Honey thread - from TBB and bits from old LHC

[ktani]

Ok Ktani. I have periodically (although not consistently) used a honey type treatment to lift indigo (possibly having an effect on the PPD dyed hair beneath, also).

Usually I just put about 1/4 cup of cheap non-specific runny honey (Sainsburys 'Basics' brand) in with about one tablespoon lemon juice and add to enough cone-free conditioner (any brand) to fully cover my hair. Apply to dirty/clean hair, wrap in saran and towel and leave one-two hours before rinsing.

A couple of these in a row have always given a subtle degree of 'lift' whereby the intensity of the indigo has been softened.

I've also used amla and honey. Tablespoon amla with enough hot water added to make a thickish paste, then a generous amount of runny (non-specific) honey and a bit more water - to make a workable thin paste. Apply to dirty/clean hair - saran wrap one-two hours, then rinse well. This gives a very similar effect to the honey, lemon & conditioner for me i.e. a softening of indigo build-up. However, the amla also does a lovely job of boosting thickness!

Incidently, I've also used these methods for henna only build-up, with the same success (this would be over a year ago now).

To summarise - there is no doubt in my mind that the above methods work to lift color build-up from hair (due to henna/indigo) by as much as 1/2 a shade per time. However, I have never done more than two in a row, each time, so cannot say what would happen (in my case) if I did them more frequently.

My hair is always left in good condition after these treatments, but then I have fairly strong, thick hair!

Sorry, no pics! Hope this is of some use...

Celebrian

Thank you so much for replying.

No worries about the pictures.

I now know that Vitamin C added to a honey lightening recipe lowers the peroxide content of the recipe (the lemon juice).

The peroxide produced by the honey or any peroxide booster oxidizes it and is depleted in doing so.

The Vitamin C content of amla has been disputed but if it does have any in it - the same result would happen with it.

The fact that your hair still lightened in spite of using these 2 ingredients in your honey lightening recipes means that the honey you used produced enough peroxide to deal with both the Vitamin C and the lightening of your hair.

If you continue to try honey lightening, please do not add any Vitamin C ingredient to your recipe, with the only exception to this being the peroxide spice booster, cardamom.

Ground cardamom has the highest peroxide level of the spices named on a list I found while researching - 100 points higher than cinnamon - which has worked beautifully to help lighten hair in honey lightening reports.

Cardamom has only a very small Vitamin C content, that IMO, would be compensated for by its peroxide level.

The lastest research and results indicate that a 4 parts water to 1 part honey dilution - I am currently advocating 0 conditioner in the mix - yields the best lightening results and the beauty of the new dilution is - you should only need to leave the treatment on your hair for 1 hour - to see better results than you had with your old dilution. You can use a tint or blush brush to apply the more liquid recipe.

The honey peroxide boosters are; cardamom, cinnamon, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil.

Chamomile tea, preferably Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis), can be used as the water in a honey lightening recipe, except when cassia is added to the mix for extra conditioning- cassia is sensitive to acids, and might yield colour (chamomile tea is acidic).

[kimki]

Hi, I decided a few weeks ago to start growing my henna out.

After reading alot of this thread (although I have to admit I didn't read it all!) I used a 4:1 ratio of Chamomile tea and Honey. I left it on for an hour. Rinsed, shampooed and I definatly have some lightening. Especially where the hair was previously highlighted (underneath the henna).

[ktani]

kimki

Thank you for your recipe and results.

Yes, the thread is growing wildly, though I keep careful records of everything and I am always willing to help out and illustrate with links of results and information if needed.

I am very pleased that you are pleased.

My standard question please - how is the condition of your hair following honey lightening?

To me, that is even more important than the lightening results.

I could not continue to do this if people were have damage results and disaters because of what I recommend.

[GlennaGirl]

Thank you! I think you may be having some of the best results with the honey so far, honestly.


Ohh yeah, you probably had it worse than I did. I'm a big wimp when it comes to heat with some humidity because I grew up in the desert. I'm used to that dry heat that feels like you're walking in an oven, but this sticky stuff I have trouble with, haha. Especially with the hair on the back! I'm going to have my hair up most of the summer here, I think. But in the valley there it's worse since clouds with moisture get stuck between the hills. I'm a big desert rat when it comes to weather, hahaha.

Me too!! Hair up every day. I have the opposite--I grew up in a very humid place--but it was only "hot hot summer" for about three weeks every year. I'm a baby about the heat too and I do whatever I can to keep cool. My hair is short enough that a high bun works for me and doesn't pull/feel too heavy. Stay cool this summer!!!

ktani, two more hours and I'll take a picture! I hope to have some good results. It's so hard to tell on oneself.

[blackfrostqueen]

Ok, this is a shout out to:

(...)

Everyone on the list reported more than just slight lightening. I do not have before and after pictures for all of them.

The brand names and or types of honey (plant source) used please. You can pm me if you do not want to post.

(...)

ktani, I don't have the type/source because it doesn't say on the bottle. But the brand name is Target's: Market Pantry Honey. Comes in a little bear bottle.

And sorry, I don't have any photos to show the difference in the color change.

[ktani]

ktani, I don't have the type/source because it doesn't say on the bottle. But the brand name is Target's: Market Pantry Honey. Comes in a little bear bottle.

And sorry, I don't have any photos to show the difference in the color change.

blackfrostqueen

Thank you so much for replying - pictures are not important for this but are wecome anytime.

[ktani]

GlennaGirl

No worries.

[DolphinPrincess]

I know I haven't had great results, but I'd like to add that I'm now using Sue Bee's unpasturized honey (was the darkest I could find) and was originally using a generic, store brand honey bear from Safeway. When I used the bear kind, my hair felt slightly crispy, and it took a few good conditioning treatments to feel better. Now, with the Sue Bee honey, its much softer and shinier.

My most recent recipe:
1/4 c honey
1 c chamomile tea
1.5 T coconut oil
1 T cinnamon
1 T cardamom

I ended up using a pastry brush to apply it, then dipped the length in the mix, bagged it, then put a turbie towel over it. Left it on for about an hour, then shampooed and conditioned the heck out of it to try to remove the spices. There is a slight color difference, my hair is now more of a 'soft black' than jet black. No pics though, sorry.

[ktani]

DolphinPrincess

Thank you for your new recipe and results.

At least now you are getting some results compared to no results before.

Excellent news that the change in honey has resulted in your hair feeling better.

I had a feeling that different honeys might have different residue levels - thank you for that too.

I suggest for your next treatment - lose the cinnamon - increase the cardamom - just to fill in the gap - not too much.

And switch oils - EVOO has a higher peroxide level than coconut - just lower the amount to 1 tablespoon to make it easier to wash out of the hair.

[kimki]

kimki

Thank you for your recipe and results.

Yes, the thread is growing wildly, though I keep careful records of everything and I am always willing to help out and illustrate with links of results and information if needed.

I am very pleased that you are pleased.

My standard question please - how is the condition of your hair following honey lightening?

To me, that is even more important than the lightening results.

I could not continue to do this if people were have damage results and disaters because of what I recommend.

I have to agree, condition is more important. My hair feels great, it actually seems to feel thicker and stronger. People commented today how shiny it looked.

I have two questions if thats ok.

Firstly, have you found that a particular type of honey gives better results?

Also if you keep using the honey, does the hair keep getting lighter? Or is only 1 shade usually?

Thank you.