What's the best way to lighten/add a bit of colour to dull blonde hair

[Revontuletar]

Ok, so I'm a bit of a newbie here and have heard people talk about honey and lemon juice lightening your hair. How true is this, and are there any other methods or special recipes to do this? I am growing out hair dye and have a few inches of dull blonde regrowth that I really don't like, and I am looking for a natural and non-damaging way to help it blend in more with the chemical-blonde colour, or at least make it look a little more lively. Any help or pointing in the right direction would be greatly appreciated :)

[christine1989]

I've seen great honey lightening results from people here. You also might want to give cassia (neutral henna) a try. It deposits a yellow/blonde dye that could make your darker roots a truer blonde. I also (accidentally) discovered the lightening properties of lemon juice + sunshine. I have dark hair so it was quite unwanted but I don't see why it wouldn't make you blonder. :)

[Rosetta]

You probably already know this, but chamomile is often used to brighten blonde hair; like in chamomile rinses, where you use strong brew of chamomile tea as a final rinse after washing, but you'd need to do this several times (i.e. after several washes) to see any effects, I think.

(Although, darker blonde doesn't have to mean "dull" blonde :))

[Revontuletar]

(Although, darker blonde doesn't have to mean "dull" blonde :))

True, but it DOES look rather dull compared to the rest of the chemically dyed hair, I need something that will help even it out a bit and blend it so it will look a little less two-toned. I'm not a huge fan of the regrowth look on me, as you can probably tell. I have heard that honey is quite good too, so I think I am going to try it :D Maybe one day when I have grown all the dye out I will be able to go completely natural and embrace my darker blonde hair!

[AngelDella]

I am having the same dark blonde issues. I have highlighted for many years and am having a hard time embracing my natural color (I haven't highlighted for almost a year now).
BUT, last night, I oiled my hair with Nightblooming's hair oil, wrapped and slept in it, then this morning I did a CWC with an ACV rinse, and I don't know if it's the extra shine or what, but I actually like my hair today!:) I am trying to not give in to the highlighting urge...at least until my hair gets to waist.

[spidermom]

You can also use cassia (also called neutral henna) to add a bit more yellow and shine. I've never used it myself because I don't want to tone my silver with yellow, but I've heard good things about it here.

[Revontuletar]

I am having the same dark blonde issues. I have highlighted for many years and am having a hard time embracing my natural color (I haven't highlighted for almost a year now).
BUT, last night, I oiled my hair with Nightblooming's hair oil, wrapped and slept in it, then this morning I did a CWC with an ACV rinse, and I don't know if it's the extra shine or what, but I actually like my hair today!:) I am trying to not give in to the highlighting urge...at least until my hair gets to waist.

I love Nightblooming's hair oil! I've just run out of my supply myself and had to order some more. What did you use to wrap it? I haven't dyed my hair since February and it is quite noticeable, so I really know how you feel! It really is difficult to embrace the darker colour. My hair has been sitting at waist length for quite a while, I think it is due to all the split ends I have to keep cutting off from the years of permanent hair dyeing :(

[Revontuletar]

I've seen great honey lightening results from people here. You also might want to give cassia (neutral henna) a try. It deposits a yellow/blonde dye that could make your darker roots a truer blonde. I also (accidentally) discovered the lightening properties of lemon juice + sunshine. I have dark hair so it was quite unwanted but I don't see why it wouldn't make you blonder. :)

How did you use the lemon juice? Straight or mixed with something else? Also, does it matter if you use juice from fresh lemons or if you buy it in a bottle?

[AngelDella]

I love Nightblooming's hair oil! I've just run out of my supply myself and had to order some more. What did you use to wrap it? I haven't dyed my hair since February and it is quite noticeable, so I really know how you feel! It really is difficult to embrace the darker colour. My hair has been sitting at waist length for quite a while, I think it is due to all the split ends I have to keep cutting off from the years of permanent hair dyeing :(

I got this tip from someone on this board: I wrap my hair with a couple t-shirt sleeves cut off of one of my husband's t-shirts. It's really soft and works well and he gets another "work-out" shirt :) I use two sleeves when I oil because I'm afraid one might not be enough and with two, I usually don't have to worry about it slipping off. It's very comfortable to sleep in...not very sexy though :)

[Revontuletar]

I got this tip from someone on this board: I wrap my hair with a couple t-shirt sleeves cut off of one of my husband's t-shirts. It's really soft and works well and he gets another "work-out" shirt :) I use two sleeves when I oil because I'm afraid one might not be enough and with two, I usually don't have to worry about it slipping off. It's very comfortable to sleep in...not very sexy though :)

Another "work-out" shirt - LOL!
How do you put them on?

