Honey thread - from TBB and bits from old LHC

[ktani]

So I ended up doing a honey treatment last night.

1/4 c honey
1 c Suave Vanilla Floral Condish (was going to use half condish and half water, but it seemed pretty liquid as it was)
1.5 T EVOO
small blob coconut oil, less than one T
2 T cardamom
2 T cinnamon

I mixed it really well, then applied to freshly shampooed, towel dried hair. Ended up leaving it on for about 2 hours. (My kiddos decided mommy couldn't get in the shower) Today my hair is slightly weird feeling, not in an unhealthy way, but like maybe I didn't get it all out. Btw, I had no skin reaction this time. I think, when I did have the reaction, that maybe it wasn't mixed well or something.

Oh, almost forgot the most important part, there seems to be a bit of a color change!! Not much, and probably not noticable to anyone else, but its there! I hope to get a picture later this week, when its not greasy and icky. Maybe I'll get in another treatment tomorrow, without the EVOO, I really don't think it does much good for my hair. And, I'll follow through with the half water and half condish.

DolphinPrincess

I am very pleased to read that you are finally getting to see some colour change.

I know that in my previous recommendations, I said to use conditioner as part or the whole of the water for the 4 parts water to 1 part honey dilution.

However, having revisited both the research and the reports on results, I now believe that no conditioner is the way to go for optimum lightening.

I half expect a Honey thread revolution because of this but I really think that just water or herbal tea like Mellie's Mix or just chamomile tea is preferable to using any conditioner in any of the honey lightening mixes.

I am glad to read that the cinnmon/cardamom mix worked without irritation and the spice amount in total is less than what you used before - yet this time you are seeing results and a colour difference.

I think that for you - chamomile tea and the same spice mix or just cardamom mixed in with honey will work even better.

Thanks to mellie and her tint brush method for applying a completely liquid honey lightening treatment, it shoud be easier to apply the mixes.

When I looked at the difference between bizarrogirl's first and second results - and the difference in lightening with the 4 to 1 dilution, using 1/3 less cinnamon amd only half water half conditioner for 1 hour, I realized that the next step up was no conditioner at all.

Mellie's Mix has given consistent results, even with no peroxide boosters. It lightened henndigo and multiple layers of Rainbow Dark Brown Henna and there has never been conditioner in it.

All of that led to my new recommendations.

I did not just decide to write them on a whim to get all of you surprised.

The indications are that this will work better, in addition to the other recommendations that I made.

[ktani]

Recommendations for the 4 parts water to 1 part honey lightening recipes, based on research and the latest reported results.


1. The minimum amount of honey to be used - 1/8 cup or 10 grams

2. No conditioner (it does not contribute to lightening, can contain problematic ingredients and a light conditioner when well diluted, reported to work better that way for honey lightening, will not provide much conditioning), just water or herbal tea - chamomile tea is a good choice because it counters irritation (unles you are allergic to it) and it may contribute to lightening.

3. Honey - use a dark coloured honey blend (it increases the odds of buying a honey that will produce more peroxide) - the cheapest is fine - pasteurizing does not affect a honey's ability to produce peroxide - the plant source determines the honey peroxide level. Do not buy mint or thyme honeys - they contain Vitamin C.

4. I recommend mellie's method of application - using a tint brush to apply the mix and pouring some of it over the hair at the end.

5. No sunlight, no external heat, no lemon or any Vitamin C content ingredient with the exception of cardamom - it has a higher peroxide value to compensate for its small Vitamin C level (UV, external heat, and Vitamin C can all negatively affect honey and lower the amount of peroxide of the recipe).

6. If you use cinnamon or cardamom as peroxide boosters, blend either one well into the recipe before you apply the honey lightening treatment to your hair, to help prevent scalp and skin irritation.

7. If you use extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil as a peroxide booster (EVOO has the highest oil peroxide level), start with about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons - oil can be difficult to wash out of the hair.

