Honey thread - from TBB and bits from old LHC

[Anlbe]

I just accidentally did a honey treatment. SMT without heating the mixture and fell asleep in it.
It definitely lightened my hair which I don't mind but sadly it lightened the highlighted section of my hair much more than the virgin growth which has made my roots rather noticeable which I rather do mind. Oh well

[ktani]

Anlbe

I am sorry to read that you got unintended lightening with honey.

Reports like yours got the Honey threads started to begin with.

How is the condition of your hair?

I suggest that you microwave the honey - you can do that separately - over 10 seconds under 1 minute next time, just to be sure that you destroy the enzyme that produces the peroxide.

You will avoid the SMT curds I keep reading about IMO, when the honey has cooled down and is added to the mixture, rather than heating the whole SMT mix at one time.

You might be able to darken your hi-lights with molasses - not a super dark one - mix it with a bit of oil and follow that with a vinegar rinse.

[firebird]

Mellie, your hair looks wonderful! I am curious about the mullein - does that lighten too or did you add it for conditioning/something else? I never heard of using it on hair before.

I am doing another honey/cinnamon mix today, it's been on my hair nearly 3 hours now, I'll update with results later.

[ktani]

firebird

From what I have read, mullein flowers can yield a yellow dye and mullein also contains mucilage, which can build-up on hair but that depends on the content yielded by the plant. Mucilage is considered to be moisturizing to an extent as well as being reported to help provide slip to the hair.

Most plant seed oils can as I understand it have a peroxide value, but that varies.

I have read of mullein, Verbascum thapsus, being used for hair lightening.

I will try to find out more about it.

mellie may have more information.

ETA: here is the Wiki information See "Uses"
"Great Mullein has been used ... as a remedy for skin, throat and breathing ailments. .... It contains mucilage, several saponins, coumarin and glycosides. ... Non-medical uses have included dyeing ..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbascum_thapsus

and here is the Plants For a Future database link, that also refers to its dye use, stating that to yield a yellow dye, the flowers must be boiled and that an infusion of the flowers can be used to dye hair a golden shade. See "Other Uses"
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/...bascum+thapsus

Mullein cautions - See "Other info"
http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellow...spus_page.html

Mullein is generally recognized as safe - See "Safety Issues"
http://healthlibrary.epnet.com/GetCo...chunkiid=21821

[firebird]

Thank you ktani, that's really interesting. Mullein sounds like a great addition to a lightening mixture. I'm going to look into where to get some. Thank you so much for all your research, it's really helpful!

I still have the mixture on my hair, today I used about 70% honey with 30% conditioner and about 2 tablespoons of cinnamon mixed in. It seemed a lot of cinnamon, but I was very careful not to get in on my skin and rinsed off well everywhere it went. I tried to avoid getting it on my scalp and didn't rub it in, my head feels fine with no burning/irritation. I only applied it to my new growth this time not the whole length to work on getting the new growth to blend better with the lighter length. I'll probably keep it on another hour or so.

[ktani]

ktani, thank you for your reply. I think I see what you mean about the ends, I was just not attributing it the honey as sometimes they will go from fine before I wash (just with shampoo, no honey involved) to dry after, so it's hard for me to tell what is the effect of the honey exactly, as dryness of the ends seems to happen to me randomly even when I haven't used honey and have shampooed out any residue from the last honey. I can see how it may be the honey which is causing it though, thank you for the extra info I hadn't realized that the dyed part would be more porous and so get lighter quicker, it's good to know that. Looking at my pictures, I think you are right.

Before (actually after a few treatments, I wish I'd taken a true before picture with virgin regrowth):



After 2 honey treatments:
1st - 3 hours honey and conditioner, about 60:40 I think
2nd - 4 hours honey/cinnamon/EVOO as described in my previous post today



These pictures were taken in the same light. I hate how the difference between the new growth and dyed part makes it look oily, I promise it's not, I'd washed out the oily residue before I took the picture

firebird

Thank you for posting your new recipe and details.

I am very happy to read that you are not having irritation issues with the cinnamon.

Thank you also for your kind words.

Your results after only one honey lightening treatment containing cinammon were IMO, amazing.

I noticed this time, in the current treatment still on your hair, that you left out the EVOO - it is a honey lightening booster as well - from my research - the plant oil with the highest peroxide value.

[ktani]

After reading all the info here, I tried cinnamon in my honey mix. My mixture was roughly 60% honey, 20% conditioner (VO5 passionfruit), 20% olive oil and about a heaped tablespoon of cinnamon (I don't measure very accurately but that was basically it!). I knew as soon as I poured the oil that it was too much for my hair, as mine really doesn't like too much oil, but I used it anyway as I didn't want to waste the honey and cinnamon. I put it on wet hair and left it for 4 hours. When I first washed it out, it looked dull, as I knew it would because I used too much oil, but when I washed it again, it is lighter and no red tones. I was a bit scared of putting the brown mixture on my blonde hair, but I really didn't get any brown or red tones. I'll try next time without the oil so I can get a better picture of what it is like straight after washing out. I have pictures of my hair before and after 2 honey treatments (this and my previous 3hr of just honey/conditioner, I wanted to be able to compare so I knew it wasn't my imagination if it got lighter) and it's definitely lighter, it kind of looks like highlights as somehow some strands got much lighter than others, though I thought I applied it evenly :P If I can work out how to post pictures I'll post them here!

firebird

I am reposting this to show your original honey cinnamon recipe details. This thread is getting so long that I had to search for it and your pictures.

[Anlbe]

Hi ktani,

The condition of my hair is really good, better than normal. In particular it feels very silky. Normally after SMT I still have to use quite alot of oil but this time I didn't need it even though I had to rinse really vigorously (I curdled) which normal dries my hair. So I'm very happy with the condition, if only it had lightened my roots the same degree as the rest I would have been really happy with the colour too! Maybe I'll try the same mixture just on my roots and see if I can even the colour out.

[ktani]

Hi ktani,

The condition of my hair is really good, better than normal. In particular it feels very silky. Normally after SMT I still have to use quite alot of oil but this time I didn't need it even though I had to rinse really vigorously (I curdled) which normal dries my hair. So I'm very happy with the condition, if only it had lightened my roots the same degree as the rest I would have been really happy with the colour too! Maybe I'll try the same mixture just on my roots and see if I can even the colour out.

Anlbe

I am glad to read that you hair feels so good.

There have been reports that the conditioning effects of microwaved honey are not as good as those from honey that has not been microwaved.

I am confused by your "curdled" reference - do you mean that the conditioner can curdle even without it being heated?

Yes, repeating the mixture only on your roots sounds like a better idea IMO, than trying to darken your hi-lights.

[Anlbe]

Yes it curdled with no heat. I made my mixture and everything was going fine then I decided to add a bit more conditioner and suddenly it curdled - I guess I tipped the acid balance...

I'll try the honey on roots thing next week ( I only wash my hair once every 7-10 days in the winter) and see what that does, I don't want to stress out the highlighted section of my hair, its already been through so much.