Mixing Honey and Conditioner

[sjlaurence]

Do any of you have experience in mixing your conditioner with honey? Did it ferment? Did it last on your shelf? I ask because I use an obnoxious amount of conditioner on my collarbone length hair: a half a cup full. (hides in shame) I'm looking for a way to use less conditioner and my hair seems to be happy with the honey mix. I was hoping I could prepare it before the time and store it in my bathroom. :)

[FallingDarkness]

I normally just add honey to the conditioner I use for that night, like squirt it into a cup and mix in the honey and then apply it to my hair. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't last on your shelf though...

[lapushka]

I would create it on the spot each time. It's not worth it when your products go bad because you mixed it one time and then let it sit, when you can just as easily do it the other way.

[Hootenanny]

I just want to second lapushka. I would mix it right before you use it. You don't want to risk something growing in there. shudder:

[Nadine <3]

I have an SMT mixed up that's been in my bathroom going on a month now. It hasn't grown any thing at all and I mixed quite a but of honey into it. I just mix it up and store it in a small travel sized bottle and it always stores fine, never had any issues with it.

[animetor7]

I think that premixing should be fine. Honey has a several hundred year shelf life, and even then it doesn't really go bad, it just crystallizes. And your conditioner probably has preservatives in it. So I would just mix as much as you'd use with a normal bottle of conditioner and base how soon it has gone bad based on the conditioner.

[lapushka]

Yes, but what if it does go bad and it's in a non-transparent bottle. Great. Not. Imagine pouring mold on your head. Yiiikes. :eek:

[-Fern]

Honey actually naturally resists bacteria and mold growth. I wouldn't be terribly concerned about pre-mixing it--the bigger concern is if a significant amount of water gets into the bottle. I like the idea of doing travel-sized premixes.

[Nadine <3]

Yes, but what if it does go bad and it's in a non-transparent bottle. Great. Not. Imagine pouring mold on your head. Yiiikes. :eek:


All mine are transparent, I shake the bottle prior to use as well. Never had it go bad, and honey won't mold so I really don't think it would be an issue. Just be careful not to get water inside the bottle :)

[eloquence]

I swear by this, for over 3 years, now! Honey doesn't go bad, but it's really important to pay attention to the quality of your product. It can't be just any honey. For example: most of what you might buy at walmart isn't even really honey. It's syrup with a few drops of pollen, because that's all that the FDA requires for it to be called "honey". What you need to look for are the words 'Organic' and 'Raw'. And always read the label. You can find local raw honey (recommended) at your local co-op, or if your city hasn't got one yet, try Trader Joe's or another health food store. That cute little bear-shaped bottle of garbage will ruin your hair!

[spidermom]

That cute little bear-shaped bottle of garbage might not be beneficial, but I can't imagine how it would ruin your hair.

Why do you use half a cup of conditioner on collarbone length hair? I have almost tailbone length, thick hair, and I use 1-2 tablespoons. The benefit is in massaging it through your length and letting it marinate in there for a few minutes, not in the amount you pack on there.

[eloquence]

Because processed sugar is harsh on your hair.

[CremeTron]

Well, I had no idea that honey is mislabelled this way!! I will be reading my honey label as we take it for sore throats and use on cuts.

In the UK Walmart owns a major supermarket so ht may have been fooling us. The FDA allows growth hormones in beef too I have heard.

The EU has currently banned that practise but could all change. I must pay more attention.
I have been taking honey in water all this past week!

[kelseyxface]

Honey is naturally resistant to mold and the etc. Also too, depending on your conditioner, most conditioners already have preservatives so mixing that with the honey would probably make it last longer.

That being said I believe in fresher is better, I'd say make a batch in a travel size bottle, just enough to last you anywhere between 2 weeks to a month and then just make a new batch when you run out. (:

[eloquence]

Honey is naturally resistant to mold and the etc. Also too, depending on your conditioner, most conditioners already have preservatives so mixing that with the honey would probably make it last longer.

That being said I believe in fresher is better, I'd say make a batch in a travel size bottle, just enough to last you anywhere between 2 weeks to a month and then just make a new batch when you run out. (:

It really wouldn't make a difference. This advice is based on fact and research ;)

[yahirwaO.o]

Organic and all natural raw honey never ever grows mold or bacteria. I use it every time I wash my hair in an all natural recipe. If I ever let it sit for a week it would totally turn gross because it is in conjuction with natural foods. If u mixed with it something that has preservative like a comercial conditioner then it should be just fine

[sjlaurence]

Thank you all for your quick replies, they are all much appreciated :).


... Why do you use half a cup of conditioner on collarbone length hair? I have almost tailbone length, thick hair, and I use 1-2 tablespoons. The benefit is in massaging it through your length and letting it marinate in there for a few minutes, not in the amount you pack on there.
I basically do a conditioner treatment on my hair before I wash it (CW), I tried going back to the normal shampoo and then conditioner but the moment the shampoo touches my hair it turns into a dry matted mess :(. Which just causes a cycle of damage and repair. CWC leaves my hair oily but first conditioning on dry hair (which seems to be the reason my hair uses so much conditioner) and then washing works like a dream.


I have an SMT mixed up that's been in my bathroom going on a month now. It hasn't grown any thing at all and I mixed quite a but of honey into it. I just mix it up and store it in a small travel sized bottle and it always stores fine, never had any issues with it.
Thanks for sharing your experience, I think I will mix up a little batch as an experiment and see how it lasts.

I just want to second lapushka. I would mix it right before you use it. You don't want to risk something growing in there. shudder:
I am not really worried about mold growth, as others have pointed out raw honey doesn't grow mold. I was more worried about the honey fermenting.

Again thank you for all your responses, I had a little chuckle at one of the replies saying I shouldn't buy the honey from Walmart. The poster doesn't know but I live in South Africa :). If I am ever in America though I will be sure not to buy my honey at Walmart ;).

[Bambi]

I love to mix honey with my conditioner and I've never experienced anything "fishy" with the honey:).

[Marika]

I sometimes mix honey and conditioner but I just mix it on my hand. Too much honey leaves a residue on my hair, so I use just a teaspoon or so. My hair is almost hip length.

[eloquence]

Thank you all for your quick replies, they are all much appreciated :).


I basically do a conditioner treatment on my hair before I wash it (CW), I tried going back to the normal shampoo and then conditioner but the moment the shampoo touches my hair it turns into a dry matted mess :(. Which just causes a cycle of damage and repair. CWC leaves my hair oily but first conditioning on dry hair (which seems to be the reason my hair uses so much conditioner) and then washing works like a dream.


Thanks for sharing your experience, I think I will mix up a little batch as an experiment and see how it lasts.

I am not really worried about mold growth, as others have pointed out raw honey doesn't grow mold. I was more worried about the honey fermenting.

Again thank you for all your responses, I had a little chuckle at one of the replies saying I shouldn't buy the honey from Walmart. The poster doesn't know but I live in South Africa :). If I am ever in America though I will be sure not to buy my honey at Walmart ;).

Ummm....what I said was "for example". No assumptions made!

[memeow]

A lot of the reason why honey doesn't go bad or grow things is that it's a super saturated solution. There's so much sugar in the honey that it sucks the water out of any organisms that might be thinking of taking up residence. If you mix honey with other products, it loses that property and is basically just sugar solution. At that point I think it comes down to what preservatives are in your conditioner. If they're heavy duty enough you should be fine, but if it were me I wouldn't risk it.