It’s officially summertime and not only should you start cranking your air conditioner, it’s also time to break out the tank tops, shorts, bikinis and swim trunks. With winter firmly in our rear-view mirror, dark and drab is officially out and light and bright is in — and this includes your hair color.

Double whammy: Off-the-shelf hair products that help you achieve that sun-lightened look can contain harsh chemicals that can do a real number on your hair.

Honey + Cinnamon + Olive Oil: This is great for strawberry blonde hair, as adding cinnamon to honey will produce a warm blonde hue with reddish undertones. Mix one cup of raw honey to two cups of water. Add one tablespoon of cinnamon and one tablespoon of olive oil and stir all of the ingredients together. Apply the mixture evenly onto wet hair, cover with a shower cap before bed, and shampoo it out in the morning. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, apply the apple cider vinegar mixture. Let it sit for about 15 minutes and rinse with water. For optimal results without a summer-long skin fry, you’ll need to help things along. But keep in mind that there are other summer staples that can also have a lightening effect on your hair. Yes, Sunbabe safely and effectively lightens bleached hair. Both bleached and natural strands will lighten 2-3 shades over a few uses. As an extra precaution, you can “protect your hairline with petroleum jelly and apply a moisturizing mask right after dying,” Davis adds. 6. Make a Cinnamon and Honey Mask

Despite the popularity of this hair lightening method, both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are quite harsh chemicals that can damage the cuticle and irritate your scalp if you add too much paste on your hair and hold it for too long,” Monica Davis, a hairstylist and founder of MyStraightener, said.

How to Apply Lightening Spray

Altering your hair’s natural color can be a fun way to freshen things up, add to your confidence level and help achieve that sun-kissed glow we all crave during this time of the year. But before you go rushing to your hairdresser or local pharmacy for bleach or hair dye materials, consider hair lightening spray. When used properly, these sprays can naturally lighten your hair in a way that bleaching or coloring your hair can’t. And you can’t do it all from the comfort and ease of home. What Is Hair Lightening Spray? To make your hair lighter using chamomile, all you’ll need to do is brew a few tea bags (Abdullah recommends seven). Let them steep for a while so the tea is extra strong, allowing it to cool in the process. Then, put the tea in a spray bottle, throwing in a teaspoon or two of honey if desired. Spritz it on and let your hair soak for 30 minutes to an hour max before rinsing. (Keeping it under an hour is important if you don’t want to emerge from this experiment with majorly dried-out hair!) 8. Pour One Out (And Over Your Hair) Honey + Water or Vinegar: Mix two tablespoons of raw honey (pasteurized, commercial honey will not work) into a cup of water. Apply the mixture to hair so it's evenly spread and let it sit for about 60 minutes, then shampoo. For extra clarifying, try swapping water for two cups of white vinegar: The vinegar will help gently lighten hair and also dissolve oil and residue buildup. Keep in mind, "previously colored hair will not lighten using anything other than bleach," Picciano says. There are many at-home kits to lighten your hair at home with bleach, just remember to follow the instructions on the box precisely and stay within two shades of your color.