Chamomile

[czech it out]

To my knowledge it was because of the chemicals that give chamomile its colour. One of them acted like a bleaching agent reducing the amount of melanine in our hair.
I was trying to find some scientific journal or something that could explain it better but couldn't find much else that blog post repeating the same sentence over and over

Thanks for that explanation and for searching, CuteCrow! I know - it's so hard to find info on it online!

[curly girl fla]

I found this:
This medicinal plant has long been used for natural hair lightening, thanks to its natural properties.
Chamomile contains three flavonoids called apigen, quercetin, and azulene. Apigen and azulene work together to brighten the hair, while quercetin is the one that lightens the hair. This flavonoid has an enzyme that can limit the production of melanin, which is the same thing that gives color to your strands, as well as your skin.

And this:
To break things down easily, chamomile contains three flavonoids (what gives plants their pigmentation) called apigen, quercetin, and azulene. Apigen is a natural chemical that has been found to help reduce the lifespan of cancerous cells, as well as brighten hair when combined with azulene (a dark blue chamomile extract). On the other hand, quercetin is what lightens the hair. CenterChem.com explains that "quercetin is an inhibitor of tyrosinase" an enzyme that limits the production of melanin — the same chemical that darkens skin and hair. When all three of these components come together and are applied to hair repeatedly, they will gradually lighten it one application at a time.

I think it's interesting. Wonder if it will gradually lighten henna...

[czech it out]

I found this:
This medicinal plant has long been used for natural hair lightening, thanks to its natural properties.
Chamomile contains three flavonoids called apigen, quercetin, and azulene. Apigen and azulene work together to brighten the hair, while quercetin is the one that lightens the hair. This flavonoid has an enzyme that can limit the production of melanin, which is the same thing that gives color to your strands, as well as your skin.

And this:
To break things down easily, chamomile contains three flavonoids (what gives plants their pigmentation) called apigen, quercetin, and azulene. Apigen is a natural chemical that has been found to help reduce the lifespan of cancerous cells, as well as brighten hair when combined with azulene (a dark blue chamomile extract). On the other hand, quercetin is what lightens the hair. CenterChem.com explains that "quercetin is an inhibitor of tyrosinase" an enzyme that limits the production of melanin — the same chemical that darkens skin and hair. When all three of these components come together and are applied to hair repeatedly, they will gradually lighten it one application at a time.

I think it's interesting. Wonder if it will gradually lighten henna...

Thank you! That is insightful, and seems to agree with CuteCrow's explanation too! Sounds like it's more of a lightener vs. a dye which is what I originally thought.