Lemon Hair Rinse to Condition, Boost Shine and Remove Dandruff
When life gives you lemon, make lemonade… for your hair! And your hair will love it.
So what’s the deal with lemon? How does it benefit hair?
Lemon juice is one of the earliest conditioning ingredients for hair. When there was no bottled conditioner, there was lemon, honey and other natural stuff to make hair pretty.
What Makes Lemon an Amazing Conditioner
It’s the acidity of lemon, along with essential oils and a splash of vitamin B5 that make lemon a good conditioner.
Lemon clarifies hair of any build up or residues and makes hair soft and glossy. Besides, the astringent and purifying qualities of lemon make it perfect for those with oily hair. And for those reasons, the ancient Egyptians used lemon juice as the shampoo to remove dirt and grease from hair.
Its wonderful citrusy aroma is refreshing and will leave your hair feeling and smelling great. There is so much more to this juicy little fruit.
5 Hair and Scalp Benefits of Lemon Hair Rinse
Lemon Makes Your Hair Shiny & Smooth
The citric acid in the lemon is a natural clarifying agent. It helps to remove buildup from hair care products, which can dull hair and weigh it down. Also, if you have hard water, it will get rid of limescale and leave your hair silky, smooth.
Plus, the acidity in the lemon flattens the cuticles (outer layer of hair), so it reflects more light, giving a glossy, lustrous appearance to your hair.
Lemon Helps Refresh Oily Scalp and Hair
All thanks to its astringent and toning qualities. Lemon balances your scalp’s natural oil production and refresh hair and scalp.
Lemon Restores pH Balance
Again, the acidic nature of lemon help to normalise hair pH.
High pH can cause tangles and dull looking hair. But as the pH gets optimum, it makes hair glossy and smooth.
Lemon Keeps Your Scalp Healthy & Dandruff-free
If you have a flaky scalp, lemon can come to your rescue. Lemon contains alpha-hydroxy acids, which exfoliate dead cells and keep your scalp clean and flake-free.
Plus, lemon has an antiseptic, anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. These work to get rid of unwanted microbes and thus help with dandruff and flaky, itchy scalp.
Lemon May Support Healthy Hair Growth
And last but not least, lemon may improve hair growth.
It’s a rich source of vitamin C, flavonoids and essential oils. Lemon helps to protect and rejuvenate the scalp, and its stimulating effects enhance healthy hair growth.
Isn’t lemon wonderful?
How to Make Lemon Hair Rinse
We saw how beneficial lemon is for the hair. Now, let’s get to making. Here’s a quick and easy recipe of lemon rinse on hair.
What you will need:
- 1 tablespoon lemon/lime juice
- 2 cups of water
Place the ingredients in a mug and give it a good stir.
How to use
Use lemon juice rinse two ways:
- As a conditioner after washing your hair: Pour the rinse slowly on your head. Massage your scalp and work through your hair. Allow it to soak in for 2-3 minutes, then wash it out.
- To freshen up your hair in between shampoos: If you keep a long stretch between shampooing, then use lemon juice rinse to refresh your hair.
Use this rinse once a week. Using too often can dry out your hair.
Note: Lemon rinse can lighten your hair colour over time. But it can give a lovely golden tinge to your hair.
Lemon Juice For Dandruff
What you will need:
- 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon of lemon/ lime juice
Mix the two well. Dip your fingers and apply this mixture to your scalp, and massage gently. Let it sit for an hour, then wash it out with a natural shampoo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can lemon juice lighten your hair?
Yes, if you leave it for a longer time (more than 5 minutes), it could start to lighten your hair.
I have a sensitive scalp, will I be fine using lemon juice?
If you have dandruff and scalp irritation, mix it with coconut oil and apply it to your scalp. It will help clear out flakes. But it is always wise to test it on a small area before applying it all over your head.
Can all hair types use lemon hair rinse?
There are no issues as such, just that lemon rinse is clarifying, so it can make dry hair further dry. So use it no more than once a week or once a fortnight if you have dry hair.
So next time you’re feeling down, remember the old saying: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade… for your hair. You can sip some too!
Do you use lemon hair rinse? How does it help your hair? Reply in the comment box below…
I will try lemon for hair rinse
Have you had positive results with this product
I did and tried the lemon hair rinse worked so well on my hair.
Awesome! Glad it worked for you!
Hello Minaz,
Hope you’re well.
I have a question about the lemon hair rinse.
Can I add honey and carrier oils to the lemon hair rinse?
And when I rinse it out, do I need to shampoo or condition my hair, or can I just rinse with cold water and style as usual?
Thank you.
Hello, yes you can add honey. It will do mild cleansing and you can skip shampoo.
mam, i used the miracle mask followed by lemon water mixture to wash it off.my hair is voluminous and oily but after washing with these my hair became weighed down and oil didnot go off. what should i do?please reply.
Can i shampoo my hair first and apply the lemon rinse then rinse out the shampoo and lemon together? Thank you.
Yes you can.
For the lemon and olive oil mask do you apply this to wet or dry hair? And when you rinse do you shampoo and condition? Also another important note, i have hard water but can’t afford to buy a whole bunch of bottled water. Is this lemon and olive oil and or lemon rinse ineffective if I continue to rinse with hard water?
You can apply to wet or dry hair. Then shampoo (you may not need to condition).
It will work in hard water.
Let us know how it goes for you.
I bought tea tree oil is it benefit for oily sclap and hairfall?
lavender oil is better.
Hey i have oily scalp hair fall and fungus i try many oils and shampoos i didnt work hair continously falling and fungus also i have if i use lemon is. It work or not? How can i apply? And also olz tell me remedy to stop hairfall
Yes give lemon juice a try. Use as a hair rinse or along with coconut oil . Also try out egg and castor oil hair mask or miracle hair mask to stop hair fall.
Does black tea with lemon juice good for hair conditioning ??
both together can be drying for hair. use one.
i have lot of hair fall + frizzy dry hair so will lime juice help it to make manageable hair??
Try the miracle hair mask. It should help control the frizz and hair fall.
I’m 15 and I have oily dandruff, will this really work for me?
This should help. You can also try coconut oil with lime juice.
Let us know how it goes for you.
Can I apply the 1/4 cup of lemon without adding to 2 cups of water as my hair is short?
Take less lemon juice, may be 1-2 tablespoon and add equal quantity of water or oil. Hope this helps.
Hi. What is the mesurement of 2 cups of water to mix with lemon juice. I have dry scalp. Want to use lemon juice rinse for dandruff. Please advice
Hello Rabiya, if you have dry scalp don’t use lemon juice as it will dry out your hair further.
Use shikakai and honey rinse, here’s how to make
I use lemon juice twice a week it’s great, I also use coconut oil twice a week my hair very shiny and soft and very healthy my stylist asked me what I use. She’s going to offer coconut oil wraps on hair, she is doing lemon juice rinses
i used lots of lemon and honey in my hair to lighten the ends. feel great and no harmful chemicals
Hi. I want to use lemon juice on my hair because I have hard water. However, I have premature grey hairs and I am trying to darken my hair by using amla oil. As lemon juice has lightning properties would it counteract that? Thanks.
Hi Naz, Yes lemon juice does lighten your hair. You can use shikakai rinse instead – Shikakai works very well in hard water, plus it is nourishing for your hair. And add amla powder instead of honey, as honey also has lightening properties. Here is how to make