To be considering lightening my dark hair using honey

[froggy1811]

So, I really want to lighten my medium brown hair for Christmas, but I don't want to damage my hair or change it too dramatically, as I like the rich goldeny tones that are in my hair naturally. Put simply, I just want to 'emphasise' this by lightening to a shade or two lighter - although, I'm not sure if I want to lighten the entire base or just add highlights.

Lately, I've watched numerous videos on YouTube where women have dyed their hair using honey! Some have just mixed it with conditioner, while other add cinnamon (apparently this intensified the lightening - something to do with the chemical combo of cinnamon and honey!) Apparently, you need to do this several times until you achieve your desired colour. Some have used highlighting caps, while others just smeared it all over their heads!

Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone here has tried this, and if so did it work? Do you think the whole thing is a silly old wives tale, or is it worth a try before reaching for the box die?

AwkwardPaws27 thank you! But I honestly think the light is making it look a bit nicer than it actually is! And yes, I was thinking if it worked, I could just put a semi permanent toner on it? I'm absolutely useless at hair, as I've never really done anything with mine past shampoo and dry!

SovietSpy, I see your point but I think I'm only going to do a few streaks to see if it works, so I'm hoping I won't need to waste too much honey! It would, however, definitely be cheaper to buy a box dye, but apparently the honey isn't damaging where as the box dye is.

I think I will do 4 or so streaks, twice a week for a fortnight and see if this heeds any effect whatsoever. If indeed it does, then I might continue for the full month. If not, then atleast we will know for sure!

@IslaInthesun

It doesn't work. DD did hers 3 days a week for a month. No change.

Reminds me of us putting lemon juice in ours then sitting in the sun

Really? 😰 Was she using the cinnamon as well or just putting honey on with conditioner? Also, how long did she leave it on her hair for the full 8 hours?

Chemistry graduate here

Vitamjn C is Ascorbic Acid, so just like Lemon juice (citric acid) it will dye your hair chemically and leave it in poor condition afterwards. Chemically the two are fairly similar.

Honey however doesn't contain acid as far as I know, so I'm interested in the science behind this.

I am off to google

Chemistry graduate is back with a screenshot.

Apparently honey contains two chemicals which react to produce hydrogen peroxide. So...it is chemically exactly the same as using peroxide on your hair, except presumably the honey only produces a tiny amount. So you could just use a tiny amount 3 times a week or whatever yourself.

Just because it comes from a natural source doesn't make it any different chemically. Hydrogen peroxide has a very precise formula so will be the same thing whatever the source is. However the website also mentions various other properties of honey which make it good for your hair's condition.

So my non expert chemical conclusion is that using hydrogen peroxide from a bottle to lighten your hair then sticking a honey mask on it the next day to nourish is probably the cheapest and most efficient method of getting the same result.

I feel like a real killjoy posting the above. Apologies

NarcissistsEyebrows you are certainly not a kill joy! 🤣 In a way, you have confirmed that, theoretically, the honey should work! However, it looks as though it would take me an awful long time to achieve the results people are claiming to have worked after just a few applications; and in addition to this, it would in effect be just as damaging as using a low level peroxide!

Ok, so I've not began my honey hair dye experiment yet, so to give you an indication of my starting colour I took these three photos last night under the artificial light of the bathroom

However, this morning I have stood Infront of the living room window and taken this picture - so it's obvious my hair looks different colours in different lights! But I believe last night's bathroom photos are more accurate!

Your hair is a beautiful colour.
Be interesting to see the/any difference.

Capferret it will! I think I want to do it more out of interest now than anything else 😂

And thank you! 😊

Your hair is a lovely colour. I started colouring my hair at 15 and have embraced the bleach in various forms ever since!

Thank you icelolly! I am far too much of a wimp to bleach it! I did dabble with the dyes as a teen and had disastrous leapord print roots and orange hair 😂 My experience with Sun in was by far the worst! Right now, all I want to do is 'lift' the colour by one or two shades so I'm extremely interested to see if this will work! If it doesn't, then from what I've read about honey hair masks, I'll have lovely, healthy hair!

Hang on, how have you gone from dark brown to light blonde

@TheFormidableMrsC

Hang on, how have you gone from dark brown to light blonde

How am I light blonde by any stretch of the imagination?! 😅

Your hair looks so nice now. I get why you don't want to use anything harsh but I feel like hair this dark will never get noticeable lighter without bleach.

What about trying something like John Frieda brunette shampoo and conditioner, I think they do different tones. Chocolate brown, golden brown, reddy etc.

I bet there'd be a market for obtaining the active chemicals from the honey and combining them in a way that's designed specifically for use on hair. They'd probably sell loads!

Your natural hair is beautiful, OP.

I'd say my hair is a teeny bit lighter than yours and I've been getting greys dotted all over, increasing in number over the last few years. I was nervous about colouring my hair, too, but a year ago decided something needed doing, so my hairdresser put in some golden blonde highlights and later added some chocolate ones, too. It has lightened my hair overall and I love it. The condition is still really good as, apparently, there's no bleach in the brand used. I don't know how it works and don't care so long as I get a colour I love and my hair stays in good nick! Maybe you could look into something like this if the honey doesn't work out.

From the two above posts your hair looks dark brown & then the morning after blonde. Is that after one application of honey?

When I was a student I used to buy bags of dried chamomile flower heads and use these as a rinse to lighten my mid brown hair. But it's so long ago now (50 years) that I can't remember whether I used it after every shampoo, whether I boiled the flower heads in water or just steeped them in boiling water.

There is info on using chamomile out there and what the active ingredients are. I see you can also use chamomile tea bags.

Apologies, just re read your previous posts & I think they’re photos under different lights? Your colour looks really different from the 2 photos taken!

Thank you Uptoongirl! I think I'm just bored of always looking the same! Plus, I was watching Jennifer Aniston in some recent films and she looked amazing! I was reading that one of the secrets to staying youthful looking like her was to lighten your hair shade once every 10 years! I don't want it all that different - I just want it to look 'sunkissed' ala Jen Aniston!

PipeOfPringles, I think they do sell a lot of honey based hair and skin products! Apparently, honey produces low levels of peroxide, but it is also really good and nutritious for your hair! 😊

This sounds a bit like Bob Mortimer's claim on Would I Lie To You that Chris Rea swears by cracking an egg into his bath

@fairydust11

From the two above posts your hair looks dark brown & then the morning after blonde. Is that after one application of honey?

OP says up thread that these are photos taken before application, and taken under different types of lighting.

Westerman, if the honey doesn't work out the salon is my next move! Your hair hair colour sounds beautifully rich and gorgeous!

ShrinkingViolet, I used to do the chamomile rinse years ago, but I think my hair is just too dark for it to take any effect!

Fairydust, it's just because it's been taken under different lights! It is bizzare how different the colour looks - but no, I haven't done anything to it yet! I believe the darker hair is more my accurate colour. Perhaps the camera flash is causing it to look so light on the other pic! I'm definitely nowhere near blonde!

The only thing that lightens hair is bleach (or sun exposure). Nothing else will lighten hair, only change the tone of it . Your hair already has some warm tones.

Honestly your hair is beautiful and I don't believe for one minute that honey will either lighten it or change the tone. if it does change the tone, the result will be patchy.
Henna on virgin hair is magnificent, if you know how to apply it properly, but you already have a wonderful shine.

Also, for the purposes of this experiment, I think when I post update photos in a couple of weeks I will take the photos in under the artificial light of the bathroom, seeing as how I've just taken another photo next to the living room window and yet again my hair has come out a different colour! Plus, my son has just confirmed that the bathroom shots are way more accurate as I suspected!