This Summer, We're Spilling the Tea — on Our Hair, to Lighten It!

Like many brunettes, I spent my Summers squeezing lemon juice onto my hair in hopes of its elusive lightening properties. Since I was a natural hair virgin, it seemed like the only way to go blond. Turns out, I may have been looking in the wrong grocery store aisle. Tea shares many of the same properties as hair dyes, minus the gunky chemicals. From chamomile to English breakfast, there's a flavor out there right for you.

According to this study from The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, brewed green tea creates catechins, antioxidants found in henna and many plant dyes. You can create a rinse by brewing three chamomile teabags. Add a tablespoon of rosemary and sage herbs, and let it sit for a day. Then strain the tea and pour it into a spray bottle. After your next shower, spritz your hair with the mixture and towel-dry. Repeat this ritual until you've reached your desired lightness.

If you're a blonde trying to go darker, simply switch to black tea. It contains caffeine, which also promotes hair growth and which has been used successfully in studies to combat baldness.

Cheers!