Chamomile is a great homemade way to lighten your hair, leaving it with a lighter, more golden tone, as it contains apigenin in its composition, which is a natural yellow pigment, and azulene, which is purplish, which in addition to lightening the hair, help reduce the oxidized yellowish color of dyed blonde hair.
Chamomile is especially effective on hair with lighter tones, such as yellowish brown or brownish blonde, or bleached hair, acting on the hair’s hair pigments.
Watch the following video and learn how to use chamomile to lighten your hair:
How to use chamomile to lighten your hair
Some ways to use chamomile to lighten your hair are:
1. Strong chamomile tea
Strong chamomile tea is a way of using this medicinal plant to lighten hair strands and leave hair shinier, less oily and more hydrated.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried chamomile flowers or 4 tea bags;
- 500 mL of boiling water.
Preparation mode:
Add the dried chamomile flowers or chamomile tea bags to the boiling water, cover and let it rest until it cools, for approximately 1 hour.
When the tea is completely cold, rinse all your hair with the strong tea, leaving it to act for 20 to 25 minutes, so it can take effect. After this time, you should wash your hair as usual, ensuring it is hydrated with a mask or conditioner at the end. This wash must be done regularly, once a week, to enhance and maintain the lightening of the hair strands.
2. Chamomile and milk tea
Chamomile tea made in milk is another excellent option that helps to naturally lighten hair strands, in addition to nourishing the hair. However, due to the milk, this tea should be avoided by people with oily hair, as it can increase oiliness.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried chamomile flowers or 3 or 4 tea bags;
- 1 or 2 glasses of whole milk.
Preparation mode:
Boil the milk, remove from the heat and add the chamomile. Cover and let cool completely. This mixture can be placed in a spray bottle, which should be used to apply chamomile tea with milk to the strands of hair. After spraying all over your hair, comb it carefully and leave it on for around 20 minutes, using a thermal cap to enhance the effect of the mixture.
After this time, wash your hair as usual with your usual shampoo and conditioner.
3. Homemade chamomile shampoo
To highlight light hair, you can prepare a shampoo with chamomile, calendula and lemon zest, which can be used daily.
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers;
- 1 teaspoon of dried calendula;
- 2 and a half cups of water;
- 6 tablespoons of grated neutral soap;
- 2 tablespoons of glycerin.
Preparation mode:
Boil the water, turn off the heat and add the herbs. Cover and let rest for about 15 minutes. Strain and add the grated neutral soap, with the herbal solution still warm, stirring well to completely dissolve the neutral soap. Wait for the mixture to be completely warm and add the glycerin. Wait for it to cool and add the shampoo to a clean, dry container and use it to wash your hair.
This shampoo can be used within a week, or for a month if stored in the refrigerator.
4. Solution to enhance blonde hair
In addition to the previous shampoo, a solution prepared with the same herbs can also be used, which will enhance blonde hair even more.
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers;
- 3 tablespoons of dried calendula;
- 500 mL of water.
Preparation mode:
Boil the water with the chamomile and calendula in a covered container and then remove from the heat and leave to infuse until it cools. Then strain and place in a clean container. This solution should be used after washing with herbal shampoo, applying approximately 125 mL to the hair. What’s left of this solution can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Bibliography
- NPRCDB. Chamomile: German Camomile – Matricaria recutita. Available at: <https://www.nprcdb.com/resources/pdf/chamomile.pdf>. Accessed on April 18, 2022
- KRISTEN, G.; SCHMIDT, W. Chamomile & azulene; pharmacology, therapy & galenicals. Arch Pharm Ber Dtsch Pharm Ges. 290. 62(8-9); 105-14, 1957