8. Make sure that the hair is well covered with plastic during the time that the honey lightening treatment is on the hair (I recommend pinning it up before covering), to provide a constant moisture level, needed to ensure that the honey continues to produce peroxide without interruption (if the treatment dries on the hair, the honey stops producing peroxide).

ETA
9. With the 4 parts water to 1 part honey dilution, a recipe with the spice booster cinnamon, was reported to work even better than a previous recipe without the dilution and the 4 to 1 recipe contained 1/3 less cinnamon. When chamomile tea was used as the water in another recipe with cinnamon, no irritation was reported.

10. A possible method of removing the treatment is CO'ing or using conditioner only to wash it out of the hair. Honey residue can be removed with shampoo and or a weak white vinegar rinse - 1 tsp white vinegar to 24 oz of water, left on the hair for 30-60 seconds and rinsed out.

Here they are again.

[DolphinPrincess]

Thanks ktani! It's just that, with small children, a mix that is too drippy or runny is very difficult. I can try to time it with naps, but even then, it is quite a pain.

[ktani]

DolphinPrincess

I understand the difficulty.

However, by using the tint brush method it should be easier.

When I used to do bagged catnip tea treatments out of the shower, I used to wear a towel around my neck to catch drips.

That made it easier. I really think that with the 4 parts water to 1 part honey dilution, only 1 hour is enough for each treatnent.

That should help lighten the load - pun intended.

[DolphinPrincess]

Haha, okay, i'll try it! I have some chamomile tea in the cupboard (German, i think, not Roman) That I'll try out tomorrow. I don't have a tint brush, but i have a squirt bottle (think water bottle) that i'll try.

[ktani]

DolphinPrincess

I think that a tint brush is better than a squirt bottle because it allows more precision and means that you will not be soaking your scalp unnecessarily.

IMO, it is worth the wait, if you have to buy one.

[DolphinPrincess]

Hmmm... I might have to swing by the beauty supply store on my way home from work, if I remember! I work the graveyard shift, so I definitely can't guarantee anything!!

[ktani]

DolphinPrincess

It is completely up to you.

I am going by mellie's reports and consistent, excellent results.

[Alley Cat]

Alley Cat

The 2 biggest problems can be the honey itself not producing enough peroxide and the conditioner interfering with the honey lightening process by being too waxy and thick.

Your thick mix does not sound good.

I changed my recommendation on using straight conditioner as the only water part of the dilution a few pages ago based on some of the reported results.

I would start by adding water to the conditioner by half next time or switch to a different one and see how that goes - the mix is supposed to be runny.

You may still have gotten some lightening - I look forward to whatever pictures you can take.

kathrynrose in the original Honey thread, got 0 results with one conditioner and great results with another using the same honey - she was testing conditioners for their ability to hinder honey lightening.

Thank you for that.
I know you are recommending water or chamomile tea from the posts from here I do have reservations myself. Glenna Girl posted I think about it doesn't stick but pours that was what I was thinking myself. Still if others have had results who am I to argue. I did try a tint brush myself but found it wasn't going on well the squirt bottle actually sounds like a good idea to me. Tint brushes don't get mixture well into my length. Just an observation for myself.

[ktani]

Alley Cat

The tint brush I think is perfect for certain areas - mellie pours some of the treatment over the hair as well but if you are more comfortable with a squirt bottle - use that too.

I am not trying to dictate - just recommend, based on the results and research.

In DolphinPrincess's case her sensitivity to cinnamon is my first concern, given the reaction to it that she had.

I believe that for her - the tint brush is less risky for her scalp and is the method that mellie has used with such consistent success.

Have another look at mellie's results on henndigoed hair and nayver's results on naturally black hair with Mellie's Mix - which has 0 peroxide boosters and no conditioner.

And bizarrogirl's results too - see what can be done when conditioner is reduced by 1/2.

I think that 0 conditioner is even better. Now, think of the possibilities with peroxide boosters.

I put the Pictures Post together to have a visual record to follow.