How to Naturally Lighten Hair at Home: A Comprehensive Guide

Switching up your look can be a fun option, and lightening your locks is a great way to do it. While bleach may be the simplest, most surefire way to lighten hair, it often comes at a cost, stripping away the natural fatty acids found on the hair shaft, leading to weakened, brittle hair, and even hair loss in extreme cases. Learning how to lighten hair naturally is an appealing alternative. This article explores various methods to lighten and highlight hair naturally at home, offering options that are gentler on your hair and scalp.

Understanding Natural Hair Lightening

Before diving into DIY methods, it’s important to understand how natural lightening works. According to experts, natural lightening methods work best on fair hair with a fine texture. Darker hair has red and orange undertones that will be the first colors to be exposed, meaning a DIY hair lightener like lemon juice isn’t really going to work. If you have blonde hair, it will get blonder. Light brown hair might end up with some dark blonde peeking through, and redheads will potentially transform to strawberry blondes.

It's also crucial to remember that even natural ingredients can cause damage if not used correctly. Anything that messes with the keratin structure of your hair is potentially damaging. The damage won't be to the same extent as actually bleaching your hair, but do make sure you use a conditioner after trying these methods. Results can and will vary, as everyone’s hair is different and will absorb color or lose color at different rates.

DIY Methods for Natural Hair Lightening

Here are several methods you can try at home to lighten your hair naturally:

1. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice is a classic natural hair lightener. It works best on dark blond or light brown hair and won’t leave reddish tones unless your hair already has them.

Read also: Comprehensive Guide: Darkening Eyebrows

How to Use:

• Squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon into a spray bottle.
• Add a little water to help dilute the juice’s acidity, in addition to mixing in conditioner or coconut oil for moisture.
• Spritz it on, either covering your full head of hair or targeting the specific parts you want to lighten. (If natural highlights are what you’re after, go for the latter!)
• Head outside to soak up some sun for about 30 to 45 minutes before you rinse, and don’t forget your sunscreen.

Benefits: Lemon juice can help reduce oil and dandruff, too!

Caution: Lemon juice is acidic and can burn your hair if used undiluted. Always mix it with water and a moisturizing agent like conditioner or coconut oil.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar not only gently lightens hair but also dissolves oil and residue buildup in your hair and on your scalp, promoting growth. It also helps detangle and defrizz your hair.

How to Use:

• Mix one part apple cider vinegar and six parts water to take off build-up (for example, chlorine).
• Apply the mixture throughout your hair.
• Leave it on for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Rinse it out thoroughly in the shower.

Benefits: Apple cider vinegar is much gentler than lemon juice reacting to direct sunshine, you can do this as often as twice a week without risk of drying out or damaging your hair.

3. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can lighten hair quickly without the worry of drying out like commercial hair bleaches.

Read also: Blonde Balayage Guide

How to Use:

• Dilute the hydrogen peroxide half and half with water.
• Apply to hair and test after 15-20 minutes.
• Once you get to the shade you want, rinse your hair well.

Caution: Use with caution, as it can be damaging if used improperly.

4. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile helps revive hair's luster while adding natural highlights, thanks to quercetin, a flavonoid that inhibits tyrosinase, which is an enzyme that helps control hair’s production of melanin.

How to Use:

• Brew a really strong cup of chamomile tea and let it cool.
• Apply to individual strands of hair for highlights, or pour over your entire head for all-over color.
• Go out into the sun and let it dry, usually for about 30 minutes.
• Finish by washing out and styling as usual.
• Alternatively, brew a few tea bags (Abdullah recommends seven). Let them steep for a while so the tea is extra strong, allowing it to cool in the process. Then, put the tea in a spray bottle, throwing in a teaspoon or two of honey if desired. Spritz it on and let your hair soak for 30 minutes to an hour max before rinsing.

Benefits: When used with honey, or even on its own, chamomile will subtly lift the overall tone of your hair.

Caution: Keeping it under an hour is important if you don’t want to emerge from this experiment with majorly dried-out hair!

5. Henna

On most hair, henna will only darken, but on very dark brown or black hair, henna can lighten and leave reddish highlights.

Read also: Natural Eyelash Growth

How to Use:

• Use about 3 tablespoons of henna powder to ½ cup of boiling water.
• Let this sit for 12 hours or overnight.
• Then apply to your hair and let sit for 2-3 hours.
• Wash out well and style as you normally would.

Benefits: Ideal for those looking for black hair with highlights.

6. Honey and Olive Oil Mask

This method creates nice subtle highlights and softer hair.

How to Use:

• Warm ¼ cup of honey and add ¼ cup olive oil.
• Stir well to combine.
• Apply to your hair where you want the highlights and leave on for 30-60 minutes.
• About 5 minutes before you wash it out, work it into all of your hair, focusing on the ends.
• Wash out well.

7. Cinnamon and Conditioner

This method will also soften your hair and leave it nice and silky.

How to Use:

• Take half a cup of your normal conditioner and add enough cinnamon powder to make a thick paste.
• Apply this to your hair and leave for 3-4 hours or overnight.
• The longer you leave it, the richer the color.
• In the morning (or at the end of the 3-4 hours), wash it out well and style it as you normally would.

8. Honey and Vinegar Mask

Combine the benefits of honey and vinegar at the same time.

