Tuesday Beauty Tips!! Lighten Hair Naturally!

I had a request from my good friend Queen over at Relationship Rant to do a post on lighting hair naturally! Here you go Queen!

It is estimated that two out of every five American women color their hair, so there are no shortage of people who can benefit from utilizing more natural methods of hair color.

For Natural Blondes:

Lemon juice is by far the most popular method for lightening hair at home. Beware of commercial lighteners that claim to use lemon juice; they are often strong chemical products in disguise with very little lemon juice inside the bottle. Lemon juice in itself is strongly acidic, so diluting it will keep it from damaging your hair. It should be mixed with at least an equal amount of water, more if your hair is already damaged or if you are concerned with graying.

Olive oil contains lightening agents in addition to its undeniable ability to give hair a certain softness and sheen. It's excellent for counteracting any drying effects lemon juice may have on your hair. Mix a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a cup of water with one tablespoon of pure lemon juice. Massage mixture into damp hair.  You can also use a spray bottle or comb through for more of a highlighting effect.  Lemon juice by itself will not lighten the hair. Lemon juice AND the ultraviolet rays of the sun will lighten your hair.  For best results sit in the sun until hair is dried.  Rinse well; two shampoos may be required to completely remove the olive oil.  You may have to try this method a number of times to achieve the desired result.
 

Use dried marigolds:

Put 1 cup of water, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, and some dried marigold flowers in a pot and bring it to a boil. Strain out the flowers and let the liquid cool completely. Put it into a spray bottle, spritz it on dry hair, massage it into the scalp, and let the hair air-dry. Highlights appear in under an hour.

Another method is to steep five chamomile tea bags in boiling water. When the tea is completely cool, spray it on your hair, comb it through, and sit in the sun for about 30 minutes to bring out natural highlights.

For Natural Redheads:

Follow the same brewed tea method if you’re a redhead, except use cherry or blackberry tea. A can of beet juice mixed with a little water will give redheads highlights, too.

Give dark hair a cup of coffee

If you have brown hair, make a pot of extra-strong coffee. Let it cool completely. Pour the cold coffee into a spray bottle, and spritz it all over your hair. Sit in the sun for about half an hour. This won’t lighten your overall color, but it will brighten your natural highlights.