Simply dissolve 1 tablespoon of natural sea salt in ½ cup of warm water. Have you ever spent a week at the ocean only to find that you’ve somehow gotten the most gorgeous, sun-kissed highlights? You can harness the power of salt water and sun at home with the help of a sea salt spray. Pour over freshly washed hair and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. Strain out the cardamom and let the liquid cool to room temperature. To use, simmer 1/4 cup of cardamom pods in 8 ounces of water for 30 minutes. While you might not see results immediately, over time, it can help lighten and brighten your locks without stripping hair of much-needed moisture. CardamomĬardamom contains a form of peroxide, which has long been used for lightening hair. This can be done several times in a week to lighten hair, or can be done once a week as maintenance. Another option is to pour the brewed tea into a spray bottle and spritz the hair to allow the sun to gently highlight the hair.
Spending time outside in the sun is ideal after the rinse, so try to do this at the start of your day so you have more opportunity to be in the sun. Wrap it in a towel and leave it on for about 10 minutes before rinsing out. Remove the towel and let your hair air dry. When your hair is clean, pour the chamomile solution through your wet hair. While waiting for it to cool, wash your hair. Steep 3 chamomile tea bags (or 3 tablespoons of loose chamomile tea) in 8 ounces of hot water. Then follow up with conditioner.Ĭhamomile tea has so many benefits for our bodies and our hair! This method for getting natural highlights is a bit more gradual but is still sure to bring out some bright highlights. Skip the shampoo and rinse the honey out with water. Put on a shower cap and allow the honey to sink in for 1–2 hours (don’t apply heat, don’t go out in the sun, just relax while the honey works its own magic). Let the mixture rest for an hour before applying to damp hair. How does it work? Well, honey has an enzyme called glucose oxidase that produces hydrogen peroxide, which acts as a bleaching agent.Ĭombine 1/4 cup of organic honey with 1 cup of water in a squeeze bottle (an old shampoo bottle works great for this) and shake well. Although effective, brightening your hair with bleach can be super damaging, so honey is the ultimate replacement. We know that honey is an awesome hair conditioning ingredient, so this truly is a double-duty lightening ingredient. Spritz on damp hair, focusing on areas you want to lighten more than others (like around the face), and sit with your hair in the sun for 1–2 hours.īe forewarned, some hair types may become a bit brassy with this technique. Try this lightening spray or squeeze 1/3 cup of lemon juice into a spray bottle and dilute with 1 cup of water. This trick has been around for a while-meaning, it must have good results, right? The science behind it says that when the citric acid in lemon juice heats up in the sun, it opens hair cuticles and lifts out the pigment.
Besides, we’re big fans of the more subtle look. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box (hair color box, that is) and try something different!īe forewarned, the results you get from herbs are less intense than the salon, and they won’t turn your hair from brunette to blonde overnight, but they’re way less damaging to your hair. We rounded up some of the best solutions for you if you’re ready to switch to natural dyes. (Yikes!!!)Īlthough the FDA regulates cosmetics, it “does not approve each ingredient used in hair dyes before it goes on the market.” However, the good news is you can get natural highlights, lighten your hair, or darken it with natural stuff, too! Here are 17 ways to naturally color your hair at home. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) states that over 5,000 different chemicals are used in hair dye products, some of which are reported to be carcinogenic in animals. And, most of the time, the chemicals aren’t even worth it.
Hair dye, bleach, heat-we’re all guilty of putting our hair through more than it deserves.