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4 Honey Treatments for Dry and Damaged Hair
Hair is pretty incredible. Although technically dead when it is outside of your scalp, it can still be “healthy” or damaged. Today we put so many products into our hair, apply high levels of heat to it, just to sculpt it a certain way, achieve a certain look, without second thought about what we’re actually doing. In my opinion,*beautiful hair is healthy hair, and healthy hair is not the product of what you find on the shelves in stores, but rather in your own kitchen.
Why Honey (and the other stuff)?
If you have dry or damaged hair, honey can help. A natural humectant, honey attracts moisture. It’s also full of antioxidants and nutrients to feed hair follicles that house the live part of hair, encouraging hair growth. That being said, it also needs a medium to help spread it around, otherwise you can end up with just a sticky mess, so the recipes include other natural ingredients that help you restore dry hair to a health and luster, from the scalp up.
1. Just Honey
This recipe contains just honey and water, nothing extra added or needed!
You will need…
-1/4 cup of organic raw honey
-Fresh water
Directions
Mix ¼ cup of organic raw honey with just enough fresh water to thin it out to the point where you can spread it around your hair (add it tablespoon by tablespoon.) Obviously this depends on how much hair you have-you can up the amount of honey if you need to. When you’re ready, apply as you would shampoo to damp hair and let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
2. Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is added here as it leaves hair with lovely shine and acts a natural conditioner.
You will need…
-1/4 cup of organic raw honey
-10 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
Directions
Mix together honey and ACV. Apply as you would shampoo to damp hair, and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse out with warm water.
3. Honey and Olive Oil
Olive oil can create a big difference in moisture after just a few uses, and promotes a healthy scalp and hair roots. It also helps smooth and coat dry and damaged hair shafts.
You will need…
-1/2 cup of honey
-1/4 cup of olive oil
Directions
Mix together ½ cup of honey and ¼ cup of olive oil, warming the mixture slightly if you need to. Apply to hair as needed.
4. Honey and Coconut Oil
Coconut oil, like olive oil, helps moisturize hair and hair roots. It seems to add a little bit more shine (in my opinion) and is a little lighter as well. It’s packed full of nutrients that make it an automatic go to ingredient in hair treatments.
You will need….
-1/4 cup of honey
-3 tablespoons of warmed coconut oil
Directions
Combine coconut oil and honey and blend thoroughly. Work into damp hair as you would shampoo. Let sit for 10 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.
Much of what you see in stores is just different ratios of basically the same stuff with different fragrances. With honey , you know what you’re getting every time, and personally, I love the results. I like to think of my hair as fairly healthy overall, but with the dry winter months coming up, a little extra moisture and conditioning is always wanted.
Tips
-Stick to raw organic honey. If you have to warm it a little bit that’s fine, but the ultra-pasteurized clear stuff you buy at the supermarket really doesn’t have many benefits.
-Try adding some honey to your regular shampoo or conditioner if you don’t feel like making up a separate treatment.
-Avoid harsh products and heat treatment (like straightening your hair every day.) Natural is beautiful!
-Be aware of the type of hair that you have. Applying olive oil and honey to limp, thin, hair that is prone to getting oily will probably just make it greasier and heavier.
-There’s no need to use these treatments every day. Once or twice a week should be sufficient.
-Be patient. Applying honey to damaged and dry hair is not going restore it to perfect condition right away.
By Claire Goodall