The Many Benefits Of Honey In Our Hair

You don’t often think of honey as a hair care product but surprisingly when added to your hair, honey can impart sheen and softness.

The most important property of honey with regards to hair is that it works as a natural humectant attracting moisture to otherwise dry strands. In this way it acts much the same as glycerine* so will be particularly beneficial for those with natural hair living in humid climates.

Here are some benefits of honey with a couple recipes sprinkled in that can be very healthy for your hair.

► Honey is safe for the hair – Let’s fact it, natural hair care products are big business with consumers looking to move away from lab created franken-products. So chances are if you can eat it then it is pretty safe for the hair too. Honey contains trace minerals vitamins* and anti bacterial properties that are very beneficial to the scalp and hair keeping it nourished and enriched.

► Can easily be incorporated in your current regimen – You can add honey to a prepoo mix or even add a tablespoon or two into your conditioner before applying it to your hair.

► Honey is budget friendly – The benefits of honey greatly outweigh the cost of purchasing it. Support your local farms by purchasing local honey* from your grocery store or local farmers market.

Raw honey is not hard to find and at minimum of five or six dollars a jar you will be able to take advantage of one of the best natural ingredients for imparting moisture and shine to your hair.

► Honey is helps hair loss and thinning edges – Yes some have reported that honey* helps stimulate the follicles and regrow thinning areas. While there is no definite scientific study confirming this benefit, there have been anecdotal reports from some ladies in the blogosphere that it works. Either way it can’t hurt to try!

► Honey can naturally lighten your hair – The property in honey that contributes to lightening the hair is the natural hydrogen peroxide found in it.

The porosity of your hair and how well it absorbs the honey will determine how light your hair gets. Honey lightening will take quite a few applications for any noticeable differences so don’t expect to turn platinum blonde overnight.

► Honey can be used daily – Add 1 or two table spoons of honey and olive oil* to your favorite conditioner for daily use. The added ingredients will not only impart maximum shine but your hair will be super soft every time you co wash.

Recipes

1. Simple Honey Prepoo Recipe: Mix equal parts of honey and olive oil* to make a thick paste, apply it to your hair before you shampoo for 20 – 30 minutes then shampoo and condition as normal. This is an excellent prepoo that works pretty well at preventing shampoo from stripping your hair so you should be left with hair that is soft and super shiny.

2. Honey lightening recipe – Using some distilled water, mix honey into the water using a 4 to 1 ratio in favor of the honey ensuring that the mixture is thick enough to be applied to the hair. Apply the mixture to the hair and scalp allowing it to sit for up to an hour so that your hair can absorb the honey* thoroughly.

Ensure that the mixture is completely rinsed out using a mild or sulfate free shampoo*. Condition and style as normal. As mentioned previously you will probably have to apply this multiple times before you notice any lightening.

3. Hydrating honey* protein treatment – Place 2 table spoons of honey, 3 table spoons of olive oil* and 1 table spoon of plain Greek yogurt into a bowl. Blend all ingredients together and apply to damp clean hair using an applicator brush or your hands. Cover your hair with a plastic cap to hold the heat in and let it sit for 20-30 minutes or longer depending on your needs. Rinse it off and cowash with a moisturizing conditioner* if desired.

4. Thinning areas treatment – This recipe for thinning hair calls for equal parts of cinnamon, olive oil* and honey applied to thinning  areas of the hair. The application can be done 2-3 times a week to help with the problem areas.

What are your favorite honey recipes, tips and tricks?