LeahSierra says…There’s a video on Youtube by Andrea’s Choice. She used honey to lighten up her hair. I haven’t tried but you can watch the video.
The Left Brain responds:
Thanks, Leah, for the link to this video. In it, Andrea explains how mixing honey (either raw or regular) with either olive oil and banana or with just your regular conditioner can lighten hair. She claims the honey contains peroxide that can bleach hair over time. But does this really work?
Hair lightening science
It’s true that honey contains peroxide. More accurately it contains an enzyme, glucose oxidase, that can produce peroxide. But keep in mind that peroxide is only an effective bleaching agent at the right concentration and at the right pH.
Concentration: how much peroxide is in honey?
How much peroxide do you need to lighten hair? To fully bleach hair it takes a solution of peroxide at a concentration of 6%; 3% can be used over time to gradually lighten hair. Glucose oxidase in honey can react to release peroxide under the right conditions. (It’s also important to note that only raw honey contains this active enzyme.) When honey is diluted with water, the enzyme can produce about 1 milimole of peroxide per liter which is about 1000 times less than the 3% solution required to bleach hair. This is far too little to have a significant effect on your hair.
Okay, but just for the sake of argument let’s say that you used a LOT of honey on your hair. Would it work then? Only if the pH was right.
The pH required for bleaching hair
Peroxide solutions must be “activated” by increasing the pH because peroxide is not very reactive at pH below 4. Typically, peroxide is mixed with ammonia because it has a very high pH. The pH of honey is between 3.2 and 4.5 which is far below the range required for effective hair bleaching.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
IF you use the right kind of honey and IF the enzyme is still active and IF you dilute it properly and IF get it to the right pH and IF you get it on your hair before it’s used up by reaction with the rest of the organic stuff in the mixture. then you’ll STILL have only about 1/1000 of the amount you need to lighten your hair. I guess just because Winnie the Pooh was blonde doesn’t mean that honey can lighten your hair.
Reference:
http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2001/november/Molan/honey-as-topical-agent.html
Image credit: Walt Disney
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Thank you so much for busting another hairy myth. Love you, guys!
I don’t know much about science but I did the experiment of honey lightening. I used a mixture of honey, cinnamon, olive oil and water. The change in color was subtle, but it was there. Follow the link below and see the pictures.It was just one application. My blog is in Romanian but the image is a universal language.
http://frumusetedinnatura.blogspot.com/2011/12/decolorarea-naturala-parului-inainte-si.html
@Ana-Marie: Thanks for sharing your pictures. I do see a difference but I can’t tell if it’s because the lighting is different. Is this your natural hair color or was your hair dyed?
I chose the bathroom for these pictures so the light is the same (no natural light). I even chose the same spots to stand for me and my husband who took the pictures in my efforts to create the same environment for both pictures. I did it because I was curious about the recipe and it was a first try.
I have many layers of henna and indigo in my hair and I was looking for a natural way to lighten it a little before my next henna application.
do honey really whittens the hair????? plz……………. clear me!!!!!!!!!! am still in doubt? IS THAT REALY SAFE TO USE HONEY TWICE IN A WEEK???
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