How to Lighten Hair at Home

Co-authored by Michael Van den Abbeel

Last Updated: January 7, 2023 References

So you want to lighten your hair. Visiting a salon can be an expensive fuss, and harsh chemical highlighters can cause irreparable damage to your hair. Exposure to the sun will gradually lighten your hair, but you may want a quick solution. You can use various ingredients to lighten your hair at home without breaking the bank: lemons, honey, hydrogen peroxide, cinnamon, chamomile, olive oil, vinegar, and baking soda.

Lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon are three of the most popular hair-lightening ingredients, although you will find other options listed under Method 4. Choose from the following methods, carefully review the steps, and learn to lighten your own hair!

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Lemons

1
Rinsing hair with lemon juice is one of the most convenient ways to lighten it at home. Lemon juice is full of citric acids, which have a bleaching effect when they are repeatedly applied to hair.
- You will most likely need to repeat this process several times to see a significant change in your hair color.
- If you have several hours to mix lemon juice into your hair and sit out in the sun, consider the methods listed in this article: Use Lemon Juice to Lighten Hair. If you are looking for a quicker solution, read on.
2
Buy lemon juice or make your own. You will need about one cup of concentrated juice.
- You may also use limes, grapefruit, or any other fruit that contains a high concentration of citric acid.^{[1]
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- To make your own: Buy or pick four lemons. Slice the lemons in half. Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, or use a juicing device.
- Lemon juice is very acidic. Consider mixing 1/4 cup of water into every cup of lemon juice to avoid damaging your hair.
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3
Wash your hair, and keep the lemon juice solution handy. If you use shampoo, make sure that it is thoroughly lathered into your hair.
4
Rub the lemon juice into your hair while it is still wet. Make sure to mix it deeply into the roots.
- Be sure to shut your eyes tightly to keep out the lemon juice. The citric acid will burn if it makes contact with your eyes.
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Wait for 2-5 minutes, then wash out the shampoo and the lemon juice.
- It is important that you give the citric acid time to leach into your hair, but you do not want to leave the mixture in for too long--prolonged exposure to citric acid can damage your hair.
6
Rub conditioner into your hair to keep it from drying out. The citric acid in lemon juice tends to have a drying effect on hair, and you do not want to risk damaging your locks.
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Repeat the process once a week until your hair is the color that you want. Again, you will most likely need to do this several times before you notice a significant difference.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Honey

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Honey naturally contains a small amount of hydrogen peroxide, which has a bleaching effect upon hair.
- Undiluted hydrogen peroxide from the bottle will also bleach your hair, but it is much stronger and thus more likely to damage your roots--which is why many people use honey to gently lighten their hair.
- Honey also acts as a moisturizer, which counteracts the drying effects of the peroxide within.
2
Acquire at least one cup of raw, uncooked honey. This should be easy to find at most grocery stores and health-food outlets.
3
In a bowl, mix four parts honey with one part water or apple cider vinegar. Mix until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Honey is very sticky, and water loosens the consistency so that it is easier to apply to your hair. Apple cider vinegar acts as a natural conditioner.
- If you want a more drastic color change, consider adding several capfuls of hydrogen peroxide to the mixture. This accentuates the peroxide that is already present in honey, and reacts with your hair to bleach it several shades lighter. Do not add the extra peroxide if your hair is black or very dark brown--it may come out orange.
- For a reddish-blonde hue, you can add henna powder, cinnamon, or ground coffee to the mixture. Several tablespoons of hibiscus petals will add a strawberry-blonde tint.^{[2]
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4
Let the mixture sit for 30-60 minutes. This will allow the ingredients time to settle.
5
Apply the honey mixture to your hair. Drape a towel over your shoulders to protect your clothes, then gradually pour the mixture over your head in small doses. Use your fingers to massage the honey into your hair, and continue until your hair is completely saturated with honey.
- Consider standing on a towel to protect your floor from drips. Honey can be sticky and difficult to clean up.
6
Cover your hair with plastic and let the honey sit. Use a shower cap or plastic saran wrap to keep the honey from dripping. Keep the honey in your hair for at least two hours to see a tangible effect. If possible, keep the honey in your hair overnight.
- If you have long hair that's hard to keep up under the plastic, twist your hair into clips to pin it up while the honey treatment is working, then put the plastic over your clipped up hair.
- If you can manage to keep the honey in your hair overnight, you'll get much lighter results. It also acts as a deep-conditioning treatment. Put a towel over your pillow and sleep wearing a shower cap.
- There's no need to use a blow dryer to apply heat. The honey works well at room temperature.
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Wash the honey out of your hair. Rinse it out with warm water, then shampoo and condition your hair as usual. Pat your hair dry with a towel and either let it air dry or blow it out. Your hair will now be honey-colored.
8
To maintain your lighter look, consider using honey as a conditioner. Mix 1/4 cup honey and 1/2 cup conditioner. You can use any conditioner you like, as long as its scent mixes well with honey. Stir the conditioner and honey in a bowl until they are thoroughly combined.
- Store extra conditioner in an old conditioner bottle for later use.
- Use the same ratio of honey to conditioner to make a larger batch.
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Use the conditioner after every shampoo. After you shampoo your hair, use the honey conditioner just as you would your normal conditioner. Distribute a small amount through your hair and rinse it out when you're finished.
- Leave the conditioner in your hair for 5-10 minutes while you finish your shower for a greater lightening effect.
- If your hair feels sticky after rinsing, decrease the amount of honey you use and increase the amount of conditioner.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Cinnamon

