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Hair lightener. Make your own hair lightener

Submitted by Kate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups chamomile tea
  • 1 tablespoon of parsley
  • 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Boil all the ingredients and let it simmer for 15 mins. Strain out the tea bags and parsley (make sure to remove all of the parsley) and let it sit till room temperature. Poor on to hair over a sink and rinse two or three times. Your hair should be smelling nice and looking lighter!

The following was sent in by Answers

Before I answer the questions that have been asked 20X, first you need to understand how hair lightening works. When you lighten your hair, this is not something that will "fade" or can be undone. It's something that is permanent (except for covering it with darker dye).

When you go to a salon to have you hair professional chemically lightened, this is a two-step process. Or if you buy hair lightener in a box - same thing. The "developer" (usually a mixture of peroxide and ammonia = very harsh) opens the hair shaft and strips it of its natural color. Then the (blonde) dye is added to achieve the new shade. Results are different on each person, depending on the natural color of your hair.

This chamomile/lemon mixture acts in the exact same manner - except it is a "natural" method and not chemical. The lemon juice is the natural "developer" and the chamomile adds the warm blonde tones (unique to each person depending on the natural color of your hair.

If you've previously dyed your hair darker than its natural color (i.e. dyed it black), then your hair has not been stripped of its real color. The shaft has been opened and a darker pigment has been added. This will fade over time if you stop dying it black.

NOW THE ANSWERS:

Q: Will it work on naturally jet black hair?
A: No.

Q: Will it work on hair that is dyed black?
A: No. Not until the black dye fades or grows out.

Q: Can I use lime juice instead?
A: No. Lemon juice is a natural developer.

Q: Can it be bottled lemon juice?
A: Yes.

Q: Do I have to sit in the sun?
A: No. But if you don't then you need to use a hair dryer because it is the HEAT that makes the lemon juice work. 20 minutes with a hair dryer is as effective as 3 hours in the sun.

Q: Can I use a different tea?
A: No. The chamomile tea is what gives it the natural looking blonde tones.

Q: Can I just use lemon juice and nothing else?
A: Yes. The lemon juice is primarily what lightens the hair via a natural "chemical reaction." BUT it will look more bleach-blondy and harsh without the tea's tones.

Q: Will it work on brown (even dark brown) hair?
A: Yes. Not as effectively, but yes. You'll need to use more lemon, more heat, etc.

Q: Will it fade?
A: No. You've permanently lightened the hair.

Q: Should I wash my hair afterward?
A: Yes. After you have HEATED it with sun or blow dryer, wash it because the lemon will continue to dry out your hair.

Q: Do I need parsley?
A: No. Parsley promotes shine and hair growth. In this mixture it acts as the conditioner. It does nothing to contribute to lightening it. You can just use conditioner when you're done lightening instead.




Visitors comments



 
Good, but I made a few changes to it.. Comments By: Jessie on 2007-07-11
I used the recipe (minus the parsley because I didnt have any) and I didnt rinse it off, I just poured it on my hair. Then I went outside in the sun for a couple hours and it worked! But if you dont want to have to sit in the sun, you can also try pouring the mixture in your hair without rinsing it, then leave it sit for about an hour, then blow dry it and let it sit overnight and you'll get subtle highlights, and if you continue to do it, they'll get even lighter!
 
good deal! Comments By: ml on 2007-07-20
amazing stuff! thanks :)
 
Boo hoo Comments By: Purple Muscles on 2007-07-26
I tried it once but I saw no difference in my hair. Am I supposed to do it more than once?
 
? Comments By: anon on 2007-08-01
will this work on my hair if it is already fairly light blonde? i think it is getting darker and i want it to be lgighter. should i just try it and see what happens?
 
U dont know how to use it correctly Comments By: Krystalynn on 2007-08-05
I have lightened my hair at home and it went from dark brown to dirty blonde in 2 months.

Ur ingredients are fine but u dont need the extra two cups of water.

and it wont work if u just put it on ur hair.

U have to either blowdry or go in the sun for a few hours because the way it works is that it opens up the hair folicle to let the heat in so the HEAT can lighten ur hair.

This is the only way it works.

& yes, It does also work without the parsley.
I never used parsley.

 
black hair? Comments By: naturalblack on 2007-08-15
does this also work on black hair?
my hair does shine a little brown when it reflects sunlight...but i was wondering if it would work on my hair because my hair is black.

 
used on color treated hair Comments By: stephaniemarie on 2007-08-16
so a few months ago i had my hair bleached and colored from a dark brown to a really light caramel brown, but i wanted it a bit lighter. so i just tried this out and it actually did work. i now have some blondish highlights and my hair overall lighter. i used a blow dryer because i think the heat is the only way to really make this work. and i didnt use parsely. i think my hair will get lighter with more use of this tip, so im going to try it out a few more times and see what happens. this will probably not do much for really dark hair, and is more effective on lighter shades of brown and more pale colored hair.
the results are subtle , but it is definitely is worth trying.

 
CHAMOMILE Comments By: NADA on 2007-08-17
THE BEST THING FOR LIGHTING UP LIGHT/DARK/BLONDE HAIR IS THE CHAMOMILE HERBAL ESSENCES CONDITIONER, I TRIED IT AND AFTER I TOOK A SHOWER I FOUND LOTS AND LOTS OF LIGHT BLONDE HIGHLIGHTS THAT WERE VERY NOTICEABLE AND GORGOUS ALSON APART FROM THIS IT MADE MY HAIR VERY SMOOTH AND SHINY!
 
my daughter will try it this week Comments By: rebecca on 2007-08-28
My daughter not long had her hair coloured by a hair dressers...they were suppose to get it to a dark/auburn brown which is her own natural colout - but unfortunately it's gone kinda black! It makes her look rather hard faced, as her hair is quite long. If you have short sharp hair or you naturally are black haired it's ok, but my daughter really does not suit it at all.
I will try this formula on her this week, and see what happens?!

 
eyebrows Comments By: emily on 2007-09-17
When your hair gets lighter your eyebrows will stay darker, i was wondering if it works on your eyebrows?
 



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