Hair Pros Say You Can Actually Lighten Your Hair at Home Without Bleach
Sundresses, sandals, spritzers — these are just a few signs of summer. When it comes to beauty, and more specifically hair, what do you think of? Braids, beachy waves, and of course, lighter hair. These days, going to the salon to lighten up isn't as easy as it used to be but many stylists suggests a salon visit for making any big color change, like bleaching hair or trying to go more than a few shades lighter in a short time. "You risk over-processing your hair, increasing breakage, and making your hair orange," says Angela Soto, hairstylist and Owner of Baja Studio salon in New York City.
For more subtle changes, there are natural ways to lighten hair at home without bleach, some with household or pantry ingredients you may already have on hand. Just be aware of the results you can achieve based on your current hair color: "If you are a natural blonde, DIY treatments can lighten your shade around the face or on the ends," says Steven Picciano, a Goldwell National Artist. If you have darker hair, like dark brown, "the best result you can expect is a warmer, softer version of what you have," he explains.
Keep in mind, "previously colored hair will not lighten using anything other than bleach," Picciano says. There are many at-home kits to lighten your hair at home with bleach, just remember to follow the instructions on the box precisely and stay within two shades of your color.
One last note: While your teenage self may have loved spritzing good old Sun-In, all of our experts give it a hard no. "It can make hair orange and brassy, which is very hard to correct," Soto warns.
Are you ready to lighten up? Here are six easy DIY ways to lighten hair at home without damage, using natural ingredients like lemon juice, vinegar, honey, and more.
Use lemon juice to lighten strands
When life gives you lemons, lighten and brighten your hair. "Lemon juice is an easy at-home hack to lighten hair," says Karen Conlon, senior colorist at Salon Artique in Smithtown, NY. If you are a brunette, this may not be the best option, as it can create brassy, orange tones in hair, Conlon adds. Her advice for blondes:
Fill a bowl with lemon juice and dip a clean mascara wand or spoolie brush into it and paint it onto strands.
Wash it out with shampoo after 15 to 30 minutes and use conditioner all over hair.
Picciano has another technique for this kitchen staple:
Combine two parts water with one part lemon juice in a spray bottle and apply to damp hair. "It can lighten your hair one to two levels, but needs a good day in the sun to work," he says. "The sun's rays help increase the acidity of the citrus fruit to lighten hair."
Use a deep conditioner on strands afterward, as lemon juice can be drying.
Make a lightening hydrogen peroxide and baking soda paste
Combine these two ingredients into a paste to lighten hair one to two shades, suggests Jessica Scott Santo, owner of Jessica Scott Hair in Sciota, Pennsylvania. Before applying the mixture to your whole head, do a strand test, Santo recommends, because hydrogen peroxide may result in hair damage or dryness. If all goes well, here's how to move forward:
"Combine one cup of baking soda with three tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide," she advises. Apply the paste to a small section of hair and let it sit. Check the results every 10 to 15 minutes and pay attention to how much time it took to reach your desired level of lightness.
"Leave the paste on like a mask for 30 to 60 minutes maximum, depending on how dark your hair is," says Sciota. The length of time the solution processes on the hair determines how light the person’s hair will lift.
Shampoo out when your hair has reached the desired shade. Follow up with a nourishing conditioner or hair mask to give strands a moisture boost.
Swipe on peroxide for highlights
Here's how to create a natural highlighted look, per Santos' suggestion:
Pour hydrogen peroxide onto a cotton ball and swipe it over vertical sections of hair that are about 1⁄4 inch thick, starting near the roots and moving down to the tips.
Wrap each hair section in a piece of foil to keep the peroxide from getting onto the rest of your hair. Repeat this process with multiple sections of your hair for all over highlights, or just do a few sections towards the front of your face for face-framing streaks.
Shampoo out after 30 to 60 minutes depending on how dark your hair is.
Create a honey-infused concoction
This natural sweetener is a true beauty star: It's used in DIY face masks and hair masks to nourish, has antibacterial properties, and can even lighten hair. "Honey contains very small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which is what is able to lighten hair," Santo explains. Here, she explains a few ways to use honey to brighten strands:
Honey + Water or Vinegar: Mix two tablespoons of raw honey (pasteurized, commercial honey will not work) into a cup of water. Apply the mixture to hair so it's evenly spread and let it sit for about 60 minutes, then shampoo. For extra clarifying, try swapping water for two cups of white vinegar: The vinegar will help gently lighten hair and also dissolve oil and residue buildup.
Honey + Conditioner: Mix ⅓ cup of raw honey with ¼ cup of conditioner and apply to damp hair. Use a comb to distribute the mixture evenly throughout the hair. Put on a shower cap, go to bed, and shampoo the mixture off in the morning.
Honey + Cinnamon + Olive Oil: This is great for strawberry blonde hair, as adding cinnamon to honey will produce a warm blonde hue with reddish undertones. Mix one cup of raw honey to two cups of water. Add one tablespoon of cinnamon and one tablespoon of olive oil and stir all of the ingredients together. Apply the mixture evenly onto wet hair, cover with a shower cap before bed, and shampoo it out in the morning.
Douse hair in apple cider vinegar
Another beauty and wellness hero ingredient, apple cider vinegar can be used to both deep-clean and lighten hair, Santo says. It’s often applied as a rinse after shampooing because it helps remove excess dirt, oil, and build-up from styling products. For lightening purposes:
Mix 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water.
After shampooing and conditioning your hair, apply the apple cider vinegar mixture. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and rinse with water.
Use at-home hair lightening products
They may not be found in your kitchen, but these hair lighteners definitely do the trick. Each one has a different application technique, so make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging to get the best bang for you buck — and your desired color, too!
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