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What is a Honey Conditioner?

Laura M. Sands
Laura M. Sands

A honey conditioner is a hair care product or a homemade product consisting primarily of honey and is used to keep hair healthy and strong. Many hair care brands offer a honey conditioner for several different hair types. This particular type of conditioner is also useful in treating hair and scalp conditions, such as dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.

Honey is naturally high in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B, calcium, chlorine, aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, silica, potassium and phosphorous. It also is regarded for its antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antioxidant and anti-fungal properties, and many people use raw honey to treat hair loss, itching and dandruff. Research done on its effects suggests that honey can also prevent future hair loss in individuals who have used it previously for hair and scalp treatments and who continue to use a honey conditioner on a regular basis.

Honey.
Honey.

A honey conditioner is an excellent remedy for dry hair or for hair that has been damaged by over-styling. For hair loss, conditioning hair with honey along with either olive oil or tea tree oil might offer relief. When one is purchasing a honey conditioning product, however, the labeling should be read very carefully to assure that honey is the main ingredient and that other ingredients that might harm hair, such as alcohol, are not included.

A bottle of honey conditioner.
A bottle of honey conditioner.

Whether one is searching for a dry hair conditioner or a leave-in conditioner, a honey conditioner can be useful. Generally found wherever hair care products are sold, honey conditioning products are easy to locate and are featured in a variety of hair care conditioners making, it easy to select one according to one’s hair type and desired results. It is commonly sold in commercial form, but many people also make their own conditioner out of raw honey and other natural ingredients.

A honey conditioner may be used to keep hair healthy and strong.
A honey conditioner may be used to keep hair healthy and strong.

One popular recipe for a homemade conditioner includes honey, olive oil, rosemary oil and guar gum. Other recipes combine honey and oatmeal. Some people even prefer to simply apply raw honey directly to their damp scalp and, treating it as a leave-in conditioner, cover the scalp with a cap for 30 minutes before rinsing as usual. People who have used this method maintain that the honey is not difficult to rinse out of the hair. There are a variety of recipes used in making honey conditioner, and these generally range from basic conditioners to creating conditioning treatments to be used as home remedies for particular hair and scalp problems.

Whether it is purchased in product form or created from scratch, honey conditioner helps keep hair healthy and strong. It is also widely regarded as an ingredient that will leave hair soft and shiny. Depending on the hair’s health when honey conditioner is first applied, several consistent uses might be necessary before hair is restored to a naturally healthy state.

Discussion Comments

fify

Honey is a great natural conditioner because it is "humectant" which means that it holds moisture. That's why they also use honey in lotions and lip balms. It traps the moisture from the air and leaves skin and hair healthy and glossy.

My grandmother told me that her mother used to apply honey when she had a cut or wound as a child. Older generations always know more about natural alternatives better than we do. Now I read about the antiseptic and healing properties of honey and wonder why we don't use honey more often. The moisture locking quality of honey helps cuts and wounds close much faster and also helps prevent scars.

serenesurface

@feruze-- No, the honey won't stick to your hair when it is mixed with oil. However, I have heard from several people that application of cold honey can make the hair gray after some time because honey is also used as a bleaching agent. But there is a way to prevent that, just heat the honey and oil mixture in the microwave and apply it warm.

You can use olive oil or coconut oil with honey. You can also add a few drops of lemon juice to use the mixture as a mask or add an egg yolk to benefit from its protein.

bear78

I had heard about olive oil treatment for damaged hair but not honey. Wouldn't the honey stick to the hair? I suppose that's why oil is included in home made recipes but I'm still concerned. I have really long hair, if the honey sticks to my hair, that would be a disaster! What are some other recipes for making a honey hair conditioner or hair mask?

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    • Honey.
      Honey.
    • A bottle of honey conditioner.
      By: Irina Brinza
      A bottle of honey conditioner.
    • A honey conditioner may be used to keep hair healthy and strong.
      By: Anastasia Tsarskaya
      A honey conditioner may be used to keep hair healthy and strong.