lemon rinse

[Sossity]

I found a 32 oz bottle of Royal brand lemon juice natural strength from concentrate from my local 99 cents store. Its ingredients list is; filtered water, lemon juice from concentrate, citric acid, ascorbic acid, lemon oil, sodium benzoate ( as a preservative )- is this a safe chemical for hair & skin? is it synthetic? sodium bi sulfite ( as a preservative )-is this harmless? & potassium sorbate ( as a preservative )-what about this? I am just checking as I don't want to trade one set of chemicals for another. I see grey water washing down the drain & around my feet when I squeeze & rinse my hair while rinsing the lemon juice out in the shower, so it seems to be getting my hair clean, I also don't have a thick grey film when I pass my clean hair brush through my cleaned dry hair.

Sossity

[ktani]

Sossity

The preservatives are food grade - they are necessary because of the water content and IMO - are fine.

Unless you buy fresh lemons and make your own rinse - to store it - it would not keep long - this is an option.

[Blueglass]

I really don't know. Why don't you try minute maid in the bright yellow bottle. Are you a blonde?It would be fading for a brunnett. Lemon juice can be drying. I'm thinking of making a raise with sea salt, lemon juice and water, the going out in the sun. Stay with pure lemon juice, but mix it with water.

[ktani]

Sossity

It is definitely recommended by those who have tried lemon rinses straight - to dilute the juice.

You can make a treatment to lighten hair with lemon juice and conditioner - here is a recipe from an old thread.

Originally posted by Strawberrycurls
"Lemon Juice and Conditioner
I have lived in an apartment with well water. The minerals were darkening my hair. I found that mixing lemon juice with a good conditioner was an excellent way to lighten my hair without getting the extra dryness from acidity in the lemon juice.
Use: 1 tablespoon lemon Juice, 2-3 tablespoons conditioner, Let it sit in hair for an hour you can apply heat if you like. I made extra and stored it for later use."
From her 2nd post, same thread
"My Hair is blond and I mainly used it because my roots start out dark before the sun gets them to lighten up. Since it is winter I am not outside that much so they haven't been lightening up as usual. The Lemon Conditioner lightened them pretty close to my regular color. I left it in for an hour under a plastic sack and blow dried it every once in awhile for the heat. I didn't sit in the sun. and I am sorry but I don't have any pictures of it."
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=40946

Without adding water, the treatment could be stored in the fridge easily - there would be preservatives both in the juice and the conditioner and at a 2-3 to 1 conditioner to lemon ratio - the treatment IMO, would be mild enough on hair and skin (most conditioners have a high water content).

[ktani]

sodium bisulphate safety - scroll down page
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2007/20070915/html/notice-e.html

potassium sorbate safety - scroll down page
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/1999/19991204/html/notice-e.html