How To Naturally Lighten Your Hair

Everyone’s wanting to lighten their hair these days. Whether it be to add subtle highlights or go full platinum, blonde remains one of the most desired hair transformations. So why don’t more people just go to the salon and get their hair bleached? Well, it’s not that easy. Getting your hair professional lightened is super expensive, and most people just don’t have that kind of money. And if you attempt to bleach your hair at home, you risk is looking horrible or completely damaging your hair.

Believe it or not, you can lighten your hair without bleach. Although it won’t be transformational, naturally lightening your hair will bring some brightness to your color. From lemon to baking soda and more, here are the best ways to naturally lighten your hair at home!

How To Lighten Your Hair Naturally

Before you try to naturally lighten your hair at home, there are a few things you should know.

First, some hair lightens naturally easier than others. If you have thin and/or already pretty light hair, it has a better chance of lightening. If you have super thick hair or hair that is super dark, your hair probably won’t lighten naturally.

Also, don’t expect your hair to lighten dramatically. No natural method does what bleach does. Lightening your hair is a chemical process. These natural methods only lighten the hair slightly.

Lemon Method

If you’ve heard of any method for naturally lightening your hair, it’s probably using lemon juice.

Lemon juice works because it has a high level of acidity. It is acidic enough that it is able to slightly alter the hair’s pH levels and lighten it.

You should apply the lemon juice all throughout your hair to avoid any blotchiness.

To get an even lighter lift, you need to have heat as well. The best way to add some heat is to simply sit outside in the sun until the lemon juice completely dries in your hair. But, be careful not to get lemon juice on your skin, as that can be damaging during sun exposure.

Baking Soda Method

Another common way of naturally lightening your hair is by making a baking soda mixture. The mixture is only two things: baking soda and water.

To make the mixture, combine one tablespoon of baking soda with a third cup of water. The mixture shouldn’t be too runny or too thick.

Then, apply the mixture to your hair strands. You can either apply it to your whole head or paint it on like a DIY balayage – it’s up to you. There’s really no messing up in the application process since your hair isn’t going to lift super bright.

If you want your hair to lift more, put your hair in foils. Applying heat is one of the best ways to lift your hair even lighter.

Chamomile Method

If you’re an avid tea drinker, you know the powers of chamomile tea. It helps prevent sickness, promotes healthy sleep, and treats skin conditions. Did you know it can also naturally lighten your hair?

By steeping a serving of chamomile tea and diluting it with water, you can make a pretty effective hair lightening mixture. You should apply it to damp hair throughout your entire hair and sit in the sun until it dries.

One of the great things about using chamomile tea to lighten hair is that it also conditions the hair. So, your hair isn’t going to feel dry and brittle after applying it!

Apple Cider Vinegar Method

Nowadays, apple cider vinegar is all the hype. People use it for health issues, weight loss, and more. It’s also great for hair care.

When using apple cider vinegar, you can make a mixture with apple cider vinegar and water and use it as a treatment. It’ll slightly lighten the hair while also getting rid of any build-up or residue!

In addition, apple cider vinegar has been proven to be great at detangling the hair and controlling frizz. So even if you don’t want to naturally lighten your hair, apple cider vinegar has so many other hair care benefits!

Honey Method

Using honey is a lesser-known hair lightening method, but it has worked for a lot of people.

Honey lightens the hair because it has something called “glucose oxidase” in it. When you mix this substance with water, it shows traces of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is proven to slightly lighten the hair.

One of the ways you can create a honey mask is my mixing it with other ingredients that have shown to benefit hair. For example, you can make a honey and cinnamon mixture, a honey and olive oil mixture, and more.

When applying the mask, you want to lather into damp hair and wrap a plastic bag over your head. You should leave this mask on for around 2-4 hours, or even overnight! The plastic bag is important because it’ll trap the heat and make the hair lift lighter.

Vitamin C Method

Vitamin C has shown to lighten the hair a little bit, and it can be used in many different ways. Here is the most popular and easiest way to do this.

If you have Vitamin C supplements or tablets, go ahead and crush them up and mix them with your conditioner. Then, let it sit on the hair as a mask. Or you could just regularly use that conditioner mixture on your hair every time you wash your hair.

Sea Salt Method

Believe it or not, sea salt can be a great natural hair lightener!

Create a sea salt and water mixture and completely cover your hair with it. Then, sit out in the sun until it completely dries. Wash it out, and you’re good to go.

The sea salt method is one of our favorites simply because it’s like you just came from the beach. For an extra beachy look, add some sea salt spray for some amazing texture!

Final Thoughts

If you want to fully lighten your hair multiple levels, you should probably go get your hair bleached at a salon. But, if you’re looking for just a little bit of lightening, try one of these methods. They’re great because they’re natural, inexpensive, and won’t damage your hair like bleach will.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I combine multiple methods?

Yes, you can combine multiple hair lightening methods! The methods we’ve listed above are all natural and not damaging for your hair. Also, doing a combination of different things may lift your hair better than just doing one method and calling it a day. So go for it!

Do these methods work on dark hair?

Unfortunately, these methods work best on lighter, thinner hair. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t work on dark hair. It probably just won’t be as effective. If you have dark hair and are set on trying to lighten it naturally, try a bunch of different methods and see what works best for you!

Does naturally lightening your hair cause hair damage?

There are two main reasons people want to naturally lighten their hair: money and hair damage. Bleach is very damaging on your hair, so you always want to get that professionally done. People choose to lighten their hair naturally because it is not damaging. So, no! Naturally lightening your hair using our methods above are not damaging to your hair. In fact, methods like Vitamin C and apple cider vinegar even promote hair health!