Honey as a leave-in

[PurpleAshes]

Has anyone tried using honey as a leave-in?
How do you usually use honey?

My mom bought a bottle and Im eager to use it on my head, but I'm not sure how to do it. I dont think I could do an SMT because I haven't been able to find aloe vera gel in my country.

[atlantaz3]

I don't use aloe in my smt - honey, conditioner and olive oil. I vary the recipe depending on time of year. Summer a little more honey to lighten more, winter a little more olive oil for conditioner. On occasion I also add jojoba oil. I just glop it on my hair leave it wrapped up for 30 plus minutes and then shampoo as usual.

[Ryanne]

I sometimes leave it when I go to sleep, or for an hour or two, my recipe is the same as atlantaz3.

[Teazel]

Don't use honey as a leave-in - it will just make a sticky mess.

Try just using honey when you condition your hair. You don't even need to mix it with the conditioner if you don't want to: just apply about a tablespoonful after you've put the conditioner on. Leave it for however long you like - 5 minutes will be fine - and rinse it out thoroughly. See if your hair has improved, once it's dry, and you'll know if honey is a good thing for your hair!

[Katze]

Don't use honey as a leave-in - it will just make a sticky mess.

Try just using honey when you condition your hair. You don't even need to mix it with the conditioner if you don't want to: just apply about a tablespoonful after you've put the conditioner on. Leave it for however long you like - 5 minutes will be fine - and rinse it out thoroughly. See if your hair has improved, once it's dry, and you'll know if honey is a good thing for your hair!

As a big fan of SMT and honey, I agree completely. Any honey left in your hair will make it sticky or weird!

I also sometimes use honey as a scrub - brown sugar is rare and expensive here, so crystallized honey works nicely as a scalp scrub, with the added benefit of honey's humectant and antibacterial properties.

[Loviatar]

I just mix honey with my conditioner. Sometimes I mix the two in my hand, sometimes I put the honey on first, sometimes I put the conditioner on first. It's all good.

The only way I have found honey works as a leave in without stickiness is in a rinse mix:

500ml filtered water
25-50ml apple cider vinegar (your choice how much you use, I use 50ml now)
1 teaspoon honey, dissolved in the vinegar water mix
- Pour over washed hair, do not rinse out, leave to dry.

HTH!

[ktani]

Honey has been reported to be used as a leave-in with no problems. The secret to success with it is the amount, which is to use very little. This is from the archives. I saved it because this topic has come up before. Using honey as a leave-in this way, will not lighten hair (that also depends on the honey and other variables). Honey needs to be diluted with a liquid that contains water to release peroxide and be kept wet.

Viviane on honey as a leave-in
"Besides, if you dampen your hair out a bit and then add a pearl size amount of honey to your palms, rub vigorously and then slide your palms to hair and comb, it´s not sticky at all. It just keeps it all in place. Sticky happens with too much of the good stuff."
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1158943&postcount=1102 (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1158943&postcount=1102)

[Teazel]

Honey has been reported to be used as a leave-in with no problems. The secret to success with it is the amount, which is to use very little. This is from the archives. I saved it because this topic has come up before. Using honey as a leave-in this way, will not lighten hair. Honey needs to be diluted with a liquid that contains water to release peroxide and be kept wet.

Viviane on honey as a leave-in
"Besides, if you dampen your hair out a bit and then add a pearl size amount of honey to your palms, rub vigorously and then slide your palms to hair and comb, it´s not sticky at all. It just keeps it all in place. Sticky happens with too much of the good stuff."
http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1158943&postcount=1102 (http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=1158943&postcount=1102)

Oh, then I've learned something new. Thanks, ktani! I'll have to try this. :)

[ktani]

Oh, then I've learned something new. Thanks, ktani! I'll have to try this. :)

Glad to help.

There have been inquiries about this (I also clarified a bit about honey lightening, while you were posting because that has come up too, with regards to this but this thread is not about lightening and I do not want to address that in more detail here, or debate it. There are enough posts on the boards that honey can lighten hair, plus reports in the archived Honey threads and the current Honey thread.) As far as I know, no one has reported back on using honey as a leave-in, after I have posted the archived information on this, previously.

I look forward to your report if you do try it.

[ktani]

Using honey this way, carefully, may be the answer to those seeking a way to reduce frizz and have it act as a "gel" replacement.

