Honey thread - from TBB and bits from old LHC

[ktani]

After my treatment last night, I have definite lightening. Hopefully I'll get pictures today or tomorrow. I just want to add that cardamom washes/rinses out of hair MUCH easier than cinnamon! However, for $10 a bottle, I have to use it sparingly.

LadyPolaris

As you can see, the cardamom should be easier to wash out as an added bonus using it instead of cinnamon and there was no reported irritation, using it with chamomile tea.

I have read that it is better to buy the cardamom pods and grind the seeds yourself.

However, I have also read that good quaity ground cardamom can be bought for a reasonable price.

It is up to you.

As for the price - it may be more expensive than cinnamon but you are trading better results IMO, for a difficult, irritating product and you will possibly be saving money as well by no longer needing to use conditioner in the honey lightening treatment recipes.

Previously with cinnamon and conditioner in her honey lightening recipes, DolphinPrincess was not getting lightening results.

The new dilution, 4 parts water to 1 part honey - or in this case herbal tea (chamomile) + cardamom and EVOO (extra virgin oive oil) has turned that around.

DolphinPrincess's current recipe -1 cup chamomile tea, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons cardamom, 1 tablespoon EVOO.

[LadyPolaris]

Oh, that's awesome info! Thank you ktani for the very quick clarification! It's great to know that cardamom washes out more easily. I cannot wait to get my hands in some - let's see what quality cardamom I can find!

[ktani]

LadyPolaris

You are most welcome.

[ktani]

Cardamom

"The two main genera of the ginger family that are named as forms of cardamom ...

Elettaria (commonly called cardamom, green cardamom, or true cardamom) ...

Amomum (commonly known as black cardamom, brown cardamom, Kravan, Java cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Siamese cardamom, white or red cardamom) ...."

It appears that both the brown or black and the green forms of cardamom are used in medicine and food although the black or brown is reported to have a more "astringent aroma". See "Uses"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom



and this It is recommended that one buy cardamom in the pods and then grind the seeds. Note: The substitutes named in the link below are for recipe flavour - nutmeg is an irritant and ground clove has a comparatively (to cinnamon or cardamom) very low peroxide value.

"It best to buy cardamom seeds still encased in their natural flavor-protecting pods .... discard after you remove the seeds. You can also buy cardamom without the pods, called cardamom seeds = decorticated cardamom .... the unprotected seeds lose flavor quickly. Ground cardamom seeds ... less flavorful .... Recipes that call for cardamom ... intend for you to use green cardamom ... named for the green pods .... Some producers bleach the green hulls to a pale tan .... this makes them less aromatic. .... Equivalents: One pod yields 1/6 teaspoon cardamom."
http://www.foodsubs.com/SpiceUniv.html#cardamom



Wiki though, has this to say on ground cardamom.

".... high-quality ground cardamom is often more readily (and cheaply) available, and is an acceptable substitute."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom

An encore of notes on cardamom.

[ktani]

Cardamom was reported in the source on the peroxide level of spices, to have the highest level of all of the spices named.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=KZa8...Ot2tkeW4&hl=en

Cardamom can be an irritant too but it appears that it may be less of one than cinnamon.

Turmeric can yield a bright yellow colour and nutmeg has irritant propertis too.

See "Adverse Reactions" for nutmeg
"Allergy, contact dermatitis, and asthma have been reported..."
http://www.drugs.com/npp/nutmeg.html



Cardamom and skin

This is one of the 2 common types of cardamom
“Contact sensitivity to cardamom and to certain terpenoid compounds … in the dried seeds was reported …
No evidence has been presented of irritation from Oil of Cardamom in perfumes …” Note: A constituent of cinnamon oil is the major irritant reported but it is not peroxide.
http://bodd.cf.ac.uk/BotDermFolder/BotDermZ/ZING.html

Spice factory workers and skin irritation - cinnamon was found to be a common irritant. Half of the workers reported skin irritation symptoms from different spices.
“Irritant patch test reactions were seen from powders of cardamom …”
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0536.1993.tb03538.x?journalCode=cod

“cardamom. Terpene … major constituents … can be a skin irritant and sensitizer.”
http://www.paulaschoice.com.au/learn/dictionary.asp?keys=sensitizer&type=FIND

Cardamom may be a better choice than cinnamon as a honey lightening booster although again - caution is recommended.

"Contact dermatitis ... reported after single exposure and repeated use of cinnamon...." See "Adverse Reactions" Note: I have posted this link and information before - reports in this thread on the overuse of cinnamon and in the cinnamon thread support this information.
http://www.drugs.com/npp/cinnamon.html



Cardamom
"The two main genera of the ginger family that are named as forms of cardamom ...
Elettaria (commonly called cardamom, green cardamom, or true cardamom) ...
Amomum (commonly known as black cardamom, brown cardamom, Kravan, Java cardamom, Bengal cardamom, Siamese cardamom, white or red cardamom) ...."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamom

Cardamom safety from the source on the peroxide values of spices. Note: the reference is for theraputic doses, not topical use, specifically.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=8AJk...wF2Yfp1U&hl=en

Cardamom safety
See "Safety"
"No toxicity ... reported for cardamom ... care needs to be taken that the plant being used is cardamom ... not a substitute."
http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/..._medicine.html

An encore of cardamom safety.

[ktani]

I cannot stress enough or repeat too often IMO, that care be taken with ingredients that one is not familiar with for the use intended - please patch test and use carefully after thoroughly researching an ingredient's safety.

