Many women like to lighten their natural hair color to be a little lighter and clearer, especially during the summer months. Luckily, there are many ways to go blonde, whether on a tight budget, with natural remedies or trying to lighten your hair color in a hurry. Just take a look at the first step below to get started.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Natural Ways
Step 1. Use lemon juice
Lemon juice has been used as a natural bleach on hair for a very long time. This is how it works: the citric acid in lemon juice opens the hair cuticle and removes hair pigment, making the hair lose its color.
- Mix half a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice with half a cup of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the lemon juice mixture onto wet hair, then sit outside in the sun for 30 minutes, the sun's rays will activate the citric acid.
- After 30 minutes (and no more) wash your hair that has been sprayed with lemon juice and use conditioner as a treatment, as lemon juice can make hair and scalp very dry.
Step 2. Use honey and olive oil
Honey is a natural lightener, while olive oil helps nourish your hair, making this process less damaging than other hair lightening processes.
- Add a quarter cup of honey to a quarter cup of olive oil and mix well. Use your hands to work the olive oil and honey mixture on wet hair, making sure to apply it evenly.
- Allow the honey and olive oil mixture to stay in your hair for about 30 minutes, the longer you let the mixture sit, the lighter your hair color will be. Once you are ready, wash your hair in the shower, it takes a lot of shampoo to remove the sticky honey feeling from your hair.
Step 3. Use chamomile tea
Chamomile flowers contain natural compounds that help to lighten blonde hair, this makes chamomile tea an easy and effective treatment.
- Boil a pot of water, then put five chamomile teabags into the pot. When the water has cooled completely, remove the teabag and run the cold tea through your hair (preferably in the shower).
- Let the chamomile tea sit in your hair for half an hour before rinsing it off. Like lemon juice, chamomile will work best if you are out in the sun for a while while the tea dries on your hair.
Step 4. Use cinnamon
To give your hair a hint of caramel blonde color, you can use cinnamon in your hair nourishing treatment.
- Take a tablespoon of cinnamon (from a new bottle to make sure the cinnamon hasn't gone stale) and mix it with your conditioner. Run the conditioner into your hair, using a comb to make sure it washes evenly.
- Cover your hair with a plastic shampooing cap or plastic food wrap and let the cinnamon conditioner sit on your head for a few hours, or overnight if possible. Wash the cinnamon sticks in the bathroom using shampoo.
Step 5. Use rhubarb
Rhubarb adds a yellowish tint to the hair, which is beneficial for people with dark blond hair. It's best to use fresh rhubarb, the season for rhubarb is summer.
- Take two stalks of rhubarb, wash them, then cut them into small pieces. Add the rhubarb pieces to a saucepan of cold water and boil the water over medium heat. Once it boils, remove the pot from the heat and allow the water to cool.
- Once the water has cooled, strain the pieces of rhubarb, then run the water over your hair. Leave the rhubarb water on your hair for 10 to 15 minutes (if you prefer, while sitting in the sun) then rinse with clean water.
Step 6. Using baking soda
Baking soda can be used to remove the chemicals that build up in the hair, also helping to lighten blonde hair over time.
- Take baking soda to the bathroom and sprinkle it on your hair when it's wet. Use your fingers to work the baking soda all over your hair. The consistency of baking soda will be the same as glue when mixed with water.
- Use this baking soda treatment to clean your hair (rather than shampoo) at least once a week. Your hair will gradually get lighter over time.
Step 7. Use vitamin c
Vitamin C is not only good for your health, it will also help strengthen, nourish and lighten your hair color.
- Take about 5 to 10 tablets from a bottle of vitamin C supplement and crush the tablets with a mortar until they form a fine powder.
- Add this vitamin C powder to your shampoo and wash your hair as usual. Do this once a week to gradually lighten your hair color over time.
Step 8. Use vinegar
Vinegar has been established as an effective hair color lightener, particularly apple cider vinegar.
- While it's possible to apply vinegar to your hair straight from the bottle, it can be extremely dry and can also damage your hair. Therefore, it is better to mix vinegar with water first.
- Pour the vinegar mixture into your hair and let it sit on your hair for at least 15 minutes before washing it with shampoo. Do it once a week for a gradual lightening effect.