[~GypsyCurls~]

Never thought of honey as a leave in...I'm thinking about making my own leave-in using a bit of shea butter, honey, and jojoba oil...

[ktani]

Never thought of honey as a leave in...I'm thinking about making my own leave-in using a bit of shea butter, honey, and jojoba oil...

I recommend following Viviane's example if you do, and using very little honey. Please update on how it goes.

[kwaniesiam]

Could using honey as a part of a leave-in treatment cause your hair to lighten?

[ktani]

Could using honey as a part of a leave-in treatment cause your hair to lighten?

No, it cannot IMO, based on the research I have read on how it releases peroxide and reports in the Honey threads.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=382359&postcount=7

For information on honey lightening, please see the current Honey thread. http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148. Start with the first post.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=382371&postcount=9

[PurpleAshes]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!
When I checked the thread this afternoon, no one had mentioned it was alright to use honey as a leave in, so basically I just used it with my conditioner, left it for about an hour, and then rinsed.
When I rinsed, my hair felt veeery different. Not like soft soft, more like it was stronger? I really liked how it felt :)
The thing is I decided to do a strand test afterwards and I noticed the hair snapped faster than before (but not right away). I definetly dont think I have too much protein. So, is this because of the extra moisture?

And about using honey as a gel, I think thats a great idea. Ill try it next time I wash my hair, sometimes I need help with the frizzies on my canopy.

[ktani]

Wow, thanks for all the replies!
When I checked the thread this afternoon, no one had mentioned it was alright to use honey as a leave in, so basically I just used it with my conditioner, left it for about an hour, and then rinsed.
When I rinsed, my hair felt veeery different. Not like soft soft, more like it was stronger? I really liked how it felt :)
The thing is I decided to do a strand test afterwards and I noticed the hair snapped faster than before (but not right away). I definetly dont think I have too much protein. So, is this because of the extra moisture?

And about using honey as a gel, I think thats a great idea. Ill try it next time I wash my hair, sometimes I need help with the frizzies on my canopy.

Honey has humectant properties. It adds moisture to the hair by helping to bind it to the hair and drawing moisture to the hair (from the air).

As far as I know and from all reports in Honey, it does not take moisture from the hair and make it drier, if there is no moisture in the air (when rinsed out) and I doubt that using it in the quantity suggested, as a leave-in, that it would cause problems, as it was not reported to do so. It is about quantity though.

Honey comparitively, is not as strong a humectant as molasses.

Based on ths post http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=807963&postcount=8, I would not use molasses as a leave-in, and without mixing it with a fractionated oil to detangle and then rinsing and following up with a vinegar rinse.

[PurpleAshes]

So I guess honey will be very good for me, since my country is VERY humid. =D
Thank for all the info, it's has been very useful.

I was also wondering if the fact that I only do co-washes would be a problem with using honey?

[ktani]

So I guess honey will be very good for me, since my country is VERY humid. =D
Thank for all the info, it's has been very useful.

I was also wondering if the fact that I only do co-washes would be a problem with using honey?

You are most welcome.

It should not be a problem with CO'ing, depending on what you want the honey to do. For helping keep the hair in place, no, IMO. For honey lightening, I recommend washing the hair first, if there is build-up or residue on the hair, or a leave-in (leave-ins can also be rinsed out first). Otherwise honey lightening can be done on unwashed hair. Details are in my signature or in Honey and I reply to all questions on honey there. I just do not want to divert this thread from your initial question.

[ktani]

So I guess honey will be very good for me, since my country is VERY humid. =D
I was also wondering if the fact that I only do co-washes would be a problem with using honey?

The CO'ing should help act as a barrier to too much moisture but remember, if your country is humid, use very little honey as a leave-in or it can be sticky. I think that it will act less like a humectant and more like a "gel" if used as recommended.

[PurpleAshes]

Right now, I'll just wait and see how my hair turns out when it dries completely.
When I get to use the honey as leave in (in a few days) I'll post how did it go.

[ktani]

Right now, I'll just wait and see how my hair turns out when it dries completely.
When I get to use the honey as leave in (in a few days) I'll post how did it go.

Please do.

Viviane said to dampen the hair first a bit. That will not allow the honey to produce enough peroxide to lighten, but it will IMO, allow the honey to help straighten the hair a bit and calm it. Dampen is not the same as wetting the hair thoroughly and the hair should dry very quickly. Once the hair is dry, honey cannot produce peroxide. The time honey needs to lighten very wet covered, or uncovered continuously misted hair, is about 1 hour with the new dilution, which is 1 part honey to 6 parts water (1 tablespoon honey to 6 tablespoons distilled water, for a small recipe amount).

