Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
I have dark blonde hair, and have used chamomile shampoos off and on for 8 years or so. I'm not really convinced that they lighten my hair at all. What say you?
For the record, I used:
Aubrey Organics Blue Chamomile (for at least two or three years)
Aubrey Organics Chamomile Luxurious (also for at least two or three years)
Chagrin Valley Soap Chamomile & Citrus Shampoo Bar (for a couple months now)
I've tried chamomile tea a few times too, but I haven't seen enough results to make it a habit.
A reference picture of my hair:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/...4258b3c4_m.jpg
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
Unfortunately not, or lots of us would be doing it instead of bleach/peroxide!
I think it may add golden tones, though, which is why it appears in products for blondes.
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Unofficial_Rose
Unfortunately not, or lots of us would be doing it instead of bleach/peroxide!
I think it may add golden tones, though, which is why it appears in products for blondes.
Id agree with this. I tend to think of it as being like cassia (at least for me). Cassia doesn't lighten my hair (med or dark blond, I don't even know anymore) but because it makes me hair more gold (or yellow...) it appears to be lighter.
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
Hmm, I'm not familiar with cassia. Is that an ingredient in some products?
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
If you do some searching on the site you'll find a very long cassia thread (along with several smaller ones) but the basics:
Its a plant sometimes called neutral or clear henna but its not henna. It has a very light gold/yellow color vs the orange/red from henna. Its not permanent like henna either seems like the effects last ~a month for most people. You mix the powder with liquid (water, different teas, etc) and sometimes things like honey, oils, conditioner, henna (if you want a reddish color), etc. The color I have (strawberry blond/orange in the pic) is a mix of cassia and henna. Mix ingredients into a mud, apply, let sit, rinse. Like henna.
For me cassia gives my hair a more golden color (last maybe a week or 2), makes my hair feel slightly smoother, shinier, gives it a little body...My hair is damaged from repeated chemical lightening, I think cassia has helped keep the dry icky ends manageable.
.....That was prob more info then you wanted...sorry
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jeni
Id agree with this. I tend to think of it as being like cassia (at least for me). Cassia doesn't lighten my hair (med or dark blond, I don't even know anymore) but because it makes me hair more gold (or yellow...) it appears to be lighter.
This, but in cases of very light blonde hair, camomille or cassia can even darken the colour, although it will be more golden as well. It always happens to my white blonde roots ;)
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
What they said. This is another one of these myths that drives me crazy!
I also have the shampoos you mention and I think they are very strong, something other people might consider harsh, but I like the fact that my hair looks blonde for a day or two after using them! When my hair does not have enough moisture, it looks blonde (at least to me), but if I WO or CO it goes very dark.
Many people have found that chamomile gives them a golden rinse, as other posters have already said, but for me, the hassle of mixing real chamomile then cleaning all those little bits out of the shower is not worth a yellowish color that doesn't do much for me, personally. To each their own! :)
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
Thanks, everybody!
I'll have to read more about cassia.
I guess what I don't understand is how any product could make your hair look lighter for just a few days. Darkening for a few days, I could make some sense of. But it seems like any lightening effect would have to be permanent, wouldn't it?
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
I don't know all the tech stuff but it isn't lightening your hair its just adding a gold/yellow color to the hair that makes it look lighter....At least that's how I see it.
Re: Does chamomile lighten your hair, for real?
Hi , i would say that Chamomile is more likely to 'brighten' blonde hair rather than 'lighten'.
Natural blonde hair can dull quite easily in winter (lack of sunlight) and mineral deposits and chlorine in water. I have natural ash blonde hair which has a tendancy to look duller in winter so I've had a few golden highlights put in occasionally to brighten it, but I do use some chamomile shampoos and condtioners to maintain the brightness, which helps :)
It may also depend on the shade of blonde hair as i dont think it will work for everyone in the same way