Brighten hair with tea

Brighten Locks with a Tea Treatment

Soak your strands for high-wattage shine and rich color, whatever your hue.

What You Need
2 tea bags (chamomile, a golden mix for blondes; rooibos, a rich orange for redheads; or black tea, dark for brunettes)
2 cups water

1. Once a week -- or whenever you feel you could use a shine boost -- steep tea bags in boiling water for 10 minutes. Let the liquid cool to room temperature. (In a rush? Refrigerate it.)

2. Pour the mixture over wet, just-washed hair, rubbing it through the way you would shampoo.

3. Leave the rinse on for 10 minutes; wash and condition to seal in the silky, glossy results.

Beauty Benefit
"Tea lowers the pH of hair, closing the cuticle for extra shine, softness, and manageability," says Philip Pelusi, owner of Tela Design Studio in New York City. Tea's natural pigments can also neutralize brassiness for more flattering color.