Would you like to have golden hair with a beach look? Beautiful, luminous highlights without even having to go out in the sun? Here are a few grandma’s recipes to lighten your hair naturally without leaving home.
What if we put a little sunshine in our hair? There are many ways to brighten up the color of our mane. At the hairdresser’s, we can turn to a Californian balayage and other less engaging professional techniques such as the base breaker or the baby brown. It is also possible to lighten our hair ourselves: sprays, jellies and other lightening creams are available in supermarkets for application at home. But at a time when things are changing and the desire to reduce our consumption of industrial products in favor of local or handmade products is growing, what about natural ingredients with lightening properties? With Gianni Coppa, hairdresser and founder of the Parisian salon R’Factory, we took stock of these grandmotherly recipes to adopt for a slightly lightened hair and a 100% natural effect as if you were back from vacation.
WHAT NATURAL INGREDIENTS TO LIGHTEN YOUR HAIR ?
Lightening your hair is not complicated: all you need is honey, lemon and chamomile. Honey is a natural ingredient that has moisturizing and lightening properties. Chamomile, on the other hand, allows you to obtain lighter highlights without damaging the hair. Finally, lemon brings light to the hair, but be careful because it tends to dry out the ends. So now you know the essential ingredients to give yourself natural highlights, like a surfer coming back from a weekend at the ocean. However, the result can be different depending on the length of time you wait and the natural color of your hair. Indeed, if you are blonde, it will revive your color and make it sparkle. People with brown hair will get up to two shades lighter, while brunettes and redheads will get a bit more brassy highlights.
PROFESSIONAL TIPS TO LIGHTEN YOUR HAIR AT HOME
The best ingredients to lighten your hair yourself: A bit like making your own hair mask, it is possible to lighten your hair thanks to ultra-easy recipes that you can make yourself. Blonde, brunette or redhead … we can all try the DIY experience with one condition: “have hair with a natural color, in other words not colored,” says the expert. Okay? So we go and find what we need (mainly in the kitchen): honey, chamomile and lemon for blond hair; cinnamon and clay for dark and brown hair; or even bicarbonate and salt water… There are many ingredients with lightening properties to get a surfer’s mane! Be careful though: you should expect warm highlights (honey, gold, copper, orange or even mahogany depending on the natural base) to emerge after such a treatment.
1- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER : HONEY
Honey is an ingredient known for its lightening power. To obtain a quality mask that is easy to apply, mix 2 to 3 spoons of honey with the same amount of your usual conditioner in a bowl. After washing, apply the homemade treatment and wrap your hair in a warm towel. Leave on for 30 to 60 minutes depending on the desired result. Then rinse thoroughly.
The plus? The hair is also nourished thanks to the moisturizing power of honey.
For which hair types? Medium to light bases.
2- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER: CHAMOMILE
Known for its soothing properties for the skin, chamomile, thanks to its yellow pigmented petals, can also lighten your hair by bringing out golden to honey-colored highlights. To make it work, infuse chamomile flowers (or herbal tea bags) in a liter of water and use this mixture, once cooled, as a rinse water after your shampoo. Let it dry naturally. Several applications are necessary to notice the evolution.
The advantage? Immediately shiny hair.
For which hair types? Medium to light bases.
3-NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER: CINNAMON
To concoct an effective (and spicy) treatment, mix one part cinnamon powder with one part conditioner. Apply evenly to damp hair. Place a transparent film on top and leave on for 20 to 60 minutes, depending on your mood. Shampoo your hair to remove all traces of the homemade treatment.
The best part? Sweet hair that smells like cinnamon!
For which hair types? Brown and dark bases.
4- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER: LEMON
In terms of natural lightener, lemon is a great ally. The acids contained in this citrus fruit help to open the scales of the hair in order to reach the pigment and lighten it slightly. Be careful, however, not to apply the lemon pure. Mix the lemon juice with your conditioner for an after-wash treatment or with water to use it as a spray. Whatever technique you choose, don’t overdo the application time so that the lemon doesn’t attack your hair.
The advantage? Shiny, healthy hair.
For which hair types? Medium to light hair.
5- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER : VINEGAR
Vinegar, especially cider vinegar, is an excellent natural hair lightener. Before applying it, dissolve it in water to avoid drying out the hair. Apply to the lengths, leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly. Reapply once a week until a lighter and lighter effect is obtained.
The best part? Cider vinegar is also known for its shining, strengthening and sheathing effects.
For which hair types? All hair types.
6- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER: BAKING SODA
Baking soda has 1001 uses. Capillary speaking, it has a lightening power. To make your own mask, nothing could be simpler: mix bicarbonate and water in a small bowl to form a homogeneous paste, neither too thick nor too liquid. Leave it on for 5 minutes on wet hair and rinse. Moisturize your hair with a vegetable oil such as coconut oil.
The advantage? It’s quick and effective and easy to do.
For which hair types? All hair types.
7- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER: SALT WATER
When we go on vacation to the beach, we often come back with pretty shades in our hair. And if we say that the sun is for a lot, it seems that the sea also helps. Indeed, salt water has lightening properties. Nothing could be simpler: dissolve coarse salt in water by boiling it. Then apply the cooled mixture to the hair and leave it on.
The advantage? A wavy effect without even putting your head under water.
For which hair types? All hair types.
8- NATURAL HAIR LIGHTENER : CLAY
Last technique more responsible than the conventional colorings, the clay balayage which allows to obtain lighter reflections. But if this technique works so well it is because it contains in its composition some drops of hydrogen peroxide. If the most daring can try the experiment, we advise to turn to a professional (especially for the dosages). This recipe may be natural, but this time, not DIY.