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Cinnamon, like honey, contains trace amounts of peroxide and will not dry out your hair. This method works especially well on dark hair.^{[3]
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Research source} You can find cinnamon in most grocery stores, and you may already have some in your kitchen!
2
Wet your hair (in the shower, the sink, or using a spray bottle) and work in conditioner. The conditioner will help the cinnamon stick to your hair, and it will spread the highlights throughout your hair.
3
In a bowl, mix cinnamon and water into a paste. The amount that you use will depend on how much hair you have. Start with several tablespoons of cinnamon, and gradually add water until the mixture is thick but spreadable.
4
Spread the cinnamon-and-water paste into your hair. Make sure to spread it evenly from root to tip, and spread it deeply--beyond just the outer layers of hair.
- Rub your hair together between your hands. This will help spread the cinnamon.
- Consider using a brush to help spread the cinnamon throughout your hair. If you do, make sure that the brush is wet so that the cinnamon will glide through your hair more smoothly.
5
Leave the cinnamon mixture in your hair for 4-8 hours, depending on the shade of your hair. If possible, leave the mixture in your hair overnight.
- The longer that you keep the cinnamon in your hair, the lighter the end result will be. Four hours will make a slight impact, but you may need to continue the treatment for eight hours or more to achieve the shade that you want.
- Err on the side of caution. Remember: you can always try the treatment again!
- Cover your cinnamon-hair with a shower cap or a plastic bag so that the cinnamon does not rub off.
- You may feel a slight heat and tingling on your scalp--but this is normal, and it will pass.
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When you are ready, rinse the cinnamon out of your hair. When dry, your hair will smell amazing!
- If you have curly hair, use shampoo to get the cinnamon out.
- If the resulting shade is not light enough for you, remember that you can always try again!

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Other Methods

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Chamomile: Chamomile tea is a great way to naturally lighten your hair, and it will cause no damage to your hair.
- Steep chamomile tea for 30 minutes in a glass or ceramic pot. Let the tea cool to a lukewarm temperature.
- Wash your hair as you normally would, and use the lukewarm chamomile tea as a final rinse. Catch the used tea liquid in a bowl and rinse again with this.
- Let your hair dry in the sun. You will need to do this weekly--or even more frequently--to keep your highlights fresh.
2
Hydrogen peroxide: Peroxide is the bleaching agent that makes honey and cinnamon so useful for lightening hair. You can use hydrogen peroxide straight from the bottle, but it is very strong, and you will need to be careful not to damage your hair. Read this article for more information: How to Bleach Your Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide.
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Vinegar: The recent trend of ‘no-poo’ or washing your hair without shampoo has led people to the discovery that vinegar works to lighten hair. When you hop in the shower, rinse through your hair with apple cider vinegar. Doing this on a regular basis will slowly lighten your hair over time.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Michael Van den Abbeel
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 7 January 2019.}
4
Baking soda: Similar to vinegar, baking soda is a ‘no-poo’ alternative to chemical-filled shampoos that also lightens hair color. When you go to shower, sprinkle your hair with baking soda and rub it deep into the roots. The paste that develops should bleach your hair naturally^{[5]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How can I make my hair lighter without bleaching it?

Michael Van den Abbeel
Professional Hair Stylist
Michael Van den Abbeel is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Mosaic Hair Studio and Blowout Bar in Orlando, Florida. He has been cutting, styling, and coloring hair for over 17 years. Michael loves showing his clients how to wash and wear their hair easily and effortlessly. Mosaic Hair Studio and Blowout Bar is recognized as a Diamond Top Tier level Wella salon.

Michael Van den Abbeel

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You can make your hair look lighter and shinier if you rinse it with apple cider vinegar. Then use your blow dryer to help spread the natural oils in your hair to make it shine.
Question

How long will it take my hair to become dark brown by using honey? I have black hair.

Community Answer

It might take a few weeks at least. Honey lightens your hair very slowly. It is better if you put honey on your hair and sleep like that. The next day you can wash it off. But it will still take a long time.
Question

If I don't have raw honey, what else would work?

Serenity Farnam

Community Answer

When you shower, take a small bowl of baking soda with you. Apply it to your hair after you shampoo. After about a week of doing this, you should see a difference.

Notes

If you are unsure about lightening your hair, consider testing out these methods on a small section of your hair (such as the tips of the hair that falls down your back) before you highlight your entire head. You can always lighten the rest of your hair later on.
If you try one of these methods and the resulting shade is not light enough for you--you can always try a treatment again until you are satisfied. Natural hair-lightening is a gentler process than using chemical treatments, so be persistent.
If you lighten your hair and the resulting shade is too light--don't worry! Your roots will grow back out in your natural color. If you don't want to wait, consider these methods for naturally darkening your hair: How to Naturally Darken Your Hair.