Most tap water is problematic for honey lightening due to its pH and mineral content. See my signature post for details or the first post in Honey on tap water.

Most honey is vey acidic, another reason to use very little. You want some conditioning not dryness, if the pH of the honey you use is 3.2, which is the lowest end of the average pH for honey. Below pH 3.5, substances can be damaging to hair. That is again where quantity comes in. The amount of honey recommended as a leave in, should IMO, be fine and the pH of honey varies. The honey you have will not necessarily be pH 3.2 and conditioner rinsed out, still offers protection to the hair IMO. The honey is not going on unproteced hair, so I believe that the possibility of a very low pH damaging hair in this case, is extremely slight to nil at best.

Viviane used honey as a leave-in following a coconut cream/honey lightening recipe rinsed/washed out most of the time, so her hair had the coconut oil in that as a protective factor against the pH on her hair. This is not about peroxide, she got lightening but with the honey lightening recipe, and it was gradual. Honey has the same protective factors as coconut oil (just different ones that act the same), against the peroxide it produces. Viviane was living with honey on her hair at the time, in one way or another 24/7 for months, with no damage reported.

You should not have a problem with honey residue with the tiny amount used but if you do (the hair can become dry and the ends stiff, just shampoo). That has been reported to resolve the problem without any long term consequenses. Less is definitely more, with this.

This is more like the idea of using residual hand cream on the hair, after rubbing most of the cream into the hands. Think of it that way, rather than globbing straight honey on the hair.

[~GypsyCurls~]

I recommend following Viviane's example if you do, and using very little honey. Please update on how it goes.

Will do! I was going to attempt this last night, but while melting the shea butter in a plastic jar, I suppose I left it in the microwave for too long because the dang thing MELTED! I'm going to have to wait a few more days...but when I try it I will post my results!

[ktani]

Will do! I was going to attempt this last night, but while melting the shea butter in a plastic jar, I suppose I left it in the microwave for too long because the dang thing MELTED! I'm going to have to wait a few more days...but when I try it I will post my results!

Sorry to hear about the shea butter. I look forward to hearing about how the honey as a leave-in works.

[NurseMama]

I use honey as a leave in all of the time! After my conditioning (right now I am just using an ACV rinse to condition) I take about half a tablespoon of honey in my palm and smooth it over the length of my very wet hair. I put a towel between the hair and my skin while it dries as it is a little tacky for the first 20 minutes or so. Once the hair becomes damp and not wet, the stickiness is gone. My hair is soft and lovely. I highly recommend trying this!

[justgreen]

The HALO recipe is a great one for leave-in honey use. I used it regularly for a while, when my hair was really really blond. It helped with moisture. The recipe came from lovely Elyce, one of my hair idols!

H-Honey
A-Aloe Gel
L-lemon juice
O-Essential Oil of your choice

I usually made about 12 ounces up and used it as a final leave-in rinse after washing.

12 ounces distilled water
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
several drops of your personal favorite essential oil

If you make it in advance, the honey has time to liquify a bit and will blend in well when you shake the bottle before pouring the water through your hair.

[ktani]

Great ideas all!

It is about what works for an individual.

[ktani]

The HALO recipe is a great one for leave-in honey use. I used it regularly for a while, when my hair was really really blond. It helped with moisture. The recipe came from lovely Elyce, one of my hair idols!

H-Honey
A-Aloe Gel
L-lemon juice
O-Essential Oil of your choice

I usually made about 12 ounces up and used it as a final leave-in rinse after washing.

12 ounces distilled water
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
several drops of your personal favorite essential oil

If you make it in advance, the honey has time to liquify a bit and will blend in well when you shake the bottle before pouring the water through your hair.

This rinse left in, should not lighten hair either, for 2 reasons.

1. The peroxide in the diluted honey will oxidize the Vitamin C in the lemon juice and aloe vera gel, and be depleted when it does that.

2. The leave-in is drying on the hair and as the hair dries, the honey will stop producing peroxide (it needs water to keep producing peroxide).

