How To Naturally Highlight Hair – smartesthairstyles.com – Whether your hair is dark, brown, blonde, or red, highlighting brings out its natural light tones. Spending time in the sun is an easy and effective way to naturally highlight your hair, but if you want to speed up the process, there are other natural ways to enhance the golden hues in your hair. Learn how to use a variety of household items to create a stylish, highlighted look.
- Use of lemon juice
Squeeze lemons . Halve lemons. Use a juicer or your fingers to squeeze their juice into a bowl. Get as much juice out of the lemons as possible, especially if you have longer hair.
You can also add some cinnamon and conditioner for extra highlights.
Be sure to strain or pick out the seeds so they don’t clog your spray bottle.
Avoid using bottled lemon juice. It contains preservatives that aren’t good for your hair, but it still works the same way.
The exact amount of lemons you need depends on how long your hair is.
Mix the lemon juice with water in a spray bottle. You should use two parts lemon juice to one part water. Measure out your lemon juice and then add the right amount of water to the juice. For example, 2 cups of lemon juice would require 1 cup of water, but if you only want light highlights, reverse the ratio. Stay-in conditioner would be the best option for your hair instead of water and would be more effective too. Shake the spray bottle to mix the lemon juice and water together.
If you’re using an old spray bottle, make sure it’s washed thoroughly before pouring in the lemon juice. Avoid using a bottle that contained toxic chemicals.
Spritz your hair with the lemon mixture. Focus on the parts you want to lighten, whether it’s all your hair, the ends, or the highlights. Depending on what you want to achieve, you can coat all your hair or focus on a few strands.
If you want a more precise application, dip a cotton ball in the lemon juice mixture and rub over the strands of hair you want to highlight.
The more lemon juice you apply to your hair, the lighter it will become.
Sit in the sun for several sessions. Lemon juice works in conjunction with the sun’s natural rays to lighten hair. Try to get out in the sun three to four times a day. Each session should last between one and two hours.
Make sure you protect your face and body with sunscreen and clothing while sitting in direct sunlight.
There is no exact time frame between sessions. Just come to the sessions when you can go outside.
Wash and condition your hair . Rinse the lemon juice mixture out of your hair thoroughly. Then wash it and add a deep conditioner with moisturizing products. Lemon juice dries out your hair, so a deep conditioner is essential. When your hair is dry you can see the highlights.
- Use chamomile tea
Prepare a pot of chamomile tea . Use either dried chamomile flowers or 3 to 4 tea bags to brew a very strong pot of tea. Allow to cool after brewing. It shouldn’t feel so hot that it causes pain since you’re applying it to your scalp.
Rinse your hair with the tea. Stand over the sink and pour the tea over your hair if you want to lighten your hair all over. Alternatively, you can apply the chamomile tea to the strands of hair that you want to highlight.
Sit in the sun to let it react with the tea. Let the tea dry in your hair by sitting in the sun. There is no exact time to sit, although longer is generally better.
Wash and condition your hair . Rinse the tea out of your hair. Then wash and condition it with moisturizing products. When your hair is dry you will see a slight lift and some highlights.
Repeat the process. You are unlikely to see dramatic results with chamomile tea right away. Chamomile usually lightens your hair gradually over time. You may need to try this method for a few days in a row to get the desired results.
- Use of honey
Mix honey and water in a bowl. Honey contains natural traces of hydrogen peroxide, making it a great way to lighten hair. In a bowl with a cup of water, add about a tablespoon of raw honey. Use a spoonful of whisk to honey until you have an even mixture.
Apply the mixture to your hair. Decide if you want to lighten all your hair or just a few strands. You can rub the honey and water mixture all over your head or just apply the mixture to a few strands of hair.
To highlight individual strands, it may be easier to brush the mixture onto the strands you want to lighten with a pastry brush.
Leave the mixture in your hair overnight. Put on a shower cap. Leave the mixture on overnight to lighten your hair. If you don’t want to leave it on overnight, you can leave it on for 30 to 60 minutes. However, more dramatic results are generally achieved overnight.
Shampoo and condition your hair . Wash off the honey completely after letting it sit. It may take a little more effort as honey is sticky. As it dries it should appear lighter. Repeat the process for even brighter results.
- Use of henna
Make sure henna is the right option. Henna usually gives the hair a reddish-brown color. If your hair is naturally very dark, it’s likely lighter than your normal shade. However, if your hair is naturally light, henna can actually darken it. Use henna on darker hair and when you want a touch of red.
Make a paste with henna. You should make your paste 12 hours before coloring your hair. Mix 3 tablespoons (44.4 mL) of henna powder with enough boiling water to make a thick, workable paste. You can either use a spoon, chopstick, or something similar to stir. Put your mixture in a safe place to cool.
Prepare to apply the henna. Henna stains skin and clothing, so wear an old long-sleeved shirt and gloves to protect yourself. Spread petroleum jelly on your neck and hairline to avoid staining these areas with henna.
Massage the henna mixture into your hair . Use gloves when applying henna. Either cover your entire head in henna or apply it only to the strands you wish to lighten. Be as thorough as possible and try to saturate your hair or individual strands with the henna paste. Cover your head with a plastic shower cap when you’re done so the henna doesn’t dry out too quickly.
Leave the mixture on for two to three hours. After 2-3 hours, remove the shower cap and apply conditioner to your hair. Lift out the henna and conditioner before shampooing and styling your hair as usual.
