For thousands of years, people worldwide have used honey as a natural sweetener and for medical purposes. Due to its antioxidant properties, minerals, and vitamins, honey is a natural remedy used for all sorts of conditions, ranging from healing wounds and minimizing digestive issues to boosting skin conditions and soothing sore throat.
So, it shouldn’t surprise us that honey can condition, nourish, and improve the health of our hair. Let’s look at the benefits and learn how to make your own honey hair mask at home.
Benefits of honey on hair
While the benefits of honey are well-known throughout the centuries, this natural ingredient is still popular in many hair care products. So, what are the benefits of honey on your hair, including hair masks?
Honey can:
- Moisturize dry scalp and hair
- Minimize hair breakage
- Restore shine
- Boost the condition of natural hair
- Soften hair
- Reduce frizz
Moreover, honey is an excellent binding agent, so it’s a good idea to use honey on your hair if you want to include other active ingredients. When you leave honey on your hair for longer periods of time, it may promote a more intense nourishment, repair, and healing than a regular conditioner.
How to make a honey mask for hair?
So many recipes include honey, and this is one of the most basic suited for damaged, dry hair.
You will need the following ingredients:
- ½ cup of honey
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- A small paintbrush
- A mixing bowl
- A shower cap
We recommend using organic honey, which contains a high percentage of antioxidants since it’s the least processed. On the other hand, nonorganic honey can still provide benefits. You can use a large plastic bag if you don’t have a shower cap.
Instructions:
- Your hair should be damp and clean
- Mix honey and olive oil into a bowl and stir the mixture
- Microwave this mixture for 15 seconds
- Stir it again, once it’s heated
- Make sure the mixture cools down a bit before you apply it to the hair. You can use your fingertip or a small brush to massage the mask onto the scalp and work your way toward the ends.
- Place a cap and leave this mask for 30 minutes
- Rinse the mask from your hair until all the ingredients are removed
Recipe variations
You can combine honey with other ingredients to make a hair mask that offers other benefits. Depending on what you want to accomplish for your hair, you may want to try one of the following options:
Scalp cleansing mask
Mix honey, yogurt, and coconut oil.
The protein in yogurt can clean your scalp and strengthen your hair, while coconut oil moisturizes and softens your hair. You will need the following ingredients:
Two tablespoons of coconut oil
3-4 tablespoons of honey
½ cup plain full-fat yogurt
Mix coconut oil with honey and then microwave it for 15 seconds. Once it’s cool, add yogurt and continue to mix until you get a well-blended mass. Application instructions are the same as mentioned above.
Scalp itch reliever
If you wish to soothe an itchy scalp, then add a banana to your honey hair mask. You will need the following ingredients:
½ cup honey
½ cup olive oil
Two ripe bananas
Use a blender to mix these ingredients until you get a smoothie-like puree, and then apply it to your hair. If you have long hair, you will have to add ½ cup more olive oil to make bananas less sticky. Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave it for ten minutes. Shower your hair to remove all the ingredients.
Hair strengthening mask
Along with honey, this mask includes coconut oil and eggs. Proteins in eggs help strengthen your hair, making it less prone to breakage and damage from styling and sun. On the other hand, coconut moisturizes and softens your hair.
You will need the following ingredients:
One large egg
Two tablespoons coconut oil
Two tablespoons honey
Mix honey and coconut oil and heat it in a small pot on the stove. Make sure that the mixture is cool enough before you add egg to it. Once all ingredients are combined, apply this mask to your hair. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then shampoo your hair with warm water to remove all ingredients.
