Beach Hair

You don't have to live at the beach to look like you do!

No longer do you have to spend big bucks at the salon for their "beach look" products. Here's something much cheaper and simpler you can make at home.

Lemons naturally lighten hair, while salt adds the texture of sea breezes.

Use this simple, all-natural hair tonic to lighten and tousle those tresses, making it look like you spend your days in the sun and surf!

Step 1: Gather Up

All you need for this simple tonic are the following:

• Six lemons
• 1/2 cup salt
• Water
• Spray bottlle

Comments

[aemison henderson]

Do not do this if your hair is darker than a light brown, or if you ever want to get your hair professionally colored. It is extremely harsh, and can cause irreversible damage. ( a kind warning from a professional hair colorist) Otherwise, have fun, and remember to use an intense conditioner after each application.

[mgw1]

SCARY! How does it do irreversible damage? As far as I can tell, it works by lessening pigmentation in the external hair shaft, and permanent damage usually comes from messing with the roots, right?

[GummiBear]

Well to reverse it you could wait for it to grow out? Just like permanent hair color they scrape all over your head at the beauty salons...

[Grey_valentine]

There is no pigmentation in the external hair shaft.

[mgw1]

Sorry, my term was ambiguous. External hair shaft = hair shaft that is outside of the follicle. The pigmentation is in the inside of the cylindrical shape of the hair. By external, I meant past the skin and out of the IRS and ORS.

[ashbegash]

Awesome idea! Love it! :)

[ljc-1]

I'd probably drink it first

[litaroldan]

I think is a little dangerous to spray lemon near your skin, and even worse if it's your face. You could get stained or something....

[Fanny Fink]

I wish I would have known this tip when my hair is in honey colour:) Now, it is something like nutshell.
thanx anyway,

[mgw1]

Chamomile tea works great for brown-haired folks! Lemons go too far, and, with the wrong hair color, make us look silly, but a little chamomile tea in your hair, and you lighten right up! Hope this helps, Miss Nutshell! (I'm a brownie-head, so trying to use blond-centered tips leaves me all kinds of goofy-looking)

[paconchico007]

You said "browniehead" hehehe.... Just found that cute and contagious;)

[drummonkey92]

would this work on dreads? to lighten them a bit and dry up the hair to give more friction (to get tighter dreads) or would it damage the hair too much?

[peacenique]

I used to do this back when I was *ahem* young. I'd forgotten about it! Thanks!

I used to put a strong lemon juice/water mix in a small/tall glass and head outside with a comb. While I was outside I'd repeatedly comb the lemon juice through my hair ~ concentrating on the front. I would only do this while I was home outside... or sunbathing outside. Before I left home I'd always wash my hair.
I never tried it with salt, nor with a spray bottle... so I cannot comment on that.

I have not been able to afford highlighting for a couple of years. I'm heading outside today to start this!

[moosish]

Does this dry out your hair the way the real beach does?

[mgw1]

A lot of the comments say it does, but I never ran into that (...during my single attempt, haha. Maybe I'm not the one to answer your question...)

[Rbeccers]

Can you substitute lemon juice from a bottle rather then buying fresh lemons?

[moonturkey]

Won't it smell very strongly of lemons and also be rather sticky?

[jongscx]

has anyone tried this with Asiaa hair? I'm just Curious.

[Treknology]

A red tone is the best you'll get. For hair that is too dark, lots of peroxide and multiple applications are necessary.

If your hair is as dark as mine, and you don't want a result that looks cheap and garish, you'll have to pay $$$ for a professional to do it properly.

[koreg]

What if you don't have a microwave ? They are not pc up here at all, lol.

[fesoj_92]

I think you could freeze them instead and then let em defrost as this also would break all those small "juice pockets" :)

[tward]

It isn't absolutely necessary, but the warm temp does make it easier to juice them...otherwise let them sit out at room temperature for a while.

[mooster]

You could just roll the lemons on the counter (pressing firmly) to make it easier to juice them, but where is "up here? Microwaves save tons of energy over longer cooking methods. Not only do they use much less energy than an oven, but they release much less heat into the kitchen, which saves air conditioning costs, also. Aside from that, without a microwave I'd feel as if I'd regressed 40 years.

I remember trying to streak my hair with lemon juice when I was a teen (a very long time ago). The acid from the lemons is harsh and can damage delicate hair, but so does sun and wind and, for that matter, other bleaching products. If that's the look you want, it's your hair.

[Tuhua Tarakona]

However, microwaves have brought in a ton more health problems so in my humble opinion, aren't worth the 'technological advance' as they are so toted. Considering that whatever you 'nuke' becomes dead and no longer worthy of consuming - why do it? There have even been studies done (by students) that nuked water and let it cool to water one plant and regular water on another plant. The nuked water plant died. Not surprising. Again, humble opinion (and granted this is an ooold conversation - but maybe somebody's researching some oooold things as I am) ;)

[koreg]

Thanks, it also just occured to me that maybe blanching them in boiling water for a few moments might do the trick. But seriously, thank you all, I've been juicing a lot of lemons and limes for drinks and these are handy tips to save my hands.

[gburnaska]

how long does it take lemon to lighten hair

[gr8fldanielle]

I remember, at least I think I do, it was the Breck shampoo company had a free lemon juice squeezer/applicator to 'naturally' streak ones hair. Nice to see it's coming back. How many here were Breck girls?

[sunshiine]

Thanks for sharing. I would think your hair would smell fresh as lemons!

[splazem]

Great job once again! Very interesting!

[aridesimone]

This a really great way to lighten your hair... BUT if you have dark hair. Beware it might turn your hair an orange/red color.

Both my brother and myself ended up looking like carrot top for a while. :)

[tinker234]

my nebihor did that im to honset told him not to use the 50 dollar lighter he bought we were close he punched me so yeah by the way it was bright red so im just saying be carfel

[FUZ3TTE]

So what haircolor do you naturally have?

[aridesimone]

My hair is dark brown....little late on the response lol!

[rachelmaryb]

Ack! Cute idea but HORRIBLE for your hair!

[firefliie]

does this make your hair feel all grody? I can't stand that.

[caitlinlara]

What if I don't want the matte look but want the lighter look? Do I omit the salt?

[teckner]

Thats right!

[CapnTac]

Reminds me of some sort of a homemade Sun-In.

[Tamaresque]

In Australia in the 1970's (yes, I'm that old!) surfers were called 'lemonheads' for just this reason. It was / is a well known method of adding sunstreaks. Good, simple ible just the same. :-)

[D.L.H.]

Very interesting technique