Want to give your hair some natural volume and lighten the color? Try one of these herbal hair volumizers or lighteners. They're completely all-natural and will get the job done. You can choose to do both, or just one. Either way, you can always come back to this article and try out the other recipe when you're ready. These products also can be gifted to people, assuming you know they'd appreciate a DIY hair care gift. Want to keep them for yourself? I don't blame you: These are perfect hair care essentials for the warmer months, but you can start making and experimenting with them now! Just remember: have fun!
Beachy Rose Hair Volumizer
Not many people know this, but I actually have thin hair (but lots of it). If I don't put a volumizer in it, it tends to look pretty limp and lifeless (not okay in my book). If I'm not using an all-natural volumizer I bought from a trusted source, I like to make my own. It's pretty essential to my look, after all. This recipe will transport you to summer: It kind of mirrors the sort of texture and fullness your hair gets at a beach. It can be used year round of course, and can also be used as a body-booster that helps curls hold. It's both nourishing (thanks to the aloe vera) and cleaning (thanks to the salt). The rose infusion also adds that extra aromatic touch (and also further nourishment) to the volumizer.
Ingredients
- Rose infusion (To make, just boil ¼ cup distilled water, then add in 1 tablespoon of dried, or fresh, rose petals. Remove from heat and let steep for 30 minutes to an hour.)
- 1 cup water
- Pot or saucepan
- 3 tablespoons salt (sea salt or Epsom salt)
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 1 teaspoon jojoba oil (can be substituted with olive or sunflower oil)
- 1 teaspoon alcohol (as a preservative)
- Spray bottle
- 10 drops rose essential oil
Directions
- Pour the water into a pot or saucepan and heat it on medium, but don't let it boil. Then, add the salt of your choice (sea salt or Epsom salt) and stir it until it's completely dissolved.
- Now, remove the mixture from the heat and add the rose herbal infusion, the jojoba oil, the aloe vera gel, and the alcohol. Then, stir it all together!
- Once it's well mixed, transfer the volumizer to the spray bottle, and add the rose essential oil (if you want: It should smell like roses a bit already from the infusion). I suggest no more than 10 drops, but feel free to experiment with this amount as you see fit.
- Shake the volumizer before you use it: This will distribute the oils nicely. Now it's ready to be applied. Feel free to apply it to wet or dry hair. I recommend adding it to your hair directly after taking a shower, then blow-drying your hair upside down (for extra volume). Works wonders for me!
Lemon Chamomile Hair Lightener
When I was little, I spent so much time in the sun that my brown hair would turn blonde at the ends. But it wasn't just the sun: I also sprayed lemon juice in my hair before heading out to lounge by the pool or go on a picnic. While lemon juice certainly helps on its own, combining it with chamomile tea works even better. This recipe is not only designed to lighten the hair, but nourish it. I recommend using it during the warmer months before you head out of the house, but you can still use it during the winter, if you know you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chamomile tea (Use ¼ cup of dried chamomile. Make chamomile tea the way you normally would, but let it steep for 20 minutes to an hour.)
- Small bowl
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon alcohol
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 5-10 drops of lemon or chamomile essential oil (optional)
- Spray bottle
Directions:
- After you make the chamomile tea using ¼ cup of dried chamomile flowers, transfer it to a small bowl and add the coconut oil. Make sure the tea is strained and still warm. Stir until the coconut oil has melted, and then allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Add the lemon juice, the alcohol, and the aloe vera gel, and stir. Then, add the lemon or chamomile essential oil if desired, and transfer the mixture to the spray bottle.
- When the mixture has cooled, spray the lightener on your locks before going outside. The sun will bring out natural highlights in your hair. It will definitely work better in the summer when the sun beats down more intensely, but you can give it a try in the colder months too! I recommend spritzing it in your hair at least 3 times per week if you know you'll be outside for more than an hour. You might be surprised at the natural highlights it brings out in your hair.
Note: Make sure you store the lightener in the fridge: It won't keep well otherwise.
