Skip the Sun-In: Check Out 4 Easy Ways to Lighten Your Hair This Summer

Sun-In has its place in this world — the thousands of positive reviews you’ll find while conducting a brief survey of Google are a testament to that — but it’s not for everyone. READ: 3 Products You Need for the Sexiest Beachy Waves Ever To be more specific, that kind of DIY hair-lightening situation is not for anyone like me, a person with very dark hair that very quickly turns the brassy orange-red of nightmares. (What, you don’t have nightmares about brassy hair?) Chasing the blonde dragon is still a genuine plight, because the grass is always greener on the other side, i.e., the other end of the hair color spectrum. And while Sun-In may not be the answer — not even the fair-haired who are just out for some highlights are immune to the moisture zapping; there is no universe in which it is a good idea to let the sun and hydrogen peroxide simultaneously have their way with your hair — there are still ways to lighten that don’t end in a lengthy salon visit, or a bathroom experiment involving bleach, or squeezing lemons on your head. These four fabulous products exist solely to save you from yourself: They’re formulated with brightening, highlight-enhancing ingredients that can actually be found in nature, like chamomile, citrus and honey (you learn something new every day!), and utilize the power of the sun (or a blow dryer) to lighten things up without the risk of total destruction. As long as you don’t overdo it, at least — all manners of at-home hair-dyeing should still be approached with caution. READ: The Biggest Mistakes You're Making With Home Hair Color See our picks: