In preparation for my upcoming vacation, I figured I would play around with some of these hair lightening techniques I keep hearing about. I’ve heard of people using honey, lemon, cinnamon, olive oil, chamomile, hydrogen peroxide…you name it, I’m pretty sure someone has tried it. It’s fun to be able to change up your hair color a bit! And it’s definitely nice to be able to do it without chemicals.
This recipe combines ingredients that I’ve heard most often used to successfully lighten hair while not causing any damage. The only thing I’ve heard of being successful that isn’t in here is honey but apparently that’s not a mixture that is effective when premade.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup boiled water
- tea bag/strainer for brewing and a cup to brew it in
- cheesecloth for straining
- 1 cinnamon stick (could substitute 2 tsp ground cinnamon)
- 1 tablespoon chamomile
- 1 teaspoon lemongrass
- 5 drops lemon essential oil
- 15 drops grapefruit seed extract
(for preservation, optional)
Steps:
1. Place the stick of cinnamon inside whatever you’ll be brewing the tea in. I used a single-serving tea brewing cup
2. Steep the 1 tbsp chamomile and 1 teaspoon lemongrass in the 1 cup of just-boiled water . (The cinnamon stick will be all submerged in the water below the herbs.)
3. Cover and let brew until the liquid has become room temperature.
4. Using the cheesecloth, strain out any bits that could be left in the hair lightening spray.
5. Decant the herbal hair lightening spray into a spray bottle. I place the cinnamon stick inside so that the spray smelled extra delicious.
6. Once the spray is in the bottle, add the 15 drops grapefruit seed extract (for preservation, optional) and 5 drops lemon essential oil (citrus oils can increase photosensitivity so I kept it very diluted). Shake well now and before each use. If you’re not using the grapefruit seed oil, keep this spray refrigerated in between uses.
Hip hip hooray for non-toxic hair lightening options!
Hi – great post! I wondered if I could use ALL essential oils in place of chamomile and cinnamon stick – as I have these in EO form. If so, would you be able to recommend quantities for me.
Thank you!
I think so! I haven’t personally tried it but I’ve read plenty on the internet that the essential oils of cinnamon and chamomile have lightened people’s hair (sometimes on accident!). I would say start with around 30 drops for the bottle of each and see how that goes. I’m sure you could go as high as 40 but I wonder if you won’t start running into unwanted effects, like “crunchy” hair or something. I’ll have to try it as well…I’m curious now! Please keep me posted on how it goes!
Thank you! I will definitely let you know how it goes xx
No problem! Looking forward to it 🙂
How long is it going to take black hair to even begin becoming lighter?
I have pretty dark hair and I saw a difference in several weeks 🙂