Bicarb + sun =

[Nell]

Hi all,
I washed my hair with bicarbonate of soda for about a year and over the summer as it was exposed to the sun it developed nice blonde highlights which it’s never done before - I haven’t any reason to attribute it to anything other than the Bicarb wash but I have stopped using it as my sole shampoo (it made my hair hard and straw-like!) and the sun is of course beginning to disappear for the winter ( ), and I wondered if there is any (non chemical) way to recreate the colour as it grows out.....would a uv torch have the same effect?! No idea how it works so any ideas welcome    thank you!

[puerkz]

have you used any other products on your hair? bicarb will not lighten your hair, however, if you used any products which may contain certain chemicals then it may lighten a bit with sunlight. For example, peroxide or lime juice. A lot of people put lime juice in their hair before exposing it to the sun to get highlights.
There is no evidence for bicarbonate being able to lighten hair by itself.

[Nell]

have you used any other products on your hair? bicarb will not lighten your hair, however, if you used any products which may contain certain chemicals then it may lighten a bit with sunlight. For example, peroxide or lime juice. A lot of people put lime juice in their hair before exposing it to the sun to get highlights.
There is no evidence for bicarbonate being able to lighten hair by itself.

nope, nothing!

[Janineb]

Were you exposed to more sunlight than usual this year? I agree with puerkz, bicarb can't lighten hair. It has been a hot summer everywhere as far as I can work out, I'm in NZ so I'm just coming out of winter so going by what friends and family say! This could mean you've been more exposed than usual purely from the strength of the sun.

I second lime juice or lemon juice, but it still requires the sun to do the lightening. Just please, don't use a spray in product like Sun In. They're REALLY damaging.