Method 2 of 3: Using Blonde Products and Chemicals
Step 1. Use Sun-In
Sun In is a classic hair color highlighting product that was popular in the 1990s. It is a very inexpensive and effective product for lightening blonde to medium brown hair, although the results tend to look more golden yellow than blonde.
- Sun-In can be purchased at any drugstore as well as online. This product should be sprayed onto wet hair, then smoothed out using a comb (this will prevent uneven coloration).
- Once the color is visible, you have to sit in the sun to activate the lightening component. For another option, the heat from a hairdryer may also work. The more you use Sun-In, the lighter your hair color will be.
Step 2. Use peroxide
The peroxide will effectively blonde your hair, making your blonde hair lighter. However, peroxide is also quite damaging to your hair, so it's best not to repeat this process too often.
- Hydrogen peroxide can be purchased at drug stores. Mix some of the hydrogen peroxide with water and then pour it into a spray bottle. Apply the peroxide mixture evenly throughout your hair, but try not to hit your scalp as the peroxide can irritate it.
- Leave the peroxide mixture on your hair for 20 to 40 minutes, the longer you leave it in your hair, the lighter your hair color will be. Just don't leave the peroxide on for more than 40 minutes, as it can dry out your hair.
- Wash your hair twice to remove any residual peroxide and also apply conditioner to your hair.
Step 3. Use lemon vodka
Some sources suggest using lemon-flavoured vodka to lighten blonde hair. Alcohol combined with lemon juice will help to remove pigment in hair.
- Drizzle the lemon vodka through your hair and use a comb to smooth it out. If you want a lighter effect, dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and apply it to several strands of hair, from roots to tips.
- Sit in the sun for 30 minutes to intensify the bleaching effect of the alcohol, then rinse thoroughly and wash with shampoo.
Step 4. Use blonde shampoo
If you're looking for a product that's less damaging to your hair but still effective in lightening your blonde hair over time, you should use a blonde shampoo and conditioner, such as a product from John Frieda's from the "Go Blonder" category.
This blonde shampoo and conditioner uses a combination of lightening ingredients that includes chamomile and citrus. Chamomile and orange can be substitutes for your hair care products and can be used every day
They work well on hair that is already light to medium in color, dark blonde will also still show some lightening effect over time
Step 5. Apply blonde hair dye
If you want light blonde hair quickly and you're willing to spend more money, you can always use hair dye.
- Most store-bought products will work pretty well for blonde hair (provided you follow the directions), although results may vary depending on your natural hair color.
- Coloring your hair may be the simplest option, but if you change your hair color frequently, your newly grown hair will look a different color, so you'll need to re-color your hair every month.
- You can buy a hair dye that you can use at home, where you simply apply the dye to the strands of hair on top of your head and around your face (where the sun usually hits your face). This method is a little more complicated to work with, but doesn't require much maintenance.
- If you don't feel comfortable dyeing your hair at home, it's a good idea to find a professional stylist, but you should be prepared to spend a lot of money dyeing your hair!
Method 3 of 3: Keeping Hair in Good Condition
Step 1. Protect blonde hair from the sun
Once your hair is done blonde, it will usually become more sensitive to the sun. Blond hair can usually become coarse, yellow or faded from the sun.
Therefore, it is important that you protect your blonde hair by wearing a hat or spraying your hair with a hair spray that contains UV protection when outdoors
Step 2. Be careful with salt water and chlorine
Salt water can bleach and damage blonde hair, while chlorine can dry out hair and cause hair to turn a greenish tint.
- You can prevent this by washing your hair with clean water "before" and "after" you swim.
- You can also purchase a special protective hair mask that you use before swimming to protect your hair from salt and chlorine.
Step 3. Don't wash your hair too often
The ingredients in most shampoos and conditioners can de-blond your hair over time.
- Therefore, you should avoid washing your hair every day, most hair types don't need it. Try to reduce it to every two to three days, you can use dry shampoo to wash your hair if that's needed.
- When you wash your hair, try to use a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner as they are good for hair.
Step 4. Use conditioner on your hair at least once a week
Lightening your hair or dyeing your hair blonde will make your hair more susceptible to breakage and color fading compared to other hair types.
- Therefore, it is important to keep your hair nourished to keep the color looking radiant. You can do this by applying conditioner to your hair once or twice per week.
- Use a conditioner you buy at the supermarket, a natural oil like coconut oil or argan oil, or use a homemade hair mask using ingredients from your kitchen.
