How to Use Rhubarb Root for Lightening Hair

We have all desired a change in hair color at one time or another in our lives. Many of us have avoided the fun experimentation of dying or lightening our hair color because of the harsh ingredients in chemical dyes. If you prefer lightening it in a more natural way using plants and herbs, rhubarb root imparts a honey-colored hue to blond and light-brown hair. Do a test run on a strand of your hair first and play with the recipe until you get the results you want.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 3/4 oz. powdered rhubarb root
• 1/4 cup or more fresh rhubarb
• 3 to 4 cups pure water
• Red wine (optional)

1. Visit your local or online bulk herb retailer or health food store to purchase rhubarb root. You will need about 3/4 oz.
2. Simmer the rhubarb root in 4 cups of pure water in a glass or other non-metal pot for about 1 hour. Let the mixture cool, and then strain it through a sieve. Use the strained liquid as a final rinse after washing your hair. Use 3 cups of water instead of 4 for a stronger formula.
3. Pour the rinse through your hair over and over again. Catch the liquid in a bowl as you pour it through in order to reuse it throughout the session. It will leave permanent warm or bright highlights in your blond, light-brown or fair-colored hair.
4. Dry your hair in the sun if the weather allows. This will strengthen the lightening effect of the rhubarb root.
5. Experiment with the amounts to find the recipe you like best for your hair. Another recipe is 1/4 cup chopped fresh rhubarb boiled in 2 cups of water and allowed to cool. Again, strain the liquid and rinse it through your hair multiple times.
6. Use rhubarb root tea as a rinse to lighten light-brown hair or brighten faded blond hair. This is perhaps easier than straining the root yourself if you can find pre-made rhubarb root tea.
7. Pour the rhubarb rinse into a spray bottle and spray it on your hair for an easier way to apply it. It will keep in the tightly closed bottle for up to a week, so you can apply it as often as you like to get the shade you desire.

Tips & Warnings

• As an alternative, use red wine instead of water to simmer the rhubarb root. It will give your hair an even warmer tone.
• If you have pale-blond hair, rhubarb root might actually darken it. This is because it adds a yellow color to your hair rather than bleaching the color out of it.