Easy Ways to Lighten Your Hair Naturally

Not everyone wants to color their hair with chemicals or even sit through a session at the salon. Some of us would rather have a routine at home to get the most out of our hair color, without resorting to the bottle. Blonde hair can be lightened the easiest, but even darker hair can get lighter naturally.

Here are a few tips:

Lemon juice is a great and cost-effective way of lightening naturally blonde hair. Just mix lemon juice, about half a cup, and a quarter-cup of leave-on conditioner in a spray bottle. Spritz on dry hair and sit out in the sun for awhile. Don’t overdo it—a half an hour is plenty, and of course don’t sit out in extreme heat. You aren’t out there to bake your hair and skin! The idea is to sit out on a sunny day (don’t forget your sunscreen) and let your hair catch some rays.

Rinse out the mixture after you’re finished. Beware: if you have dry or overly processed hair, this is not a good option as the lemon juice will only dry your hair and make it more brittle.

• Chamomile is another effective hair lightener. Steep chamomile flowers (these are stronger than the classic teabag) in hot water for 15 minutes or so. Take out the flowers and mix the tea with a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Spray onto your hair before sitting out in the sun.
• Cinnamon is a novel way to lighten darker hair. Blend together powdered cinnamon and leave-on conditioner and apply to damp hair. If you have dry hair, add an egg yolk to the mix. Work well through your hair then wrap your head with plastic wrap and leave on for several hours, or overnight if possible. Rinse well and shampoo as usual.