10 Ways to Lighten your Hair Naturally {Homemade Recipes}

1. Honey and Vinegar

Honey is a great lightening ingredient and the olive oil in this recipe will help to keep hair from drying out. To make it, you need:

• 2 cups of distilled vinegar
• 1 cup of raw uncooked honey – you can find this at most health food stores
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of ground cardamom or cinnamon – either one is good so it's really your choice

You just have to mix the ingredients together and then apply onto damp hair. You can use a brush or comb to make sure that you get it evenly distributed or just apply it wherever you want highlights. When you have the mixture applied, just wrap your hair in plastic wrap. If you have one, you can put a shower cap or swim cap on to keep the plastic wrap in place or just wrap a towel around your head.

You want to leave the mixture on overnight and then wash it out in the morning. There is no need to sit in the sunlight. This mixture works because honey has a small trace of hydrogen peroxide which is a lightening agent. Cinnamon and cardamom along with the extra virgin olive oil help to boost the lightening effect.

2. Tea

– Tea, specifically chamomile tea, is a great lightening agent. You can use black tea if you like but chamomile offers a number of properties that will help to keep your hair sleek and healthy. To use tea, you need:

• 1 Tea Bag
• Water

You simply boil the water and steep the tea bag for about 10 minutes. Once the tea has cooled, just rinse your hair with it and leave it on for about 15 minutes. You may want to do this 2 or 3 times before you shampoo or rinse to get extra lightening power.

3. Rhubarb

– Rhubarb works great and is a good choice during the summer. If you grow rhubarb, this one will not cost anything. If not, you can pick up rhubarb at your local grocery or farmer's market. To lighten hair with rhubarb, you will need:

• ¼ cup chopped rhubarb
• 2 cups water

Just bring the rhubarb to a boil and then allow it to cool completely. Strain and use the liquid as a rinse. Leave the rinse on for about 10 minutes and then just rinse clear with water.

4. Baking Soda

– Baking soda is actually great for stripping your hair of chemical buildup and can be used as a lightening agent as well. This takes a while longer than other methods but if you use baking soda on your hair about once each week, you can strip harmful chemicals out and lighten your hair naturally over time.

5. Cinnamon

– Cinnamon is not only a great lightener but it smells great, too. Just take:

• Cinnamon powder
• Conditioner

You just have to add cinnamon powder to a small handful of conditioner and then evenly coat your hair from top to bottom. You may want to comb the mixture through to ensure that it coats evenly. Pull your hair up and keep it secure with a clip. You can use a shower cap to hold your hair in place and leave the mixture on overnight. Rinse and shampoo first thing in the morning. This mixture is perfectly safe for hair so you can use it more than once if you want to really see highlights.