an alternative for molasses?

[Marjolein]

Hi! I'd like to do a caramel treatment, but one of the ingredients, molasses, is pretty hard to find and thus expensive around here.

A thick syrup called 'stroop' is readily available, though. This syrup is made out of sugar beets instead of sugar cane. Do you think it will be just as effective as molasses, or does sugar cane have some magical properties I wasn't aware of?

[Purdy Bear]

I had problems finding Molasses as well, Im in the Uk. I found Black Treacle which was half Molasses and half treacle.

Iv not tried it yet so I dont know the difference.

As far as I kn0w Molasses was the first grind of the sugar cane with treacle being the refined version, but I could be wrong.

[Anje]

I've mixed corn syrup and molasses both into conditioner instead of honey, and found them both to be moisturizing. At this point, I tend to think that one sugar syrup is as good as another for moisture. Consider some of the other properties, though: dark colored syrups (like molasses) might impart a bit of color, and the peroxide in honey is known to lighten if you let it sit.

[Marjolein]

Thank you both! I'll give this sugar beet syrup a go then.

Oh Anje, thanks for the warning on the risk of color deposit. I'll make sure to use non-heated honey as well to counter the darkening effects of my dark (dark dark!!) syrup.

[Nera]

I've tried stroop on my hair, but it lightened my hair... It was surprisingly easy to get out though!

[Marjolein]

Haha, really? Who would have thought? Perhaps 'stroop' has a lot of natural peroxide, just like honey. When I have the time I'll do a honey lightening treatment with stroop, to see if it has any effect!

[Calista]

Marjolein, I am interested in your results, because I would also like to do a molasses treatment, but molasses is not readily available here in Germany, either. I had asked about Rübenkraut in the Germans social group, and they told me it didn´t compare with molasses and someone had had bad results using it as a hair treatment. I believe Rübenkraut and stroop are the same.

I am especially curious about any colour change you might have encountered.

[ktani]

I've tried stroop on my hair, but it lightened my hair... It was surprisingly easy to get out though!

It is the sugar that is moisturizing. There are different kinds but they all work the same way in that context. It is a humectant, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12092714. Humectants, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-humectant.htm.

As for the stroop lightening hair colour, it depends on what is in it. This recipe uses cinnamon, http://www.fantes.com/waffles.html, which has been reported to help lighten hair colour and is a honey lightening booster ingredient because it does generate peroxide.