How to Use:

• Use 2 cups of raw apple cider vinegar to 1 cup of honey.
• Add a tablespoon of warmed coconut oil and blend together well.
• Apply to your hair, wrap in an old towel, and leave on overnight.

9. Rhubarb Rinse

This is an old favorite.

How to Use:

• Use ¼ cup of chopped rhubarb to 2 cups of water.
• Boil these together and strain the juice.
• After the juice has cooled, apply it to your hair and leave it on for 10 minutes.
• Wash out well.

10. Baking Soda Paste

Simply make a paste with warm water and baking soda to lighten your hair.

How to Use:

• Take about a ½ cup of baking soda and add enough warm water to make a medium paste.
• Apply the paste and leave for 15-20 minutes.
• Check your hair to see what it looks like. If you are happy, wash it out.

Caution: The high alkalinity of baking soda can also leave hair dry, frizzy, and brittle. Be sure to use baking soda sparingly. Try using it 2 to 3 days in a row to get your desired hair color, then wait a few weeks before reapplying it to your hair.

11. Vitamin C and Shampoo

Crush 8-9 Vitamin C tablets and mix them into the amount of shampoo you would normally use on your hair.

12. Saltwater Solution

Dissolve 1 tablespoon salt (any kind) with ½ cup of warm water. Leave for 15 minutes and rinse out.

Additional Tips for Lightening Hair

Lightening Previously Dyed Hair

If your hair has previously been dyed, you have a few options:

• Wait it out: Permanent color remains until it grows out. Use a clarifying shampoo to speed up the process slightly.
• Use a Primer: Before adding color, use a primer to prepare hair for color and removes excess buildup that causes color to look dull or too dark.
• Highlighting Kit: Use a highlighting kit to create a multi-dimensional balayage effect.

Dealing with Brassiness

Brassiness can appear when and where it's least wanted. Solutions include a glaze or a gloss, or a color depositing hair mask.

Nourishing Your Hair

A key to gorgeous hair is to properly care for it before and after you add color. Always rely on a good color protecting shampoo and conditioner as part of your regimen, and try adding in a Pro Boost Treatment to seal, hydrate, strengthen or add shine.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you’re looking to make a bigger leap, like a transformation from black to blonde, you’ll need to seek professional help.

Understanding Hair Color Levels and Undertones

To effectively lighten your hair, it's essential to understand hair color levels and undertones. Hair color is categorized on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being black and 10 being the lightest blonde. When lightening hair, you're essentially lifting the hair's natural pigment, and as you do, underlying tones are revealed. Darker hair contains more red and orange undertones, while lighter hair has yellow undertones.

How to Determine Your Hair Color Level

1. Choose a section of your hair: Select a section away from the front of your hairline.
2. Stand in natural light: Ensure you have the best possible view of your hair's shade.
3. Examine your roots: Look at the color of the hair growing out from your roots.
4. Compare to a hair color chart: Use a hair color chart to match your current natural hair color to a level.

Choosing the Right Lightening Method for Your Hair Color

• Untreated Hair: If your hair is untreated, permanent hair dye can lift and deposit color.
• Color-Treated Hair: If your hair has been color-treated, permanent color will only deposit more pigment. Consider using a clarifying shampoo to fade the existing color or opt for balayage highlights.

Additional DIY Lightening Methods

Baking Soda

Baking soda is an abrasive cleaner and a natural cleansing agent. It can remove stains from hair and is sometimes used as a natural remedy to remove semipermanent hair color.

How to Use Baking Soda to Lighten Hair:

1. Create a paste: Combine 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a small amount of water to achieve a medium-thick consistency.
2. Apply to hair: Gently massage the baking soda paste over your hair.
3. Let it sit: Allow the mixture to sit on your hair for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Rinse or wash your hair: Rinse thoroughly.

Baking Soda with Hydrogen Peroxide

1. Create a paste: Combine 2 tsp of baking soda with 1 1/2 tsp of hydrogen peroxide.
2. Apply to hair: Apply the paste evenly over your hair.
3. Let it sit: Leave it in for 1 hour if you have dark hair or 30 minutes if you have lighter hair.
4. Rinse your hair: Rinse your hair with cold water.

Baking Soda with Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

1. Create a paste: Combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of anti-dandruff shampoo.
2. Apply to hair: Apply the paste evenly over your hair.
3. Let it sit: Allow the paste to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing it out.

Beer

Beer can make for a decent DIY lightener. The average beer has a pH of around 4, which is enough to lighten your hair a tiny bit.

How to Use Beer to Lighten Hair:

1. Decarbonate the beer: Open two or three bottles and let them sit out a few hours.
2. Shampoo your hair: Head into the shower and shampoo as normal.
3. Pour the beer over your hair: Pour the beer over your hair, from root to tip.
4. Sit in the sun: Take a half hour break to go sit in the sun.
5. Condition your hair: Use plenty of conditioner after.

Precautions and Considerations

• Porosity: Hair porosity determines how well your hair can absorb color or moisture. Low porosity hair has closed cuticles, while high porosity hair has open cuticles.
• Test Strands: Always test any lightening method on a small, less visible section of your hair first to see how it reacts.
• Moisturize: Lightening processes can be drying, so deep conditioning is essential.
• Avoid Over-Processing: Be patient and avoid trying to lighten your hair too much in one session.
• Sun Protection: The sun can fade hair color, so use UV-protecting shampoo and conditioner.

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