Secrets and recipes for lightening hair at home with citric acid and citrus juice

Are you looking to naturally lighten your hair without using harsh chemicals? For at-home hair lightening, citrus juices like lemon or orange as well as citric acid can be excellent choices. Compared to conventional hair dyes, these ingredients are not only easily accessible but also gentle on hair.

Many citrus fruits contain citric acid, which opens the hair cuticle to let sunlight naturally lighten the strands. It’s an easy and reasonably priced way to get a lighter shade overall or with subtle highlights.

This post will discuss several tried-and-true techniques for lightening hair that involve citric acid and citrus juice. These recipes can help you achieve gorgeous, natural results whether you’re going for a sun-kissed look or just want to refresh your color.

What substances are contained in the fruit and how they affect the hair?

Lemon is full of beneficial ingredients, such as:

1. Vitamins A, D, group B. Normalize the sebaceous glands and the water-fat balance in the cells. Get rid of excess oiliness of strands. Prevent breakage and split ends. Protect against negative external factors.
2. Vitamin C. Has an antiseptic and antifungal effect. Relieves scalp itching, eliminates flaking and dandruff. Neutralizes free radicals and slows down tissue aging processes.
3. Calcium, potassium, manganese, iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus. Strengthen roots, accelerate hair growth.
4. Phytoncides. Have antibacterial properties.
5. Essential oils. Give softness, nourish and restore curls. Prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.
6. Organic acids. Restore hair and stimulate its growth.

Procedure mechanism – due to what bleaching occurs?

The high concentration of malic and citric organic acids in lemon juice is the basis for the lightening mechanism. The acids enter the hair shaft through the opened scales, partially destroying the natural pigment called melanin. It is necessary to repeat the lightening procedure multiple times in order to obtain meaningful results. Curls gradually lighten and lose their tone.

Melanin is not entirely eliminated by lemon juice. The pigment is replenished gradually, and the hair starts to take on its original hue.

How many tones can you lighten, what color and type of hair is the procedure suitable for?

One procedure results in a one-tone lighter curl. The following characteristics affect the lightning result:

1. Natural color of the strands. The effect is most noticeable on light-blond curls – after a full course, lightening by three to four shades is possible. However, it will not be possible to achieve too light a blonde. Dark-blond strands become light-blond. Light brown – dark-blond with a golden tint. This method is not suitable for natural and dyed brunettes – at best, the curls acquire only a light chestnut shade.
2. Thickness and rigidity of the hair shaft. The thinner and softer the hair, the easier it is to wash out the pigment.

How to lighten at home — recipes and instructions

There are numerous lemon-based hair lightening recipes. Masks, sprays, and rinses with citrus bases are ready. Citrus acid, juice, and essential oil are utilized.

With lemon juice

Classic recipe

Tools and ingredients:

• Freshly squeezed lemon juice:
• 50 ml for short curls;
• 100 ml for medium-length hair;
• 150–200 ml for long.
• Hair conditioner or warm water.
• Non-metal container.
• A brush for applying the composition, a spray bottle or a cotton pad.

Getting ready:

1. Wash the lemons, squeeze out the juice.
2. Dilute with water or conditioner in a 1:1 ratio.

Use:

1. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray dry, unwashed locks along the entire length, without touching the roots. If the composition is made on the basis of a balm, soak a cotton pad or a wide brush in the mixture and apply the product to the hair. You can lighten the entire head of hair or just individual strands.
2. It is advisable to stand in the sun to make the effect more pronounced.
3. Wait one hour.
4. Rinse your hair with plenty of warm running water.
5. Use a conditioner or mask.
6. Let your hair dry naturally.

Honey mask

Components:

• Lemon juice – 40 ml;
• Natural honey – 40 ml;
• Olive oil – 40 ml.

Getting ready:

1. Slightly warm the honey in a water bath.
2. Mix all ingredients.

Use:

1. Apply to hair along the entire length.
2. Put on a shower cap, warm your head with a towel.
3. After two to three hours, rinse with warm water and shampoo.
4. Use a conditioner.
5. Dry your hair without using a hair dryer.

We recommend watching this helpful video, which offers a mask option using cinnamon and hair conditioner:

Chamomile mask

Components:

• Lemon – 1 piece;
• Olive oil – 1 tablespoon;
• chamomile flowers – 1 tablespoon;
• boiling water – 1 cup.

Getting ready:

1. Pour boiling water over chamomile flowers.
2. Keep in a water bath for a quarter of an hour.
3. Strain.
4. Squeeze out the lemon juice.
5. Pour oil and juice into the decoction.

Use:

1. Apply the composition to damp curls along the entire length with a brush.
2. After an hour, wash your hair with warm water and shampoo.

We recommend getting acquainted with a version of the mask that includes cinnamon:

From citric acid

Components:

• cool water – 2 l;
• citric acid – 1 tablespoon.

Get ready by dissolving the acid in some water.

Use: Use the prepared solution to rinse your hair.

Aid. You can take a chamomile decoction in the same volume as water. Hair conditioner can be used in place of the decoction and water. It must be combined 1:1 with citric acid until the crystals are totally dissolved.

Essential oil

There are numerous ways to use them:

• When washing your hair, add essential oil to shampoo or conditioner: five drops per 10 ml of base. Leave the enriched conditioner on your hair for 10 minutes.
• The oil is combined with a hair mask and kept for about half an hour.
• Distribute three drops of ether on a wooden comb and comb washed and dried curls. Do not wash off the oil.

Juice is the gentlest cure. Citric acid severely dries out the hair strands. Although essential oil completely penetrates the structure of hair, it has a pronounced drying effect.

Many people use citrus juice or citric acid as a natural, simple at-home method to lighten their hair for a subtle brightening effect. When used properly, these components—found in lemons and other citrus fruits—can safely lift hair color with little chance of damage. These natural acids work wonders when combined with heat or sunshine to give your hair a sun-kissed glow without using harsh chemicals. This makes them a popular DIY option for people who want to lighten their hair gradually and gently.

Photo

The image below shows the results of using citrus to bleach hair both before and after:

How often should the manipulation be repeated for a stable result?

Sessions need to be conducted in courses that last several weeks in order to produce meaningful results. It is advised to use the lemon mixture once every seven days if the curls are dry. It is acceptable to perform the procedures twice a week on oily hair.

Method	Description
Citric Acid Treatment	Mix citric acid powder with water to create a paste. Apply it to your hair and leave it on for about 30 minutes before rinsing. This can help lighten hair over time with regular use.
Citrus Juice Rinse	Mix lemon or lime juice with water and use it as a final rinse after washing your hair. The citric acid in the juice can help lighten hair, especially when combined with sunlight exposure.
Citrus Hair Mask	Combine citrus juice with honey or conditioner to create a moisturizing hair mask. Apply it to your hair, leave it on for 30-60 minutes, then rinse. This method adds a lightening effect while nourishing your hair.

A quick and all-natural method to brighten your hair at home is to use citrus juice and citric acid. These ingredients are easily obtained and, when used consistently, can yield noticeable results. To prevent any potential harm to your hair or scalp, you must use caution when using this method.

Everyone’s hair reacts differently to citric acid and citrus juice, so keep that in mind when experimenting. Depending on your hair type and current color, the results may differ. To test how your hair responds, always start with a tiny amount and apply it to a small section of hair.

Remember that these natural lightening techniques might not be as dependable or successful as medical interventions. To keep your hair healthy and shiny, use these techniques in conjunction with good hair care habits for the best results.

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