How To Put Lemon Juice In Hair

Beauty

Lemon Juice In Hair: Does It Work? We Investigate The All-Natural Dye Job

mbg Acquaintance Beauty & Health Editor

By Jamie Schneider

mbg Associate Beauty & Health Editor

Jamie Schneider is the Associate Beauty & Wellness Editor at mindbodygreen, covering beauty and wellness. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.

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August eight, 2020

Perhaps you're in between colorist appointments and you lot're just drastic for a touch-up. And when that agony hits its superlative, yous may fifty-fifty wonder to yourself: Can I lighten my hair with lemon juice? It may even bring back memories of teenage years, say, if you've e'er drenched your hair in citrus with the hopes of emerging honey-blond.

But does it even work? Nosotros admit the old-time trick isn't so far-fetched—but it'due south also not, um, bully for your hair. So is at that place is a style to exercise it safely, and if and then, how? Here's what hairstylists have to say about the all-natural dye job.

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Can lemon juice really lighten your hair?

Well, yes and no. Lemons have their fair share of vitamin C, which does have brightening properties (similar to how a vitamin C serum is hailed for lightening up dark spots on the skin); the citric acid in lemon juice tin can also burnish the strands past oxidizing the pilus, says Carrie McCard, colorist at Rita Hazan.

But, sigh, there are a few caveats. First upwards: While lemons can provide some brightening properties (like to a natural pilus toner, we'd say), you shouldn't look a drastic dye chore. "Desperate changes in colour are usually not possible," naturopathic dr. Tess Marshall, N.D., previously told mbg. So if you lot take darker pilus, don't await to expect platinum with the help of mere citrus.

And but as how you lot should stick to shades of your natural color when opting for a toner, maybe ditch the lemons unless your hair is already fairly low-cal. Again, lemons can merely provide a subtle lightening effect, so if your hair is super-nighttime, all that effort might not even show up (or, worse, tinge your strands a bit orange). Lemons as well won't work if y'all already accept salon highlights: "This is best done on virgin hair," McCard explains. "There would be little to no reaction on color-treated hair."

What are the concerns?

But the biggest concern to look for? Lemon juice is drying and can create extreme photosensitivity on the peel. As it'due south a citric acid and an AHA, it will increase the risk of scalp burns and sunday harm. Using the straight-up lemon juice can likewise be pretty drying on your strands—yous might want to continue with caution here, specially if your hair is already decumbent to dryness and breakage. Be sure to hydrate your pilus before and after the lemon juice hack.

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How to lighten your hair with lemon juice.

Think lemons will work for you? In that location are a couple of ways to get virtually it before grabbing the juicer.

Offset, McCard says yous can only clasp out some juice from the lemon and apply it to the areas you wish to lighten—either coat your strands with your fingers, or catch a trusty spray canteen and spritz the citrus throughout. "For better results, I recommend doing this outside," she says. "The heat of the sun will help accelerate the process."

But as we've noted, just be very, very careful you lot don't get any lemon juice on your scalp, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate before and after. Or, you can ever create a brightening DIY hair mask to supply your hair with a chip more moisture. You'll nonetheless have the lightening effect with the lemons, but it won't dry your hair every bit brittle:

Mix ¾ lemon juice to ¼ conditioner.
Utilise the mixture to your hair, combing it through from root to tip.
Leave on for at least 1½ hours or overnight (if leaving on overnight, be certain to wrap your pilus in a shower cap or something of the like).
Rinse with warm water, followed by a deep conditioner to restore moisture.

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The takeaway.

Here's the matter: Lemons can work on certain people (typically those with lighter hair already), but information technology only provides a subtle hit of brightness. If you're looking for a whole new 'practice, there'due south not much you lot tin can do on the all-natural road—you may have to expect into at-home hair color or wait with bated jiff to see a colorist (we recommend waiting information technology out if you lot can). But for very subtle highlights, lemons are a quick hit, and so long equally y'all do it safely for your hair and scalp.

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