Honey thread - from TBB and bits from old LHC

[wintersun99]

To Add:
Honey mix that I've been using primarily, to date...

3/4 cup distilled water
1/8 cup Nature's brand honey
2 tablespoon cinnamon

Left to sit between 45min-1hr and then applied to damp hair, covered with a plastic bag tied tightly to head and then a fleece hat over that to hold in place. Left on hair 1-2 hr. Rinsed out with water.

[ktani]

To Add:
Honey mix that I've been using primarily, to date...

3/4 cup distilled water
1/8 cup Nature's brand honey
2 tablespoon cinnamon

Left to sit between 45min-1hr and then applied to damp hair, covered with a plastic bag tied tightly to head and then a fleece hat over that to hold in place. Left on hair 1-2 hr. Rinsed out with water.

Thank you for posting the details. Your results are IMO, another confirmation of the success of the new dilution.

Your recipe and method are perfect, in terms of the new dilution and a way to secure the plastic (shower cap).

3/4 cup is a US measurement = 6 oz distilled water = 12 tablespoons = 1/2 cup Metric, for 4 x the amount of distilled water by weight (honey is heavier than water), needed for 1/8 cup honey = 2 tablespoons = 1.5 oz.

[ktani]

A breakdown of the newest honey lightening recommendations, which have been reported to be working out very well. This is all in the recommendations post in my signature.

Patch test any of the ingredients not previously used on scalp or skin.

1. Choose a honey - the Successful Honeys List
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ount=856itamin

If one cannot be found - try a dark coloured honey blend - raw or pasteurized - both have been reported to work equally well. Dark coloured blends were reported in research, to have higher peroxide levels than lighter coloured blends. A dark coloured, single source honey, does not necessarily have a high peroxide value - it depends on the plant source.

Jarrah honey - highly recommended - it has a very high peroxide value. More information and suppliers can be found here.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1266

Some honeys naturally contain higher levels of Vitamin C. Avoid using Anzer, buckwheat, linden flower, locust flower, mint and thyme honeys.

2. Use distilled water only. It contains no minerals. Minerals can deplete the recipe peroxide (so can Vitamin C, see #5). Conditioner is no longer recommended for honey lightening. Its pH, ingredients and per centage of water can interfere with results. The same applies to coconut cream and milk (they also contain minerals and can contain Vitamin C, as well as not enough water to properly dilute honey).

3. Use the new dilution (4 x the amount of water to honey by weight) - e.g. 1/8 cup honey needs 3/4 cup US (1/2 cup Metric) or 12 tablespoons distilled water. 50 g honey needs 200 g distilled water etc. Here is a conversion link.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/conve...surements.html

4. Do not apply heat to any of the recipe ingredients at any time. Peroxide containing boosters are ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil.

5. Do not add lemon juice, or any other ingredient that contains Vitamin C to a recipe, like tomato products, which are no longer recommended. Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes Vitamin C, and is depleted in doing so.

6. Mix the treatment at room temperature and let it sit for 1 hour, also at room temperature, to allow the honey to produce peroxide in advance of application or use it right away and the honey will produce peroxide while on the hair.

7. Apply the treatment to wet or dry hair if there is no aloe gel on it - aloe gel contains Vitamin C, or a leave-in treatment with Vitamin C, heavy residue, or a large amount of oil on the hair (a large amount of oil will act as a barrier to the water). If there is, wash or rinse the hair first. The treatment can be applied with a tint, blush, pastry brush and/or a spray or squirt bottle.

8. Pin up, then cover the hair securely with plastic (wearing a swim cap is recommended), to keep it out of the way, competely wet (the hair needs to be very wet with the treatment, both before and while covered) and contain drips. Leave the treatment on the hair for about 1 hour.

[ktani]

Pictures of honey lightening with the new dilution (4 x the amount of water (distilled recommended), to honey by weight). You can also use tablespoons. 1 tablespoon honey requires 6 tablespoons distilled water.

