Hair lightening using clay?

**Begemot** · March 4th, 2021, 12:03 PM

I'm almost completely highlight free so of course my mind starts to wander... Anyone here tried this method? It has been advertised as ecological and more gentle alternative if you wish to lighten up your hair 1-3 levels. The method uses only three ingredients: white clay, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Eco salons advertise the treatment where I live but apparently some have done it at home and these days there are commercial lightening products that use this combo.

**cestlavie** · March 4th, 2021, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by Begemot

I'm almost completely highlight free so of course my mind starts to wander... Anyone here tried this method? It has been advertised as ecological and more gentle alternative if you wish to lighten up your hair 1-3 levels. The method uses only three ingredients: white clay, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Eco salons advertise the treatment where I live but apparently some have done it at home and these days there are commercial lightening products that use this combo.

I never heard of this method to lighten hair. Those 3 ingredients seem very harsh to use altogether? Especially baking soda. Even though it is advertised as more gentle. I wonder if someone knows if that's actually true because it sounds pretty interesting!

**MusicalSpoons** · March 4th, 2021, 03:00 PM

Ecological ... eh, maybe. Gentler? I don't see how, with 3 alkaline ingredients, 2 of which are likely abrasive too (depending on the quality of the clay)

**Kat** · March 4th, 2021, 06:41 PM

It still has peroxide in it... why not just use peroxide?

**akurah** · March 4th, 2021, 10:57 PM

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together is a bleaching agent. I'm not sure what exactly clay brings to the party.

**lapushka** · March 5th, 2021, 05:30 AM

I would just do it properly, with the regular products. Spoons has a great point. At least the chemicals are pH balanced, or... well, that's a huge claim! I think they might have a better pH at least.

Natural doesn't always mean better. I would take something chemical, where at least there is a known outcome over something you think is more natural (but is rather abrasive) but is a huge unknown element... any day!

**Begemot** · March 5th, 2021, 08:30 AM

Originally Posted by cestlavie

I never heard of this method to lighten hair. Those 3 ingredients seem very harsh to use altogether? Especially baking soda. Even though it is advertised as more gentle. I wonder if someone knows if that's actually true because it sounds pretty interesting!

Yeah gentler doesn't mean no damage and those ingredients are no joke. I'm just now starting to read more about this in English. Google search "clay lightener" or "clay lightener vs. bleach" if anyone's interested!

Originally Posted by MusicalSpoons

Ecological ... eh, maybe. Gentler? I don't see how, with 3 alkaline ingredients, 2 of which are likely abrasive too (depending on the quality of the clay)

The explanation I read was that they can advertise it as the ecological alternative because all the ingredients are biodegradable so they won't have any effect in the water system once you rinse the mixture down the drain.
White clay is said to have the pH of 5. Depending on your hair color you can only lighten up 1-3 levels with this method so it's definitely not as powerful compared to bleach.

Originally Posted by Kat

It still has peroxide in it... why not just use peroxide?

This method doesn't have the synthetic ingredients that are commonly used, like ammonia, persulfates or ammonium persulfates. So the things that make your scalp itch. I read someone being pleased that clay lightening didn't make their scalp burn or itch, so that would be one pro. Also the eco approach is quite a big deal for many and for example ammonia is harmful for aquatic life.

Originally Posted by akurah

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide together is a bleaching agent. I'm not sure what exactly clay brings to the party.

To appeal the natural gang maybe, it sounds good? Since I haven't found the answer myself, only that white clay has the pH of 5 which is close to the pH of hair. Clay is used to wash hair so that possibly has something to do with it. I'm still learning about this.

Originally Posted by lapushka

I would just do it properly, with the regular products. Spoons has a great point. At least the chemicals are pH balanced, or... well, that's a huge claim! I think they might have a better pH at least.

Natural doesn't always mean better. I would take something chemical, where at least there is a known outcome over something you think is more natural (but is rather abrasive) but is a huge unknown element... any day!

I agree that natural doesn't always mean better

**Begemot** · March 5th, 2021, 08:40 AM

https://www.sunlightsbalayage.com/bl...oil-lighteners

According to this page, the clay gives a smoother consistency (which gives better application and result) and even moisturizes hair. So it's better for creating highlights, compared to silica that is more grainy.

**MusicalSpoons** · March 5th, 2021, 09:26 AM

Fair enough, I didn't know different clays had different pHs. I've never heard of kaolin being moisturising though!

I looked up the ingredients for 10vol developer, most of them don't contain ammonia either. The ingredients probably aren't biodegradable though. I just don't know enough to be able to work out whether flushing any highly alkaline substances down the water system is a good idea, even if they are all natural ingredients - in nature they (probably) wouldn't be mixed together or in such concentrations.

**cestlavie** · March 5th, 2021, 11:04 AM

I find this very interesting! I'm going to do some research just for fun. I think this is a matter of choosing your battles: biodegradable/non-biodegradable, natural/synthetic ingredients, high lightning/minor lightning etc. I think it's pretty cool that this option is available