How does Sun Bum lighten hair?

Our Hair Lightener is specifically formulated to brighten our hair by amplifying the natural highlighting effects of the sun. Infused with pineapples and honey, our special UV-activated blend creates natural subtle tones and beautiful highlights without brassiness. We're stoked to share one of our best secrets with you.

While we like using straight lemon and pineapple juice to lighten our hair, we’ve added a little hydrogen peroxide to give us faster results. We didn’t feel good about bottling straight citrus juice and charging you for it, so if you want to go au naturel, pick some lemons off your neighbor’s tree and squeeze the juice into your hair, old school.

Remember in the 80's and 90's when Sun-In was the "it" product of the hair product world? The neon bottle angled itself as the easiest way to lighten up your strands — no salon appointment or box of hair color needed. While it was great in theory, many women, especially those with darker strands, ended up with a funky orangey-red hue instead of a beautiful blonde.

Recently, hair lightening sprays are having a resurgence, and thanks to their new and improved formulas, they won't leave you looking brassy. Here's everything you should know about the newest bottled blondes on the block:

Just say no to hydrogen peroxide

Before you scoop up a product, check the ingredient list first to make sure the formula doesn't have hydrogen peroxide. "Sun-In contained hydrogen peroxide, which a bleaching agent that can work on blondes but can cause orange or brassy tones," explains Franck Izquierdo, co-founder of IGK Hair Care. Instead, look for chamomile and lemon extract that help naturally brighten and lighten strands. "It's a more subtle effect that will look natural, won't cause brass or orange-tones and won't dry out your hair," he furthers. Try a spray like IGK Hair Care's SUMMERTIME Hair Lightening Spray ($27, sephora.com) that also had coconut oil and coconut water in the formula for extra hydration and softness while you're in the sun.

All hair colors can benefit from them

Yes, even brunettes can use these next-gen lightening sprays. "On lighter hair, products will have a more noticeable lightening effect, but darker hair types can benefit as well," explains Izquierdo. "I would avoid products with bleaching agents because it can be difficult to control the end result on any hair type, and they can dry out the hair." For darker tones, apply the spray from the mid-shaft to ends for the most natural effect.

WATCH: How Southern Women Keep Sweat From Ruining Our Hair

Application is simple

Since they have a gradual lightening effect, it's difficult to make a mistake. "You can apply it all over or just on select pieces for a highlighted effect," suggests Izquierdo. Other things to keep in mind? Damp hair is best for application and make sure your hair is down since applying it while your hair is styled in a pony or braid can lead to uneven results.

If you don't like the results, there's an easy fix

For strands that are looking a little more copper than you'd like, use a purple shampoo as a toner. After a few washes, your hair should be back to normal. If you take a risk and decide to use a product with bleaching agents, you can also use a toning product like this one to counteract the effects. For any serious mane mishaps, book an appointment with your stylist asap.

There are so many brands to choose from

Unlike Sun-In's past dominance in the beauty aisle, now there are tons of at-home sprays for brightening up strands. Check out some of these hair lighteners we can't get enough of:

Water, Hydrogen Peroxide, Ananas Sativus (Pineapple) Fruit Extract,  Citrus Limon (Lemon) Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20, Fragrance, Glycerin,  Silicone Quaternium-8, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phosphoric Acid, Disodium Phosphate,  Ext. Violet 2 (CL 60730)

For sure! Our Sun Bum Hair Lightener is formulated with ingredients that really help amplify the natural highlighting effect of the sun including:

Meyer Lemon & Costa Rican Pineapple extracts
Topped off with a bit of hydrogen peroxide
We’ve seen the best color results on lighter brown to blonde hair tones. But using hair lightener on dark brown hair will work it will just give you warmer hues…think amber, gold, and honey. If you do decide to try it on dark hair, we recommend testing it out on a few strands first by applying 1-2 sprays and combing through your hair before going out in the sun. Just remember all results are permanent.

Whether you are going for an all over light a bright look or some sun-kissed highlights, use these steps for the best results:

Wash hair using shampoo and conditioner
On desired area, spray Hair Lightener onto dry or damp hair
To avoid breakage and over-drying, limit use to no more than once between hair washes and use a leave in conditioner. We also recommend using a tone Enhancing product with this like our Tone Enhancer. Complete the look with any of our other hair styling products.

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