Made in advance, the only peroxide left, will be what is left over after the peroxide has oxidized the Vitamin C, and the dilution is 4 times that recommended for honey lightening in any case, which is 1 tablespoon of honey to 6 tablespoons of distilled water, or 3 oz, for a basic recipe, (and the hair needs to be kept very wet for it to work too). An ingredient that contains Vitamin C, like lemon juice or aloe vera gel, is not recommended to be added to any honey lightening recipe. See #6, in my signature post for details, or the Honey thread.

[ktani]

Has anyone tried this, other than in a left-in rinse, and is ready to report how it went?

[PurpleAshes]

Just today I tried honey as a semi-leave in :D
I call it semi because I didn't exactly use it after washing my hair, because I would have to aply it while it's completely wet (I have 3b-3c hair) so that I dont get frizz, and since you told me it's better to use it while it's only damp, I decided to use the honey today after putting some water on my hair with my hands.
I used 2 drops for the front and back, and 3 drops for the medium part.
So far I like the results, the roots are very soft and the ends are just a little tiny bit crunchy. It's a crunchiness that I can deal with. I dont plan to avoid the crunchiness by using less honey, because it wouldnt be enough for all my hair.
The curls also seem very defined.

The only thing I didnt like was the result in the straighter parts of my hair (I have some patches of "straight hair" as a result of blowfrying damage). These parts look stringy with the honey. So I'm guessing people with straight hair should use less honey than I did.

I was wondering if I could add honey to the mix I use every day to revive my curls without it causing lightening.
My mix has VO5 conditioner, water and Sweet almond oil. I keep it in a spritzer bottle.

[ktani]

Just today I tried honey as a semi-leave in :D
I call it semi because I didn't exactly use it after washing my hair, because I would have to aply it while it's completely wet (I have 3b-3c hair) so that I dont get frizz, and since you told me it's better to use it while it's only damp, I decided to use the honey today after putting some water on my hair with my hands.
I used 2 drops for the front and back, and 3 drops for the medium part.
So far I like the results, the roots are very soft and the ends are just a little tiny bit crunchy. It's a crunchiness that I can deal with. I dont plan to avoid the crunchiness by using less honey, because it wouldnt be enough for all my hair.
The curls also seem very defined.

The only thing I didnt like was the result in the straighter parts of my hair (I have some patches of "straight hair" as a result of blowfrying damage). These parts look stringy with the honey. So I'm guessing people with straight hair should use less honey than I did.

I was wondering if I could add honey to the mix I use every day to revive my curls without it causing lightening.
My mix has VO5 conditioner, water and Sweet almond oil. I keep it in a spritzer bottle.

If I read this right, your curl reviver mix is just used lightly on the hair and does not wet it thoroughly or have your hair stay wet for long. So no, the timing and the fact that with conditioner in the mix, you probably use tap water (pH and minerals factors there) the pH would probably be lower than optimal and some conditioner ingredients interfere with honey lightening, it all adds up to, it should not be a problem. IMO, you should not see lightening.

[PurpleAshes]

Thanks for the answer!

I forgot to post the result of honey with conditioner after my hair dryied completely:
I LOOOVED it. My hair was so soft, defined and had absolutely NO frizz. My boyfriend told me it looked shinier. I think I'm about to become a honey junkie, using it with the conditioner as well as a leave-in.

[ktani]

Thanks for the answer!

I forgot to post the result of honey with conditioner after my hair dryied completely:
I LOOOVED it. My hair was so soft, defined and had absolutely NO frizz. My boyfriend told me it looked shinier. I think I'm about to become a honey junkie, using it with the conditioner as well as a leave-in.

No worries about the reply. I am glad to hear that you are so pleased with honey in your hair care routine.

[Demetrue]

I was thinking about adding a small amount of honey to my halo smoothing mixture, which is usually one squirt of aloe vera gel, one drop of jojoba oil, and a squirt of rosewater & glycerine (mixed in my palms and patted on the damaged top parts of my hair). I love how soft my hair feels when I do a pre-shampoo moisturizing treatment with honey and EVOO, and I love how my hair still smells faintly of honey afterwards. It would be great to have my hair to smell like rosewater and honey. I may try adding a drop of honey to my smoothing leave-in tomorrow.

[Demetrue]

Well I tried one drop of honey in my halo smoothing leave-in and I did not like the results. Even though I used a very small drop mixed in with everything else, it left my hair sticky. So I have decided to just use honey as something I rinse out, as it did not enhance my rosewater/glycerine/jojoba/aloe leave-in.