How to Naturally Lighten Hair at Home

Lemon juice and sunlight can brighten dark blond hair.

Lighter hair remains as sought-after today as it was in ancient Roman times when women tinted their hair blond. Manufacturers produce a wide array of permanent and semi-permanent hair colors, but for those who prefer natural methods of lightening their hair color, home methods can achieve a less dramatic bleaching effect. One natural technique relies on the citric acid in lemon juice to accelerate sunlight's natural bleaching process. Lemon juice alone cannot lighten hair, but it enhances the bleaching effect of the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup water
• Spray bottle
• Sunscreen
• Book (optional)
• Shampoo
• Conditioner

Instructions

1. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil and water in a clean spray bottle.

2. Shake the bottle well to emulsify the oil, water and juice. A well-mixed spray will coat the hair evenly, resulting in more even lightening.

3. 

   When spending any amount of time in the sun, apply sunscreen.

   Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin. You will need to be in direct sunlight to naturally bleach your hair, so you should protect your skin.

4. Mist dampened hair thoroughly with the lemon and oil mixture, focusing the spray more on the hair's length than on the scalp. Longer hair will require more spray, but enough of the mixture should stay in the spray bottle to allow for later re-application.

5. Find a sunny location outside to relax and let the sunlight do its work. Bleaching hair noticeably takes a minimum of 30 minutes, but a longer stay in the sun will produce more visible results. Pass the time with an interesting book.

6. Re-apply the spray as it dries on the hair. Keep hair dampened with the juice and oil mixture for the duration of the process. If hair gets wet from a dip in the pool or a cooling shower, thoroughly mist the hair with the spray.

7. Check hair strands frequently for color changes. Leave the sun when hair turns the desired shade of blond.

8. Shampoo the lemon-oil mixture from hair and rinse thoroughly before adding a conditioning treatment. Lemon's acidity can leave hair feeling dry and dull; a thorough wash and conditioning will restore its texture and shine.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding chamomile tea, mint tea or honey to the mixture imparts a pleasant smell and helps keep the hair conditioned during the process.

• Apply the lemon-oil mixture selectively to hair strands instead of all over for a subtle highlighted effect.

• Avoid trying to bleach dark hair with lemon juice; brunette hair turns more orange than blond with lemon treatment.

• Lemon juice in the eyes can sting, so blot the lemon-oil mixture away to keep it from running into eyes.

• Wash the liquid off immediately if any burning or tingling occurs; even natural products can irritate skin.

References

• A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities; William Smith (editor); John Murray; London; 1875
• Natural Beauty; Natural Hair Care Recipes
• Dead Sea Cosmetics: Hair Care FAQs
• New York Times; Hair Color Recipe - A Dash of Sun, a Pinch of Lemon; Paula Schwartz; June 1, 2006