Best way to lighten hair without bleach

Changing your hair color is always fun, and there are many options you can try with. However, bleaches contain metallic and harsh chemicals like ammonia peroxide and hydrogen peroxide that may harm hair. So, how to lighten dark brown hair without bleach? It is known that bleaches can make your hair dry and brittle and give it a dull, lifeless look. Hence, we present certain natural alternatives to lighten your dark brown tresses. This article explores how you can lighten your dark brown hair with organic ingredients. Take a look

In This Article

• Lightening Dark Hair At Home
• How To Lighten Black Hair To Brown Without Bleach
• How To Lighten Dark Brown Hair At Home Without Bleach
• Color Options For Darker Hair Shades
• Is It Safe To Lighten Your Hair At Home?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Key Takeaways

Lightening Dark Hair At Home

You cannot dye dark hair blonde or gray without lifting the color first. The natural remedies to lighten dark hair require constant use until the desired lightness is achieved.

Can black hair be lightened without using bleach? Yes. Check out the following section to know how.

How To Lighten Black Hair To Brown Without Bleach

It is difficult to lighten black hair without any bleaching agents. Natural remedies like green tea, coffee, and other organic lighteners have to be used regularly. You can also try swimming and stay under the sun to lighten your hair naturally.

Another option to lighten black hair is by using henna and pair it with a lighter shade. You can also buy lighter dye-at-home kits like blonde or ginger to lighten black hair. But these kits might contain oxidizing agents like hydrogen peroxide. It is best to take professional help as salon stylists can help achieve the right shade.

Dark brown hair might be difficult to lighten naturally at home. But you can opt for homemade sprays and masks with organic ingredients like honey, coffee, chamomile, mulberry, and olive oil. These elements are well-known skin lightening agents, and anecdotal evidence supports using these ingredients to lighten the hair at home.

How To Lighten Dark Brown Hair At Home Without Bleach

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Here are a few ingredients that you can use to lighten your dark brown hair naturally:

• Dye-At-Home Kits: Buy over-the-counter dyes and apply them at home. But the color might not come out the way you expect with these dye-at-home kits. First, opt for light brown or deep blonde shades, and then, you can progress to light blonde and ginger shades.
• Chlorine: The chlorine used in swimming pools makes hair color lighter (1). Hence, you can try swimming to lighten your hair without bleach.
• Sunlight: UVA rays increase the production of free radicals and lighten the hair color (2). Hence, the more you spend outside, underneath the sun, the lighter your hair will become.
• Natural Ingredients: Many natural ingredients help lighten your hair from the comfort of your home. But they take time to work and require constant maintenance for any substantial results.
  • Salt: The chloride in salt can help lighten hair color.
  • Baking Soda: Baking soda or toothpaste containing baking soda can help lighten the hair.
  • Cinnamon: Cinnamon contains vitamins A and C, which are used as lightening agents (3), (4).
  • Honey: Diluted honey contains glucose oxidase, which produces hydrogen peroxide, an oxidizing agent used in bleach (5). This suggests that honey can be used to lighten your hair color.
  • Lemon: Lemon juice acts as a natural hair lightener, which reduces melanin production (6).
  • Vitamin C: Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is used in many hair products like dyes to lighten the hair color.
  • Vinegar: You can use vinegar with honey, lemon, or chamomile to lighten the hair and turn it yellow or blonde (7)

• • Rhubarb: Rhubarb root contains oxalic acid that turns the hair light brown or blonde (8). It also helps prolong the life of your hair color. Rhubarb with honey and chamomile imparts a golden hue to your hair (9).
  • Chamomile: Chamomile flowers contain an active ingredient called apigenin (10). Chamomile imparts a yellow shade to your hair and boosts light reflection.
  • Coffee: Coffee is used in hair masks to make dark hair a shade lighter or two. You can achieve shades like reddish-brown and blackish-brown using coffee (11).
• • Henna: Henna imparts a reddish-brown tint to dark hair. Using henna on dark brown hair can make it a shade lighter. This is the most common and effective lightening treatment.
  • Green Tea: Green tea contains EGCG that inhibits tyrosinase activity (12). This makes your dark brown hair lighter.
  • Licorice Extract: Licorice root extract contains glabridin that helps reduce melanin pigmentation in the skin (12). Hence, it can also help lighten dark brown hair.
  • Aloe Vera: Aloe vera contains aloesin, which limits melanin production (12). This helps lighten your hair color.
  • Grapeseed: Grapeseed contains proanthocyanidins and procyanidins that help reduce melanin production (12).

Note: If you want to try dye-at-home kits, opt for balayage. Lighten your hair at a salon, as professionals will create the exact shade you like without using bleach.

These natural ingredients need to be kept on the hair for a few hours to lighten it. Wondering how to color your hair with these remedies? Here are a few tips to achieve it.

Color Options For Darker Hair Shades

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• A convenient option for women with dark brown hair is to change the hair tone. Opt for a shade lighter than your natural hair color and gradually reduce the shade with further applications.
• You can also change your hair color to a bright cool-toned shade like blue, purple, or green. These shades are typically produced through bleaching dark hair and then depositing color. Red is the exception and can easily be obtained on dark hair without using bleach.
• Stick to your natural undertone when picking a hair color. Choose a lighter brunette shade as it will look more natural.
• Use henna, which helps lighten dark hair by imparting a reddish tint.
• To make your lightened hair color look natural, try an ombre effect using the balayage technique. Pair your natural hair color with a lighter shade of the same color.

Follow these safety tips while lightening your hair at home.

Is It Safe To Lighten Your Hair At Home?

Yes, lightening your hair at home is safe since bleach is not used. But without proper care, it may cause adverse reactions like burning or itching. Here are a few things to keep in mind while lightening your hair at home:

• Even natural ingredients for dyeing your hair may cause allergic reactions like itching, redness, or swelling. If this happens, avoid further contact with the component and consult a doctor.
• The chemicals in hair dyes may cause a burning sensation on the scalp. Do not use hair dyes if you have any bruising or inflammation on the scalp.
• The major setback of using dyes at home is that you might not achieve the desired results. Take professional help to color your hair as the stylist knows what can lighten your hair properly without using bleach.

It may sound impossible to lighten brown hair without using bleach, but it is possible. There are some natural ingredients you can use to lighten dark brown hair, but you should use them consistently to see results. Ingredients like honey have skin lightening properties that may reduce the melanin in your hair, leaving you with a lighter hair color. You can also try the other options listed above, such as sun exposure, swimming, and home dye kits. While these suggestions may not be as powerful as bleaching agents, they do not cause damage to your tresses and are very safe to use.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does coconut oil lighten dark brown hair?

No, coconut oil cannot lighten dark brown hair.

Will olive oil lighten dark brown hair?

No, olive oil cannot lighten dark brown hair. But it can remove yellow brassy hues from your hair color.

Key Takeaways

• You can lighten your dark brown hair with natural ingredients such as green tea, honey, cinnamon, henna, or coffee.
• You can opt for a lighter brunette shade or go for funkier shades like purple or blue to change up your look.
• Exercise caution when using natural hair dyes as they may cause itching or redness if you are allergic to them.

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Anjali specializes in hairstyles and hair and skin care and has written over 200 articles in these domains. Her philosophy... more

Tiffany Young is the CEO and founder of ThinHairThick. She is also a recognized expert in the hair and beauty... more