Bottle blondes know all too well that bleaching the hair with peroxide is damaging for the hair shaft and can leave it dry and brittle, not to mention that it’s not too good for the planet.

Well, there’s now some promising news from Japan, where scientists are working on creating an eco-friendly hair bleach straight from nature.

An enzyme from a strain of forest fungus naturally breaks down melanin, the substance which gives hair colour. The new method of lightening the hair is thought to be greener for the environment as well as being kinder to skin and hair.

There’s still a huge amount of research which needs to be done, but the future for faux-blondes could well be changing.