Can you lighten hair with lemon juice mixed in conditioner?

**gustavonut** · March 24th, 2018, 07:09 AM

Or honey and cinnamon mixed with conditioner?
Or honey, cinnamon, and coconut oil? I do not have distilled water.
I’ve been on here so long but I still have so many questions..
I am asking these questions because I just remembered how damaging JF go blonder is and want to try these “natural methods” out again.

**lapushka** · March 24th, 2018, 08:16 AM

I think that might rinse out, and not stay on the hair. And if you use it with a leave-in, it will stay on the hair too long (until next wash) - might be too harsh.

The best thing is, before a wash, spritz your hair with lemon juice (dilute it yes/no with water - your choice in what strength you do it), then sit outside in the sun with it, then wash.

You could also use camomile tea for this, if you are a blonde.

**gustavonut** · March 26th, 2018, 05:58 AM

Originally Posted by lapushka

I think that might rinse out, and not stay on the hair. And if you use it with a leave-in, it will stay on the hair too long (until next wash) - might be too harsh.

The best thing is, before a wash, spritz your hair with lemon juice (dilute it yes/no with water - your choice in what strength you do it), then sit outside in the sun with it, then wash.

You could also use camomile tea for this, if you are a blonde.

I’ve heard of people getting burns on their scalp from doing the sun-lemon lightening method. Although, I have done it once before but didn’t notice any problems at that time. Is it possible to use lemon in my shampoo and conditioner to help lighten my hair? Not every wash but maybe every other wash day.
I already use chamomile tea rinses every once in a while.

while it doesn’t lighten or add blondness to my hair, it does seem to help soften my hair a bit..

**lapushka** · March 26th, 2018, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by gustavonut

I’ve heard of people getting burns on their scalp from doing the sun-lemon lightening method. Although, I have done it once before but didn’t notice any problems at that time. Is it possible to use lemon in my shampoo and conditioner to help lighten my hair? Not every wash but maybe every other wash day.
I already use chamomile tea rinses every once in a while.

while it doesn’t lighten or add blondness to my hair, it does seem to help soften my hair a bit..

I would not use it in a shampoo, no, not the lemon. Lemon on its own isn't going to lighten unless it has some solar power. I think then the camomile in shampoo might be a better option. I one time had some golden reflects (perhaps on my white hair) from washing with the Garnier Ultra Doux (Blends line) camomile shampoo.

If you have blonde hair already. On darker hair, these things really are going to do zip.

**Larki** · March 24th, 2018, 09:03 AM

There is a honey treatment thread in the herbal forum. I used it about six times (honey+water+cinnamon for an hour at room temp) and didn't have any change of color but it was quite good for conditioning! I guess you'd have to do it many times, but that would ensure you don't end up lighter than you want.

**Reyesuela** · March 26th, 2018, 06:08 AM

Honey works from peroxide. It is no different from any other peroxide. It will lighten it and damage it exactly as much as the same amount of peroxide in another form.

Lemon should NEVER be put on skin exposed to sunlight. Phototoxicity can give you second degree burns. You can lose all your hair. If there is any oil from the lemon in the juice, you could end up in the hospital.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tod.../amp/tdna38686

https://www.google.com/amp/hanfordse...f887a.amp.html

Lemon itself isn’t good for your hair, either. Just because it’s “natural” doesn’t make it gentle or safe.

**Nightshade** · March 26th, 2018, 08:39 AM

Originally Posted by Reyesuela

Honey works from peroxide. It is no different from any other peroxide. It will lighten it and damage it exactly as much as the same amount of peroxide in another form.

Lemon should NEVER be put on skin exposed to sunlight. Phototoxicity can give you second degree burns. You can lose all your hair. If there is any oil from the lemon in the juice, you could end up in the hospital.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tod.../amp/tdna38686

https://www.google.com/amp/hanfordse...f887a.amp.html

Lemon itself isn’t good for your hair, either. Just because it’s “natural” doesn’t make it gentle or safe.

Exactly this. Also, you don't want to just randomly combing ~naturally lightening things~ together as the often counteract one another. I wrote an entire chapter just on this for my book and one thing found is that people would just throw anything they thought was "lightening" together, and end up with something that did nothing.

So something with a low PH (acidic) such as lemon juice and pH balanced hair conditioners should not be used with any natural peroxide treatment as it actually works in counter to the pH needed for the peroxide to be most effective. By that same measure, minerals in tap or filtered water can alter the pH of the water potential lightening properties. When creating lightening recipes that employ peroxide, always used distilled water.

**gustavonut** · March 30th, 2018, 11:09 AM

Originally Posted by Nightshade

Exactly this. Also, you don't want to just randomly combing ~naturally lightening things~ together as the often counteract one another. I wrote an entire chapter just on this for my book and one thing found is that people would just throw anything they thought was "lightening" together, and end up with something that did nothing.

So something with a low PH (acidic) such as lemon juice and pH balanced hair conditioners should not be used with any natural peroxide treatment as it actually works in counter to the pH needed for the peroxide to be most effective. By that same measure, minerals in tap or filtered water can alter the pH of the water potential lightening properties. When creating lightening recipes that employ peroxide, always used distilled water.

That makes perfect sense. I’m gonna have to try the honey lightening to see what it will do for me. Lemon just sounds scary now

**gustavonut** · March 30th, 2018, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by Reyesuela

Honey works from peroxide. It is no different from any other peroxide. It will lighten it and damage it exactly as much as the same amount of peroxide in another form.

Lemon should NEVER be put on skin exposed to sunlight. Phototoxicity can give you second degree burns. You can lose all your hair. If there is any oil from the lemon in the juice, you could end up in the hospital.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tod.../amp/tdna38686

https://www.google.com/amp/hanfordse...f887a.amp.html

Lemon itself isn’t good for your hair, either. Just because it’s “natural” doesn’t make it gentle or safe.

Thanks so much for your reply. I’m glad I read those before using it in my hair. I decided to use honey instead