How to Lighten Your Hair Naturally

Get sun-kissed hair without visiting the salon.

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Up next in Hair Color 101 (10 videos)

Want to try a new hair color? Learn how to color your hair at home with this Howcast video series.

You Will Need

  • A spray bottle
  • Coffee
  • Chamomile, cherry, or blackberry tea
  • Beet juice
  • Some lemons
  • Dried marigolds and apple cider vinegar
  • Rhubarb roots

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Give dark hair a cup of coffee

    If you have brown hair, make a pot of extra-strong coffee. Let it cool completely. Pour the cold coffee into a spray bottle, and spritz it all over your hair. Sit in the sun for about half an hour. This won’t lighten your overall color, but it will brighten your natural highlights.

  2. Step 2

    Treat blonde hair with tea

    If you’re blonde, steep five chamomile tea bags in boiling water. When the tea is completely cool, spray it on your hair, comb it through, and sit in the sun for about 30 minutes to bring out natural highlights.

  3. Step 3

    Brew berry tea for redheads

    Follow the same brewed tea method if you’re a redhead, except use cherry or blackberry tea. A can of beet juice mixed with a little water will give redheads highlights, too.

  4. Step 4

    Squeeze some lemons

    Blondes can squeeze a lemon or two on their hair, comb it through, and sit in the sun, although it’s drying for their locks.

  5. Step 5

    Use dried marigolds

    Put 1 cup of water, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, and some dried marigold flowers in a pot and bring it to a boil. Strain out the flowers and let the liquid cool completely. Put it into a spray bottle, spritz it on dry hair, massage it into the scalp, and let the hair air-dry. Highlights appear in under an hour.

  6. Step 6

    Try rhubarb

    Boil some rhubarb root, let the liquid cool completely, and test it on an inconspicuous lock before applying it to your whole head. Rhubarb adds a yellow tint, so if your hair is already very light, it could end up darker.

  7. According to a survey, 67% of women said if they had to hire a person based entirely on hair color, they would choose a brunette.

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