Chamomile Rinse for Fair Hair: Myth or Real?
Chamomile tea is a classic home tip for brightening blonde hair. Here is what is known, what is not, and how to make a gentle rinse without irritating your scalp or eyes.
Ask around for a natural way to brighten fair hair and someone will probably suggest chamomile tea. Pour it over freshly washed blonde hair, the tip goes, and over time it will look sunnier and more golden.
It is a charming idea, and a chamomile rinse is easy and inexpensive to try. But it helps to know how little is really known, and that chamomile is a plant some people are allergic to. Here is the honest picture, plus a gentle recipe and the safety steps that matter.
Why people use it
Chamomile makes a golden-yellow tea, so it is easy to see why people hope it will add a golden tone to light hair. The tip is popular in beauty columns and online, usually for natural blonde or light brown hair.
Chamomile is also used on the skin in its own right. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that it is applied to the skin for some skin conditions, and many people simply like the gentle smell.
Gentle Chamomile Hair Rinse
You need
- chamomile tea bags, or 2 tbsp dried chamomile flowers3
- freshly boiled water500 ml (2 cups)
Method
- Put the tea bags or flowers in a heatproof jug and pour the boiled water over them.
- Cover and steep for 20 minutes.
- Remove the bags, or strain the flowers through a fine sieve or clean cloth.
- Let it cool completely until it is lukewarm or at room temperature.
- Shampoo and condition your hair as usual and rinse well.
- Tip your head back with your eyes firmly closed, and pour the rinse slowly over your hair, catching it in a bowl to pour through again a few times if you like.
- Leave it in, gently squeeze out the excess, and pat your hair dry.
Tips
- Keep a dry towel or washcloth over your eyes while you pour.
- Make it fresh each time. Store leftovers covered in the fridge and throw them away after 24 hours.
- If you color or bleach your hair, test the rinse on a small hidden strand first.
What the evidence says
We could not find any reliable study showing that a homemade chamomile rinse lightens or brightens hair. Neither NCCIH nor Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, two of the most thorough sources on chamomile, mentions any use of chamomile for hair.
The US Food and Drug Administration treats plant-based hair colorants as color additives, which need its approval. Its hair dye page names henna as an example of an approved plant-based hair color. It does not mention chamomile.
So the honest answer is that any brightening is unproven. If you notice a difference, it is likely to be subtle and to show only on very light hair. A rinse will not take dark hair blonde, and it is not a substitute for professional coloring.
What is clear is the safety side. NCCIH says applying chamomile to the skin is possibly safe for short-term use, but people allergic to related plants, such as ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies, are more likely to react, and chamomile near the eyes might cause irritation.
A note on lemon and sunshine
Many lightening recipes add lemon juice and tell you to sit in the sun with wet hair. We do not recommend it. The American Academy of Dermatology warns that a sunburned scalp can worsen flaking and advises protecting your scalp with shade, a wide-brimmed hat or sunscreen.
If you want a real change in color, a hair professional is the safer route. The FDA advises doing a skin patch test before every use of a hair dye and keeping dyes away from your eyes, eyebrows and eyelashes.
Questions people ask
Will chamomile make my hair blonder?
There is no reliable evidence that it does. Some people feel it adds a soft golden tone to already light hair, but any effect is unproven and likely subtle.
Can I use a chamomile rinse on dark hair?
You can if your patch test is clear, but do not expect a color change. On dark hair it is simply a fragrant final rinse.
Is it safe to use on children's hair?
NCCIH considers chamomile on the skin possibly safe for children over the short term, but children are more likely to get it in their eyes. Keep it weak, protect their eyes, and skip it if anyone in the family has a daisy-family allergy.
Sources
- Chamomile: Usefulness and Safety — NCCIH
- Chamomile — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Hair Dyes — US Food and Drug Administration
- How to treat dandruff — American Academy of Dermatology
This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Herbs can interact with medicines and health conditions. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before trying a herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, giving it to a child, or taking any medication.
