SMT on dark hair

[HKay]

I googled this and searched here but could not find a clear cut answer so here goes...

I really want to try SMT on my hair (my aloe plant is anyway getting way too big :)) but I have dark brown hennaed hair and I'm worried about the lightening effect of honey. (A while back I did a honey face mask and some of it got on a strand without me noticing, it almost bleached it!).

Someone mentioned microwaving the honey first to kill a certain enzyme, I don't have a microwave at home, anyone try heating the stuff on the stove?

Just wanted to hear some of your experiences with SMT on really dark hair)

Thanks a lot!

[rogue_psyche]

If you lived in the US I'd just suggest taking it to a 7-11 or something. You might want to ask ktani if honey lightens when heated on the stove.

[akka naeda]

I have never heated my SMT mix, and it worked fine. The only time I had henna stripped was when I sat out in the sun with the mix n my head for some time.

[Sia]

Hi HKay.

I don't have a microwave either and live in Germany too so 7-11's aren't an option. I've heated up honey on the stove before but just enough to warm it ever so slightly. It heats up quickly I find, so you have to keep constant watch.
I'd be very suprised if honey would significantly lighten your hair in an SMT. My hair ADORES honey but even when I tried to lighten with numerous honey treatments, my dark (previously hennaed) hair only barely got lighter.
There have been discussions on this before though, so I'd recommend that you do a search here or post on the honey lightening thread. Ktani seems to be the honey queen here, so it would be wise to ask her!
If still in doubt, do a strand test first.. :flower:

[kdaniels8811]

My hair is hendigoed and the SMT's do not lighten it at all. Just really good for it. You can warm honey on the stovetop, not even to boiling, just warm it, let it cool and mix in the other ingredients for your SMT. Good luck!

[HKay]

Wow so many replies so quickly. This place is awesome :D

Thanks so much! I'll try heating it on the stove then and do a strand test. So curious about the SMT, it has such raving reviews here!

[Katze]

I googled this and searched here but could not find a clear cut answer so here goes...

I really want to try SMT on my hair (my aloe plant is anyway getting way too big :)) but I have dark brown hennaed hair and I'm worried about the lightening effect of honey. (A while back I did a honey face mask and some of it got on a strand without me noticing, it almost bleached it!).

Someone mentioned microwaving the honey first to kill a certain enzyme, I don't have a microwave at home, anyone try heating the stuff on the stove?

Just wanted to hear some of your experiences with SMT on really dark hair)

Thanks a lot!

Honey has never, ever lightened my hair. Not even when I tried to make it do so. I have also used honey face masks for over 20 years (started as a teen) and my hair was never bleached - nor did honey ever bleach towels, clothing, washcloths, etc.

I think the idea that honey is some kind of natural hair bleach is rather misleading.

My hair is not 'really dark' but it is not blonde either (so I hear anyway) and I do SMTs at least once a month. I also do them on my husband when he has time and his hair has never gotten lighter from them.

you can, most likely, safely do an SMT treatment without it bleaching (virgin) hair. If you have color on your hair, however, you might find that honey, like other natural treatments, strips the color - something different from bleaching.

und falls du dass alles auf deutsch hören willst kannst mir ein PM schicken, ich beschäftige mich seit länger mit dem Thema Hönig. ;)

[Fireweed]

I use honey a lot on my hair and the colour has never changed. Honey has never bleached my clothes or the kids when some has gotten onto the cloth. If honey did this I would not be eating it.

[Madame J]

I boil a pan of water, turn off the flame, and set my bowl with honey in it in the hot water for a minute or two. There are plenty of people with dark hair who have played with the SMT recipe in the SMT thread in the Herbal Haircare Forum. I've never gotten lightening from an SMT, but I've also never left it on longer than an hour or two.

[Aeon F.]

I also have dark hair & I don't even want to take a chance with honey lightening it, so I simply subsitute molasses for the honey. Works just the same and my hair stays nice and dark. Hope that helps! :flower:

[JamieLeigh]

I have very dark hair, and I haven't really noticed a significant lightening on mine. I've been using honey in different ways on my hair for almost a year now, so you'd think I'd have noticed it by now. Unless it's so subtle that no one else has either. I didn't get any comments at Thanksgiving from out of town relatives, so, I'm assuming there's no difference.

However, I do not henna...I'm completely 100% virgin hair, here. :/

[hmmm]

I have dark hair too, and I use honey often in my treatments. I haven't noticed any lightening at all.

[MandaMom2Three]

I never bother heating my SMTs and have never noticed even the slightest lightening of my henna.

[jesamyn]

I've only had honey lighten or pull out henna when it was over previously chemically bleached hair. Over henna-only 'virgin' hair, I've never noticed a lightening effect. You'll probably not have any lightening.

*NOTE: This is using honey and water only, not in an SMT.

[DragonLady]

I accidently lightened my hair three shades by forgetting to heat the honey. I guess everyone is different; and maybe the type of honey or something in the bee's diet makes a difference. I was NOT happy when I realized what had happened.

[ButterCup02]

I'm sure heating it on the stove would work fine :) I microwave my SMT's. I have dark hair (naturally though, not henna) and it has never lightened my hair. I only leave it on for an hour or 2 though.

[HKay]

Thanks a lot guys for all the replies :)!

I'm probably overreacting but I'm travelling to see my DBF next week and did not want to take any chances with my hair sooooo I tried the SMT yesterday with maple syrup instead of the honey. It does feel great on the hair! And though it is a bit dry still, it's softer. (also used some of the advice here, no scorching hot water and no combing while wet, that really brings out the wave).

I will try it with honey later when I have time to test it first.

[JCFantasy23]

Honey has never, ever lightened my hair. Not even when I tried to make it do so. I have also used honey face masks for over 20 years (started as a teen) and my hair was never bleached - nor did honey ever bleach towels, clothing, washcloths, etc.

I think the idea that honey is some kind of natural hair bleach is rather misleading.

My hair is not 'really dark' but it is not blonde either (so I hear anyway) and I do SMTs at least once a month. I also do them on my husband when he has time and his hair has never gotten lighter from them.



Yeah pretty much same for me. I put some honey in a few hair strands for a few hours, along with some SMT at the end half of my hair. No lightening, sigh. I use clover so not the highest concentration in the world but SOME. Either way it makes my hair feel soft and great. Too worried I would just nuke the honey in microwave for a few seconds or so before mixing with the rest.