Honey thread - from TBB and bits from old LHC

[ktani]

A post on cassia senna, its chemistry and its pH sensitivity.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...9&postcount=10

[ktani]

I wonder now, if the name neutral henna, often used for cassia senna, refers to the pH of the solution needed for it to yield no colour. pH 7 is neutral.

[ktani]

Current honey lightening recipes havenot been reported to add colour to the hair (the old recipes with tomato products could add red).

However, in between honey lightening treatments, 4 things have been reported to discolour hair recently, yielding unwanted yellow, red and gold tones.

These things are:

1. undiluted olive oil as a conditioning treatment, adding yellow to hair
Thanks to FrannyG, extra virgin olive oil can be completely removed from hair by CO'ing, (a long conditioner soak), http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...3&postcount=46, following a conditioning treatment with the oil.

2. cassia senna, mixed with orange juice and on occassion undiluted honey, yielding red/gold tones. That is a pH reaction (both the orange juice and undiluted honey are very acidic).

3. CV (Chagrin Valley) shampoo bars, which contain a fair amount of castor oil, which over time, can and has been reported, to darken hair, yielding a gold tone.

4. ACV (apple cider vinegar) can a red tones to lighter hair colours. Its colour will not necessrily show up on darker shades, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ad.php?t=49816 and http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...8&postcount=14

Honey lightening, using the current recipes, distilled water and the new dilution, can and has been reported to resolve discoloration problems.

[ktani]

All castor oil links on darkening hair
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1311

[ktani]

A Comprehensive Summary of the Newest Honey Lightening Recommendations.

These recommendations are based on accredited research and successful honey lightening reports in this thread. Patch test any ingredient not previously used on the scalp or skin.

1. The new dilution is 4 x the amount of water to honey, calculated by weight. It is now the recommended dilution to be used for honey lightening. The minimum amount of honey to be used is 10 grams. Here is a honey conversion link. 10 grams of honey would need 40 grams of distilled water. You can convert to ml, oz, tablespoons or cups. 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup or 1.5 oz) honey needs 6 oz distilled water or 3/4 cup US (1/2 cup Metric) or 12 tablespoons distilled water.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/conve...surements.html
According to reports posted in this thread, better results were achieved with the new dilution in 1 hour, than with repeated treatments using other dilutions. Different honeys produce different levels of peroxide. Here is 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.

2. Distilled water is recommended to be used for honey lightening in place of plain water. It is a better choice, for getting the best results from a honey lightening recipe because of its pH (7) and hydrogen peroxide can decompose in contact with certain minerals. More information on distilled water can be found here.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1173

3. The honey lightening boosters - ingredients that add extra peroxide to the recipes are; ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil.
Spices can be irritating - less is more with the new dilution - start with 1 tablespoon after patch testing - suggested maximum - 2 tablespoons.
Information on ground cinnamon can be found here.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1314
Information on ground cardamom can be found here.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1373
Oils can be difficult to wash out of the hair - suggested amount - 1 tablespoon.
None of the peroxide containing ingredients in the honey lightening recipes, including the honey and ground cinnamon, has been reported to add colour to the hair.

4. Distilled water used with honey lightening should be room temperature only. Do not add spices to a recipe after you have applied the recipe to your hair - if any dry spice spills - you risk skin irritation - mix the spices into a recipe. The spices will blend better, mixed into water, when the honey is added first.

5. No external heat should be used with honey lightening - no blow dryers, sunlight. None of the recipe ingredients should be heated at any time. Heat (except body heat) can destroy hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide can decompose into water and oxygen. It depends on the degree of heat and the amount of time that it is applied. Pasteurization does not destroy the enzyme in honey that produces peroxide.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=883
Store your honey, ground spices and oils away from heat, light and moisture, at room temperature, in a cupboard, preferably.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1452

6. No ingredients that contain Vitamin C, (except ground cardamom, which has the highest peroxide value for a spice and a low Vitamin C level), should be used in the recipes. Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes Vitamin C and is depleted in doing so. Some honeys naturally contain higher levels of Vitamin C. Avoid using Anzer, buckwheat, linden flower, locust flower, mint and thyme honeys. Most honeys contain very low levels. Here is a list of ingredients that contain Vitamin C.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=429

7. Jarrah honey, from Australia, is known for its very high peroxide value and is a good choice for honey lightening. Information on Jarrah honey and current suppliers can be found here.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1266

8. Conditioner is no longer recommended to be included in honey lightening recipes. Conditioner can be too acidic for most honeys, (it can reduce the optimal pH needed for a honey to produce peroxide), can contain ingredients that interfere with honey lightening, and its water content (most conditioners are 70-90% water), if used as part of the new dilution, can effectively reduce the amount of water needed. The same applies to coconut cream and milk (they contain minerals, can be acidic and can contain Vitamin C, as well as not enough water). You can use conditioner only, to wash out a honey lightening treatment, instead of using shampoo or just rinsing it out. If there is honey residue, shampoo and or a vinegar rinse is recommended and has been reported to easily resolve the problem.

9. The honey lightening recipes can be applied with a tint or blush brush for more control of placement.

10. Mix the honey lightening recipe, at room temperature, and let the recipe sit for 1 hour, also at room temperature, to let the honey produce peroxide or use it right away and the honey will produce peroxide while on the hair. The hair should be freshly washed or rinsed first, if there is aloe gel on the hair (aloe gel contains Vitamin C), a Vitamin C containing leave-in treatment, heavy conditioner, a large amount of oil (a large amount of oil will act as a barrier to the water), or styling products on the hair. If not, a honey lightening treatment can also be applied to wet or dry, unwashed hair. Apply the treatment with a tint, blush, basting brush, spray or squirt bottle, pin the hair up, cover the hair with plastic and keep the treatment on the hair for about 1 hour. The hair must be kept completely wet with the treatment both before it is covered and while the treatment is on the hair. Wearing a swim cap is recommended.

