Natural Way for Highlights

Girl with a lemon
Photo: Tetiana Ch/Shutterstock
Q: Hi, I have a question for you. I would like to get highlights, but my mom won't let me do it unless I can find a natural way. I've read that Sheer Blonde Highlight Activating Shampoo will bring out the natural highlights in my hair. Is that true?
 
A: That all depends on the natural color of your hair. While there are many reviews (written online by consumers who have used the product) all of whom raved about the results they got with this product, all of the reviewers had blonde hair from the start.
 
The product above and similar products by other makers are generally designed for people who already have highlights in their hair, or have hair of a certain color, and tend to be made specifically for artificially colored hair. They can work well for natural hair color, but often the results are less dramatic.
 
What you can expect from these products is to see your hair color gradually become "richer" and your hair to probably become shinier and more light-reflective. There are versions of these products for every hair color - including gray or white hair - and each contains light color-enhancing agents and shine boosters, which can improve the look and feel of the hair, but actually do little to really "lighten" the hair's color.
 
There is a natural substance you can use to achieve lightening of the hair: lemon juice. It works especially well with already blonde to light brown hair colors. Simply apply lemon juice to the hair and spend some time in the sunshine. The lemon juice will help the sun to lighten your hair by making the hair more photosensitive.
 
Because lemon juice is a photosensitizer, you have to use care not to leave the lemon juice on your exposed skin while out in the sun - especially the scalp, which is already more sun sensitive. Your best bet is to use a toothbrush or color applicator brush to paint the lemon juice onto the locks of hair you want to lighten and allow it to dry in the sun.
 
It will be a relatively slow process, and you will need to be very careful to use a good sunscreen on your face, and any other exposed skin areas (at least SPF 30). The lemon juice will also dry out the hair, so shampooing and conditioning the hair with moisture-rich products are essential.
 
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See also:
 
Lemon juice for highlights
 
Color hair with fruits and berries
 
Natural hair care