Want to lighten your hair, get amazing highlights, or a pretty ombre at home but have no idea how? Yes, you came to the right place! Today we will be discussing all how to lighten hair with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda at home.
Before you dive in, please take note that this will only work for those who already have blonde hair. If you have dark hair, using hydrogen peroxide to lighten your hair will not work, and could cause damage. Additionally, hydrogen peroxide can also strip the hair of its natural oils, so make sure to really condition your hair on a regular basis. Bleaching hair with hydrogen peroxide is actually not much different than a regular hair coloring process. You can choose to bleach just a few strands of hair, or you can go ahead and dye all of it. When you bleach hair with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, your hair should get several shades lighter. So how to lighten hair with peroxide?
When it comes to using hydrogen peroxide in your hair or overall, you will need to learn a few things before trying it. Generally, it’s safe to use hydrogen peroxide but if you are not careful enough, it can cause some damage like eye, skin and lung irritation. It’s important to know what type of hydrogen peroxide is safe to use at home and the best one for your hair.
Types of Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a liquid and colorless chemical. H2O2 is a combination of oxygen and hydrogen, which you can usually find in many strengths specified in their percentage of dilution with water. The regular dilutions come as follows:
- % H2O2: this is the most used in households and it’s available in most drugstores and supermarkets. This type of hydrogen peroxide is recommended to lighten your hair at home since its light and won’t cause any damage.
- 6 to 10% H2O2: this percentage of peroxide is used in hair dyes and in salons due to their high percentage, and is only recommended to use by a professional.
- 90 % H2O2: This hydrogen peroxide is only used for industrial purposes.
How to Lighten Hair With Hydrogen Peroxide at Home
1. Make Your Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda Mix
Baking soda? You might be wondering why this mix. While you can use the hydrogen peroxide by itself, it’s even better when you mix it with baking soda. Bleach hair with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to achieve maximum hair lightening.
Baking soda is an alkaline, that when mixed with hydrogen peroxide, helps break down the melanin in the hair and opens the cuticle to allow the hydrogen peroxide to get into the hair easily. You can also add some olive oil which will help to keep your hair from drying.
H2O2 and Baking Soda Dye Mix:
You’ll need:
- 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
- Baking Soda
- Olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients in a plastic container.
- Try to use more baking soda than hydrogen peroxide to make it more like a paste. You need a paste-like consistency so it’s not runny.
- Apply to a small section first, and let sit for several minutes. If you like how the color has developed, continue adding to the rest of the hair or just to a few strands.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes or longer. Keep checking to see how much the hair has lightened.
- For some, it may take 10 minutes (if you have thin, porous hair or lighter hair), while for others, it may take as long as 30 minutes.
- Rinse out of the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda mix.
- Follow up with a deep conditioner. Read more
Also read: Homemade Eye Makeup Remover