11. Honey lightening has not been reported to damage hair even after repeated use, over long periods of time. What has been reported occasionally is dry hair and crunchy ends. That is a honey residue result, and can easily be resolved by shampooing preferably, or a vinegar rinse. The effects are temporary when shampoo and/or vinegar are used, with shampoo being reported to work better than a vinegar rinse. Some honeys leave fewer residues than others. More on honey lightening, and research on the protective mechanisms in honey lightening recipe ingredients, can be found here.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1035

12. This is the updated Pictures Post of some past and current Honey thread, honey lightening results.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1095

[ktani]

Henna Constituents
"Dried, powdered leaves of henna contain .... 0.5 to 1.5 percent lawsone .... chief constituent responsible for the dyeing properties of the plant ...."
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/m...ets/henna.html

Henna resin content - Bureau of Plant Industry - Manilla
".... the leaves also contain about 2 per cent of a resin."
http://www.bpi.da.gov.ph/Publication...s/sinamono.pdf

Cassia Chemistry
".... Other constituents in senna include chrysophanic acid salicylic acid, saponin, resin, mannitol .... and trace amounts of volatile oil."
http://www.drugs.com/npp/senna.html

The resins in both henna and casia senna wash out over time but may explain in part why both can leave the hair stiff and dry just after use.

[ktani]

An index of honey lightening topics, coconut oil and conventional peroxide/bleach and pictures of honey lightening results.

Honey lightening basics
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1964

A one post summary of the new honey lightening recommendations,
with explanations and links. It is in my signature too.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1096

A breakdown of the above link
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1628

How often can honey lightening be done? Is it damaging to hair?
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2323

Choosing a honey and honey lightening boosters. What are honey lightening boosters?
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2370

How pH affects honey lightening
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2296

Honey lightening on hennaed hair
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2339

Honey lightening on henndigoed hair
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2341

Honey lightening and red tones
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2340

Factors that influence changing an existing hair colour
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2342

Vegan lightening recipes (no honey)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2334

3 things reported to discolour hair and how honey lightening can help
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2364

Protecting hair from conventional peroxide/bleach damage - coconut oil used a pre treatment
has been reported to be effective. See page 3, Post 28 onward.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ad.php?t=10495

Where to buy distilled water in different countries
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=2369


How much can honey lightening lighten hair colour?

Pictures of honey lightening with the new dilution
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1906

Pictures of honey lightening with just honey and water
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1907

The long Pictures Post of some reported results with honey lightening
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...postcount=1095

[ktani]

Distilled water sources

In Canada - pharmacies and grocery stores

Where to buy distilled water in the US
http://www.hardforum.com/archive/ind...t-1121735.html

Where to find distilled water in the UK - check out battery top up water for additives
"Halfords or any other garage .... battery top up water."

".... off the shelf in Tesco- .... in the car accessory section. 1.50/litre."
"
"best option for UK .... de-ionised water meant for cars. I had a look at water for irons .... they are putting all sorts of rubbish into it."
http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/archive/...hp/t-3499.html

Where to buy distilled water in Europe - Location: er gaat niets boven groningen (Netherlands)
"at a drugstore. Any of them have distilled water .... about an euro per litre."
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...threadid=63745

Where to buy distilled water in Russia
"$2 for 5 litres in auto parts shop."
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/foru...threadid=63745

I recommend distilled over deionized water but deionized water should work well too.

[ktani]

Choosing a honey for honey lightening

Here is the Successful Honeys List

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. Avoid using Anzer, buckwheat, chestnut, linden flower, locust flower, mint and thyme honeys.

Jarrah honey, from Australia, is known for its very high peroxide value and is a good choice for honey lightening. Information on Jarrah honey and current suppliers can be found here.

Honey lightening boosters

Honey lightening boosters are: ground (powdered) cardamom, ground cinnamon, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
Each one has a peroxide value that can contribute to the peroxide value of a recipe.

Pure evoo (not a blend of evoo and olive oil), has a higher peroxide value than coconut oil. Suggested recipe amounts for the oils are 1 tablespoon or less in total, per treatment.

Each spice has a higher peroxide value than either oil. Both spices can be sensitizers. Patch test before using. Suggested recipe amounts for the spices are 1 - 2 tablespoons in total, per treatment.

Ground cardamom has a higher peroxide value than ground cinnamon and has been reported to wash out of the hair easier than ground cinnamon. There is a cinnamon caution.

None of the boosters has a higher peroxide value than most honeys. (It depends on the honey though. Some honeys produce very little peroxide.)

[ktani]

Suggestions for doing roots only with honey lightening

Mix the honey lightening recipe, distilled water and honey and any peroxide boosters at room temperature only, no heat having been applied at any point, to any of the ingredients. Make enough of the recipe to keep some left over.

Then let the treatment sit for 1 hour, also at room temperature, to allow the recipe to produce peroxide.

Apply the mix after the hour to dry hair at the roots, with a tint, brush, basting or pastry brush. This method should also work on any specific section of hair that you want lightened.

Just before covering, make sure that all of the hair you want lightened is very wet with the treatment (hair near the roots dries faster because of body heat). Use the left over treatment to mist these areas.

Pin up the dry hair that you are not lightening and cover the hair with plastic (a swim cap is recommended). Also recommended, is to use saran wrap under a lycra swim cap. It does not squeeze out too much water and the treatment does not drip as much with this method.

Leave the honey lightening treatment on the hair for about 1 hour.