Ways to naturally lighten dark blonde hair a shade or few?

[Sumeri]

Heey dearies, I got a question for you. I've got this sorta dark blonde/blonette/whatever you'd call this kinda color:

https://image.ibb.co/jW1hGb/hair1.jpg

https://image.ibb.co/b9hpwb/hair2.jpg

These are the only pics i have of my hair atm, with different lightings, obviously (it was rag curl day :D), but basically it's a murky-ish dark blonde . So this is my natural color, and I've been trying to think of a way to get it just a lil bit lighter, but the thing is, I just spent 3,5 years growing out bleached hair, and I'd like to avoid bleaching it again anytime soon...I've heard of stuff like using honey/lemon juice/chamomille and other ingredients like that, but have any of you guys tried these? Is there a natural way that actually works? I'm not looking for a product that would make it platinum or anything :D but a shade or a few lighter would be cool~ Any advice?

[Andthetalltrees]

There is nothing murky or unpleasant about your hair at all, Very pretty and I love the rag curls. As a fellow owner of dark blonde hair, I've tried using tea rinses, honey ect and none of it really made a difference. The only thing that makes my hair light is sun/age and then it's only the bottom 3/4th. YMMV but I've just learned to be okay with having dark blonde, It's not light blonde but it doesn't have to be to be pretty.

[Deborah]

I think your hair color is lovely just the way it is. Anything that lightens hair damages it - anything. It's up to you of course, but I would not risk the health of your hair to try to lighten it, not even a little.

[Shorty89]

I agree with the other two posters. Cassia might give it a bit more shine if you want, but anything else would damage it a bit. You could try honey lightening or spritzing your hair with lemon juice and then going out in the sun (it works but is damaging).

[Lokiboo]

I think your natural colour is really pretty, though! Mine is similar.

[lapushka]

Your natural color is precious, and pretty. I would not mess with it at all.

A few years ago I had the chamomile shampoo by Garnier Ultra Doux (Whole Blends, Ultimate Blends, Loving Blends, etc.) and it gave my hair a golden hue. For a shampoo to do that? It was sunny out and in the sun my hair gets golden reflects to it.

I had chamomile for tea rinses and did them for a while too. I found it lovely and not damaging. The best it can do though is give you a blonde / golden hue, it will not lighten.

Then there's lemon but something like that should be saved for spring/summer, when you can spray it on (diluted preferably) and sit in the sun to let it dry.

Then there's honey, which can have a peroxide effect (if you don't heat it up).

Those are the options, I think.

I'd go with the chamomile rinse and see what that does.

But if you *truly* want it lighter, it's going to have to be bleach. :flower:

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Gosh, I love it the way it is, are you sure you want to damage it to get it lighter?

[Alex Lou]

Since your hair is already so light I think lightening a shade will be a noticeable color difference without noticeable damage (although the damage will still be there). You should look into lightening with honey, cinnamon, or diluted peroxide. I always thought the sun worked best. Prepare yourself for subtle results.

[cjk]

Our hair is the same color. I'm told, regularly, by everyone I meet that mine is stunning in person.

Yours is not?

I guess I can understand the appeal of changing it, but keep in mind. Our color is what everybody else wants to achieve, go to any store and look at the number of blondes in the bleach and dye section.

You have shiny, long, and very beautiful hair in those pictures. I wouldn't chance it.

But if you insist, just be aware that anything that will bleach your hair will dry and damage it. Aftercare will be very important. It looks very healthy now, so please be sure to maintain it properly.

If your goal is just to have highlights, you could always clip or braid in various extensions and incorporate them, that way.

[Waveurly]

Ooh!! I love your hair color! I have dark blonde hair as well, even though when short it shows less, and thought of myself as a kind of mousy color for a long time. But now I've come to appreciate it. Your color and the length of your hair is just wonderful. I understand the feeling of wanting to lighten hair, I've tried some lemon rinses after using shampoo, and it does do something but only over a long period of time. The sun has always been the best bleacher but it also really dries out/damages hair. I've tried lightning with honey in the past and either it did not really work or it was so subtle that I didn't notice. But you can of course always try for yourself :)

[Agnieszka]

My hair is natural light brown colour and after 2 weeks in hot country it became lighter. Year after when I put my ends next to my roots they are golden gingery colour while roots are cool light brown and I know it happened because of the sun.