Hydrogen peroxide is a type of oxidative hair dye. This means it causes a chemical reaction in the hair cortex that leads to the new hair color. While oxidative dyes are more permanent than other dyes, this also means they cause oxidative stress for your hair. This stress ages your hair and can cause hair loss.
How long does it take for hydrogen peroxide to lighten hair? Leave the hydrogen peroxide in your hair for about 30 minutes. Depending on how dark your hair is, how light you want it, and how much irritation the chemical may cause, you'll want to experiment and play around with it.
You can use hydrogen peroxide alone to lighten your hair color. However, when the chemical comes as an ingredient in hair dyes, it gives a permanent result. If you want to get a light blonde color, you should only apply hair dyes that contain hydrogen peroxide.
In dye mixtures, hydrogen peroxide acts as an oxidising agent. It oxidises melanins, organic compounds which absorb visible light and give hair its colour; this oxidation removes the parts of the compounds that cause colour, and causes the natural pale yellow of keratin (the protein that makes up hair) to show through.
Though not completely natural, you can use hydrogen peroxide mixed with equal amount of water and apply it to hair to get rid of hair dye. Keep the hydrogen peroxide in hair for 10 minutes for it to work through hair. Rinse thoroughly afterwards.
Grab an empty, clean bottle, mix a half cup of peroxide with a half cup of conditioner, then apply to your hair, taking care not to get any onto your face, hands, or skin.
Natural bleaching agents like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, chamomile tea, or cinnamon and honey can lighten hair gently and naturally with minimal damage. Rinse your hair in a solution of warm water and one or more of these lightening agents, then sit in the sun to dry.
On its own, regular hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore won't lighten your hair because it will dry before any chemical reaction can take place. Combining hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, though, creates a paste that can sit on your hair and work magic, lightening it by one to two shades.
Hydrogen peroxide tones down or lightens the natural hair color by oxidizing the hair pigment (melanin) and keratin (the hair's structural protein). The cortex (the innermost part of your hair) contains the color pigment or melanin that gives your hair its natural color.
Hydrogen peroxide and bleach typically lighten your hair 1 or 2 shades, so you won't go from dark hair to blond. Keep in mind that it may bring out red, orange, or yellow tones in your hair, especially if your hair is dark.
Apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar are easy and cheap options for lightening your hair. Rinse your hair in vinegar and then rinse it again in cold water to lift color and revitalize dull strands. Top with a gloss or conditioner to seal in moisture—this is crucial if you've had a bleach mishap before.
First, you can try mixing lemon juice and water with a ratio of two tablespoons of lemon juice to one cup of water. Place the mixture in a spray bottle, apply to hair and let dry in the sun. For overnight effects, once your hair is dry, wrap it up and sleep with the solution in your hair overnight.
If you leave toothpaste on any of your hair for a significant length of time, the toothpaste will draw moisture out of your hair strand, leaving it dry and prone to breakage. It may also damage the hair follicle if applied to your skin or scalp.
Hydrogen peroxide attacks the enzyme tyrosinase by oxidizing an amino acid, methionine, at the active site. As a consequence, this key enzyme, which normally starts the synthesizing pathway of the coloring pigment melanin, does not function anymore.
Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
Baking soda can also lighten hair that isn't dyed, but not when it's used by itself. To lighten nondyed hair, you have to use baking soda as a base with hydrogen peroxide. This is a bleaching agent that lightens hair.
Turns out that mouthwash is an effective cure for dandruff. Mix your won dandruff rinse by combining one part mouthwash with nine parts water. After shampooing with your regular shampoo, apply the mixture to your scalp and leave it on.
Lemon juice
Lemon juice can help strip your hair of its pigment slowly, lightening it over time. It's best used to achieve sun-kissed highlights naturally.
Lemon juice provides a safe, natural, cost effective way to lighten your hair color. While lemon juice is more gentle than some hair dyes and hair bleach, it's still acidic. This means there's a risk of the juice drying out your hair and scalp.
Not only does bleach process faster on wet hair, but the goal is to create a subtle color change. The bleach doesn't need to stay on your hair for a long time.
Apple cider vinegar to lighten hair
It can reduce dandruff, encourage growth, and remove oil build-up, making it a wonder treatment for hair. For lightening, mix one-part apple cider vinegar with six-part waters and spray across the hair. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before washing it out.
Cinnamon alone may lighten hair. You'll find this ingredient added to various other DIY hair “bleaching” recipes, but you may try using this ingredient on its own to achieve highlights and overall lightening.
Product Information
Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color B3, Café con Leche, is a high lift shade with ultra reflective warm tones designed to lighten dark hair up to 3 levels with out any bleach. Is This Shade Right For Me? B3 is best for anyone with natural hair between medium brown and black.
Bleeding the color out is the optimal solution providing that you have the right product on hand. A regular or clarifying shampoo would be the best product in this situation, and ideally, you should keep washing it until enough dark dye has bled out of your hair that you're happy with the resulting hue.