Lemon juice has been used for a long time as a natural hair lightener and can be very effective. Once the solution has been prepared and applied to the hair, you must expose it to the sun: therefore, do not forget to spread the sunscreen! You should see first results after about an hour in the sun, but the change can be extremely subtle; to get a more noticeable effect, repeat the treatment a few consecutive times. However, keep in mind that while lemon juice is a natural and inexpensive product, it's not always the healthiest way to lighten your hair.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Create and Apply the Lemon Solution
Step 1. Squeeze the juice of three fresh lemons
Cut each fruit in half and remove the seeds with the tip of the knife. Crush each half of a lemon in a bowl or measuring cup. You may need a slightly higher or lower dose, depending on the length of your hair.
Step 2. Pour two parts lemon juice and one part leave-in conditioner into a spray bottle
Transfer the juice to the bottle and add a small amount of this conditioner; replace the nozzle and shake well to mix the ingredients.
If you don't have conditioner available, you can replace it with water; however, this is quite an important ingredient, as lemon juice can leave hair a bit dry and brittle
Step 3. Protect your skin with a layer of sunscreen
You are about to use the power of the sun's rays to activate the lightening action of citric acid; so be sure to protect yourself from harmful UVA and UVB ones. Spread a quality product with a minimum SPF of 30 all over your face and body.
Take the bottle with you outside and reapply the cream if you sweat or swim
Step 4. Spray the lemon solution all over your hair to lighten the complete hair
If you want a general effect, apply it all over your hair and use the brush a couple of times; make sure that the hair is damp, but not too saturated with the mixture.
- If you want to lighten only the roots, the tips or create highlights, focus the spray only on those areas.
- If you want to do the shatush, apply the spray from the bottle to the final half of the hair.
Step 5. Use a cotton ball soaked in the solution to get specific lighter streaks
Once impregnated with the lemon balm mixture, run the cotton along the strands you want to lighten, to create lighter streaks. Pay attention to the ones you are working on, as you need to repeat the treatment several times before you get noticeable results.
To make sure you don't repeat the procedure on the same clump and forget others instead, wrap aluminum foil around the ones you've already soaked in juice
Step 6. Expose your hair to direct sunlight for 1-2 hours
Keeping your head in the sun for a couple of hours allows the rays to activate the lemon juice, thus creating a lightening effect. As the mixture dries on your hair you may start to feel stiffer and a little "crunchy". This is completely normal: ruffle them with your hand, but don't brush them for now.
Part 2 of 3: Rinse, Apply Conditioner and Repeat Treatment
Step 1. Rinse the lemon mixture from your hair
After a couple of hours in the sun, go back indoors, go to the shower and remove the solution from your head. Lemon juice dries the strands a lot, so be sure to rinse it off thoroughly.
Step 2. Apply a "Deep" Balm Types
Once your hair has been rinsed, treat it from root to tip with a good quality product, leaving it to act for about 10 minutes (or for the time indicated on the package), then carefully remove it.
Step 3. Dry and style your hair as usual
After the first treatment, you can already notice very subtle lightening effects; if your hair still feels very dry, apply a moisturizing product, such as a modeling and moisturizing cream. You can also use a small amount of "deep" conditioner on the ends to tame unruly strands.
Step 4. Repeat the entire procedure for 3-4 consecutive days
Lightening your hair with lemon juice takes several sessions if you want to achieve visible results; try reapplying the mixture and going outside for 1-2 hours on four different occasions.
- You can repeat the procedure for several days in a row, or perform it under separate circumstances over a period of about a week. Find the best method for you.
- After each session make sure you apply the "deep" conditioner well.
Step 5. Expect subtle changes in hair color
After about four treatments you may notice that they have taken on a lighter shade. If initially the hair is dark brown, in the end it will turn out to have a lighter tone; if they are already quite light, after the treatment you will see them dark blond; if instead they are originally of the latter color, they will result in a light blond. Red hair is enriched with golden highlights; if your hair is originally black, unfortunately you will not be able to notice any results.
- Lemon juice is not very effective on very dark hair.
- If you want to proceed on a black or very dark hair, work with caution, because sometimes the lemon juice gives a color similar to brass (with orange shades); carefully monitor the color after each session.
Step 6. Give the hair a few weeks to recover its original state
Lemon juice can damage them over time; in fact, although it is a natural product, some people find that it can do as much harm as bleach. After 3-4 consecutive sessions, you need to give them a break of several weeks; the lightening effects are subtle but permanent, so it works in different phases.
Feel free to continue lightening them with lemon juice after letting them "rest" for a while; just make sure you apply a quality conditioner after each session
Part 3 of 3: Strengthen the Lightening Effect
Step 1. Add chamomile to the lemon juice mixture
Boil 250 ml of water, add two chamomile tea bags and leave them to infuse for 10 minutes. After this time, remove them and add the herbal tea to the lemon-based mixture present in the spray bottle; use the solution exactly as described so far.
Chamomile is most effective on blonde or light brown hair
Step 2. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
It is a natural lightening agent that can enhance the effects of the lemon blend. Make a fresh dose of lemon juice and add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the bottle; shake well to mix the ingredients and apply the product as usual.
Step 3. Add some honey
It is another natural substance with lightening abilities that can soften the hair. Once the mixture has been prepared and poured into the spray bottle, add a small amount of this precious ingredient, replace the nozzle and shake well; then proceed as usual.
Advice
- If you don't have much time during the first treatment, repeat the process for several days.
- Do not use lemon juice packaged in bottles; it is not natural and you would not get the same effects.
- If you are a child or a teenager, ask for help from an adult or the person who takes care of you.
- Be patient - you have to repeat the procedure many times if you want to see big changes.
- If you apply lemon juice only to natural highlights, you get lighter streaks; if you soak all the hair with the liquid, you lighten all the hair.