[Curly Hermione]

Just to say, i've never dyed (that sounds so weird!), but my hair is quite a dull blonde colour all over. I've tried lemon, which according to my family, has worked, but just yesterday i used Lush's Marilyn treatment, and that worked well. It's basically a mix of saffron, chamomile and lemon. I've also used cinnamon to lighten in the past, i mix it with my conditioner.

[Revontuletar]

Just to say, i've never dyed (that sounds so weird!), but my hair is quite a dull blonde colour all over. I've tried lemon, which according to my family, has worked, but just yesterday i used Lush's Marilyn treatment, and that worked well. It's basically a mix of saffron, chamomile and lemon. I've also used cinnamon to lighten in the past, i mix it with my conditioner.

Oooh nice, I will have to look those up. Thanks :D
With the cinnamon, do you just buy regular ground cinnamon from the supermarket or is there a special kind you have to use?

[Sweet Beat]

I've heard that honey can do it :)

[Revontuletar]

I am definitely going to try honey as soon as I move house (things are a bit chaotic here!), so hopefully that will do the trick! I want to look into other methods as well though.

[Curly Hermione]

The cinnamon was just normal stuff in a jar that i found in my mums cupboard! Oh, apparantly some people can have a reaction to cinnamon if it gets on their skin, i didn't experience this, but there's a thread about cinnamon, if you search holy moly cinnamon you should find it. Good luck!

[justgreen]

Be careful , lemon juice is VERY drying. Here is what I used to use when I was using a toner on my hair after highlights. I finally figured out that the toner was what made my hair go brassy after it faded out, so no more toner for me. This is a leave-in recipe, either spritzing or just using an 8 ounce cup and pouring it over the hair after washing, then air drying.

HALO Leave-In

1-TB Honey
1-TB Clear Aloe Vera Gel (optional)
1-TB Lemon juice
1/2 T. oil of your choice (I used Jojoba)
1-TB Vinegar (White vinegar for blondes)
8-Cups of distilled water

Mix in a jar or bottle with lid. Store in fridge and take out for individual usage. Shake well before taking out what you need.

RECIPE BY ELYCE (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=2318)

[Revontuletar]

Thanks :) I have rather dry ends, so should I just spritz it on to the roots (which is what I want to lighten anyway)?

[AngelDella]

Another "work-out" shirt - LOL!
How do you put them on?

I just pull the cut end over my head (it's the wider end) and then I turn up the edges to cover my scalp. It leaves the crown uncovered but I figure my crown doesn't usually touch my pillow much anyway. If I'm doing a heavy leave in, I might cover my t-shirt wrap with a terry turban. I would take a picture but I don't have a good camera :) That's my story, haha...Really, only my husband is allowed to see me like this...like I said...it's very sexy ;)

[AngelDella]

Be careful , lemon juice is VERY drying. Here is what I used to use when I was using a toner on my hair after highlights. I finally figured out that the toner was what made my hair go brassy after it faded out, so no more toner for me. This is a leave-in recipe, either spritzing or just using an 8 ounce cup and pouring it over the hair after washing, then air drying.

HALO Leave-In

1-TB Honey
1-TB Clear Aloe Vera Gel (optional)
1-TB Lemon juice
1/2 T. oil of your choice (I used Jojoba)
1-TB Vinegar (White vinegar for blondes)
8-Cups of distilled water

Mix in a jar or bottle with lid. Store in fridge and take out for individual usage. Shake well before taking out what you need.

RECIPE BY ELYCE (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=2318)

Thanks for posting this recipe...I'm going to try it too!