaching effect there. The hair also appears lighter in this way, but the effect is comparatively weak. Alternatively, you can use organic bleaching for a slightly fresher shade of hair color(8).
How gentle are home remedies?
Bleaching hair without chemicals sounds like a natural and therefore gentle procedure. And that is exactly what many women are concerned with, who want to avoid their hair suffering from brittle ends and dryness after many chemical color treatments. Unfortunately, this effect can only be avoided to a limited extent if you want to bleach your hair without chemicals.
The same good results are not achieved with all hair types or hair colors. The natural lightening of light natural hair color is particularly promising. (Image Source: Jordan Whitfield / Unsplash)
Because even with natural methods, a lightening process always means that the hair structure is roughened and thus slightly damaged. Of course, the hair is not stressed as much as with the chemical process, but the hair cannot do without intensive follow-up care, even with natural lightening. That is why hair treatments, conditioners and masks are part of the regular care program(9).
What is the best way to care for my hair after bleaching?
Hair care after lightening is crucial. Although the methods using natural home remedies do not attack the hair in an overly aggressive manner, the treatments should not be repeated daily and combined with moisturizing masks. The latter strengthen the hair from within, making it more receptive to the next cure.
What are the disadvantages of natural whitening?
If you are looking for an intensive lightening effect on blonde hair or want to dye very dark hair lighter, you will not achieve the desired look with natural lightening using home remedies. Chemical bleaching has advantages here, because it first uses ammonia to open the outer cuticle of the hair and then introduces hydrogen peroxide into the hair.
The result is that hydrogen peroxide attaches itself to the color pigments and causes them to fade. This process is tough on the hair, but effective. Depending on the dosage of hydrogen peroxide, almost any desired nuance can be achieved(10).
Conclusion
There are various ways to lighten your hair with natural home remedies. However, the same good results are not achieved with all hair types or hair colors. Natural bleaching is particularly promising for light, already blonde to light brown natural hair color. The effect is weaker with darker hair tones.
Lightening hair cannot be reversed even with home remedies. And every hair reacts differently to different means. Therefore, as with chemical hair colors, you should first test on a small strand. If the first test is successful, the treatment should then only be used in the hair lengths. This ensures a natural result. In addition, hair at the roots tends to take on copper tones, which could result in an undesirable orange result.
References
- utopia.de: Lighten hair with natural means, Alexa Brosius, 01/22/2018 Source
- myself.de: Lighten hair with home remedies, Lena Höhn, January 23, 2020 Source
- brigitte.de: Lighten hair: The best home remedies, Claudia Enders, 04/13/2020 source
- praxistipps.focus.de: Lighten and care for hair with honey, Beate Uhmann, 11/29/2019 Source
- praxistipps.focus.de: Lighten hair with baking powder, Nicole Hery-Moßmann, 07.09.2018 Source
- refinery29.com: Household help: How to bleach your hair yourself, ELISA ZUNDER, 05/26/2020 Source
- instyle.de: Beauty tip: How you can easily lighten your hair yourself without damaging it, LUCA VERA SISTIG, March 31, 2020 Source
- activebeauty.at: Lighten hair naturally: Is it really better?, Linda Freutel, 06/23/2019 Source
- womenshealth.de: This is how your hair becomes gently blonder, Amira Tröger, Philipp Wehsack, 02.07.2019 Source
- activebeauty.at: Lighten hair naturally: Is it really better?, Linda Freutel, 06/23/2019 Source