Skincare and other uses for Cardamom

"... traditional uses of cardamom to treat skin conditions ... it has been used traditionally to treat areas of the body that have red-pigmentation." http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/cardamom_traditional_medicine.html


"Cardamom oil is aromatic with antibaterial properties ... used in cosmetics and chewing gums.
"Cardamon oil ... used in cosmetics because of its cooling properties ... easily incorporated into different solutions.
http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/cardamom_other_uses.html


See "Hand picked"
“The ancient Egyptians chewed cardamom to whiten their teeth and ... sweeten their breath.
Applied topically, cardamom .... used as an insect repellent."
http://pr.sv.net/aw/2006/January2006...h/pages002.htm


Cardamom essential oil, (which is much more concentrated than the oil you would get from the seeds normally) as with most essential oils, should not be used straight or undiluted, IMO.
Cardamom whole natural essential oil
http://www.libertynatural.com/msd/1914.htm

An encore of cardamom uses.

[Celebrian]

Ktani, I have a bottle of Cardamom pods. Before I read about this, and whilst henna'ing a couple of days ago, I bit into about 16 pods to crack the hulls and then placed them in boiling water and left to steep overnight. I had heard that the fragrance would combat the smell of henna...

Anyway, the aroma was gorgeous - and the cup smelled glorious even after the liquid was poured out of it and into my henna mix. My hair does smell better since then - but what I was trying to ask (longwindedly) was why ground seeds are better than the steeping of seeds. Has steeping been tried and dismissed - or is the info. under my nose and have I missed it?

[ktani]

Celebrian

The list on the peroxide levels of spices is based on the ground spice and there has been no mention in uses of steeping the seeds in boiled water.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=KZa8...Ot2tkeW4&hl=en

You can experiment if you like but heat might and probably will affect the peroxide level.

I recommend using the ground spice with no heat.

[Islandgrrl]

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, so if I'm not, feel free to smack me around a bit and tell me where to go!

I wasn't aware of the lightening effects of honey until I just finished up with this thread (whew - loads of good reading!) and couldn't figure out why my hair seemed to be getting lighter with every SMT I've done. Now I know and I'm very relieved that it wasn't my imagination. I like what's happening to my hair.

I do have a couple of quesitons.

I'll start by saying that I have naturally medium auburn hair (maybe on the dark side of medium) that's graying around the temple area at an alarming rate (eep!). So I started using henna to cover the gray. I did two full head applications with the longest one being about 3 hours, shortest one about half that time, and I've been henna glossing about once a month subsequent to the "root jobs." Of late I've been noticing that my hair is taking on a burgundy tone that I'm not happy with. I'd always assumed henna was totally permanent so resigned myself to it, but then I started doing SMTs and noticed the lightening.

I'm confused about a couple of things. First one being application on wet hair and how that effects lightening as opposed to including water in with the honey. Same thing or different things?

Also, cinnamon helps lighten and bring out golden tones? Do I have that right?

What is the potential for damage to the hair using honey? I'd always thought that honey was a moisturizing agent. Do I have that wrong, too?

Again, if I've made an inapporpriate post, please let me know and I'll be happy to remove or delete it.

[ktani]

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, so if I'm not, feel free to smack me around a bit and tell me where to go!

I wasn't aware of the lightening effects of honey until I just finished up with this thread (whew - loads of good reading!) and couldn't figure out why my hair seemed to be getting lighter with every SMT I've done. Now I know and I'm very relieved that it wasn't my imagination. I like what's happening to my hair.

I do have a couple of quesitons.

I'll start by saying that I have naturally medium auburn hair (maybe on the dark side of medium) that's graying around the temple area at an alarming rate (eep!). So I started using henna to cover the gray. I did two full head applications with the longest one being about 3 hours, shortest one about half that time, and I've been henna glossing about once a month subsequent to the "root jobs." Of late I've been noticing that my hair is taking on a burgundy tone that I'm not happy with. I'd always assumed henna was totally permanent so resigned myself to it, but then I started doing SMTs and noticed the lightening.

I'm confused about a couple of things. First one being application on wet hair and how that effects lightening as opposed to including water in with the honey. Same thing or different things?

Also, cinnamon helps lighten and bring out golden tones? Do I have that right?

What is the potential for damage to the hair using honey? I'd always thought that honey was a moisturizing agent. Do I have that wrong, too?

Again, if I've made an inapporpriate post, please let me know and I'll be happy to remove or delete it.

Islandgrrl

This is the right place and no one gets smacked around here or on these boards, lol.

An SMT is supposed to be microwaved for 30 seconds.

That will stop honey from lightening by destroying the enzyme in it that produces the peroxide.

To answer you question on wet hair - the more wet the hair is the better as honey needs to be diluted well - 4 parts water to 1 part honey to produce its maximum amount of peroxide in 1 hour.

The hair needs to be kept wet by being covered IMO, for the honey to keep producing peroxide uninterrupted.

I no longer recommend cinnamon - it is troublesome and an irritant.

I now recommend cardamom as the only spice peroxide booster.

The tones that you can get from honey lightening depend on the colour of the hair to begin with.

Honey is moisturizing - it has humectant properties.

It releases peroxide only on dilution.

There have been reports of dry hair from honey lightening - that is the result of honey residue which can be resolved with shampooing and or a vinegar rinse.

There have been no reports of honey lightening causing hair damage - weak, thin, gummy hair, breakage or split ends, to date.