Jan in ID - on mid-brown virgin hair - with the new dilution and distilled water - after 3 more treatments - with ground cinnamon and only 1/2 tblsp EVOO, no conditioner and the condition of her hair, after 5 treaments
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1721

HalcyonDays - on dark mid-brown virgin hair - with the new dilution using tap water - after 1 treatment - left on the hair for 2 hours - just water and honey. The lighting is dark in the before picture, so I requested a replacement picture.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1633

HalcyonDays - on the condition of her hair following honey lightening and a replacement before picture
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1635

soleluna - on hennaed hair (baq Egyptian henna) - the new dilution - after 1 treatment - with distilled water and only 1 tsp ground cinnamon - no conditioner
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1375

soleluna - recipe details and the condition of her hair following honey lightening Note: the correct amount of honey used was 2 tablespoons - there was an error made in transcribing the recipe
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1377

Alley Cat - on chemically dyed, almost black, previously hennaed hair (which shows as red) - after 9 treatments - 8 with no conditioner - 3 with ground cinnamon - the last 5 with just water and honey, the 3 most recent with distilled water and the new dilution
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1492

Aley Cat - on the condition of her hair following honey lightening
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1495

LadyPolaris - on hennaed hair - after 4 treatments - the new dilution with distilled water, ground cinnamon and EVOO - no conditioner and the condition of her hair following 4 honey lightening treatments
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1651

melikai - on previously hi-lighted hair - the new dilution, with distilled water and 1 tablespoon ground cardamom, after 2 treatments
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2055

melikai - recipe and the condition of her hair after 2 treatments
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2060

[ktani]

The optimal pH for honey to produce peroxide is 6. Most honeys on the market are more acidic than this. The honey lightening spices, ground or powdered cinnamon and cardamom are too.

The peroxide in a honey lightening recipe can be depleted by; minerals, Vitamin C, heat and UV.

That is why distilled water (pH7), and the new dilution work so well, IMO. Together, they raise the pH level of the recipe and allow the honey to produce more peroxide than it can at lower concentrations (dilutions) and without minerals.

Less of the spices, used with the new dilution and distilled water, have been reported to yield better results, than more of the spices, at lower dilutions, with distilled water.

The exception to distilled or deionized water (both should work well), is tap water that has a pH of 7 and a very low to no mineral content.

[ktani]

I think wearing a swim cap is the best option for keeping a honey lightening treatment wet and secured and because the hair needs to be very wet with the treatment, both before and while covered, a swim cam should stay on more easily, than if the hair were dry.

In the swim cap thread, there is a swim cap guide with caps that have chin straps, which IMO, are a great idea.

Information on swim caps.

Speedo swim cap for long hair
http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/3620.htm

LHC swim cap thread
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ead.php?t=8562

[ktani]

P&G has some very interesting current research being reported, IMO.

And this research further supports honey lightening treatments being non damaging.

The flavonoids in honey and honey lightening recipe ingredients that protect hair fom hydrogen peroxide damage, do so by chelating the the free iron, that starts the reaction that forms free radicals, when peroxide reacts with hair.

"Current permanent color uses .... combination of hydrogen peroxide, ammonia and a high pH .... removes up to 99 percent of the protective, lubricious f-layer of .... hair's surface. This causes irreversible physiochemical changes .... result in dryness, dullness and increased susceptibility to mechanical stress. .... majority of this damage is caused by a very high pH (10-11) and the HO* radical .... undesired by-product of the peroxide lightening system."
http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/breakthroughs-xiii.html

[ktani]

More from P&G

"Harmful radicals attack and damage DNA, proteins (collagen, elastin, keratin) .... moisture barrier lipids and contribute to aging .... decomposition of cells. These radicals can be fought by using antioxidants."
http://www.pgbeautyscience.com/breakthroughs-xiii.html

The protective flavonoids in honey lightening recipes are chelators and antioxidants.

[Henna Sooq]

ktani so nice to see you keeping busy with this thread still

It's been awhile since I used honey as it was only to remove some of the henna and freshen up my hair with the honey and cassia mix with it's chamomile tea base.

I am so due to do a big henna job on myself It's yemeni here I come.

I personally use local honey, or honey brought in from Quebec.

[ktani]

ktani so nice to see you keeping busy with this thread still

It's been awhile since I used honey as it was only to remove some of the henna and freshen up my hair with the honey and cassia mix with it's chamomile tea base.

I am so due to do a big henna job on myself It's yemeni here I come.

I personally use local honey, or honey brought in from Quebec.

It is very nice to have you drop in. It has been a while.

Yes, things are still busy in this thread.

I no longer recommend herbal tea for honey lightening. Chamomile can add gold tones to the hair and other herbs can contain Vitamin C or minerals, that can deplete the peroxide level of a recipe.

I think this recipe and method that firebird used with cassia

firebird on a cassia treatment that had darkened her hair - with ground cinnamon and EVOO, no conditioner
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=489

and morgwn used too, is much better.

morgwn - on virgin hair with cassia - after using firebird's new honey lightening recipe with cassia, ground cinnamon and EVOO - no conditioner
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1097

morgwn - on the condition of her hair following honey lightening with cassia
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1101