Encyclopedia · humectant
Honey
A sugar-rich natural humectant used in DIY and commercial masks; no hair-fibre study was found.
Cosmetic ingredient
Cost $
Safety: minor
What it is
A concentrated sugar solution (fructose and glucose) with trace enzymes, acids and polyphenols. It is a cosmetic ingredient. Published reviews cover its skin uses, not hair.
How it works
The sugars bind water and leave a tacky film. Hydrogen-peroxide production in some honeys is a skin-wound claim, not a hair one.
What the studies show
- No hair-specific study was located.
How it's used in studies
DIY recipes vary widely and are untested.
Side effects and safety
Allergy to honey or bee products is possible. It is sticky and hard to rinse.
Bottom line
A pleasant, cheap mask ingredient for feel, with no proven benefit. We are very unsure it does anything beyond coating the hair.
Studies 0
No studies are listed for this page yet.
Related
- GlycerinA cheap water-binding ingredient in nearly every conditioner; no peer-reviewed hair study tests it, and the popular humidity rules are untested.
- Humectants and humidityHair swells and softens with humidity, but the popular rules about glycerin and humidity have not been tested; panthenol is the humectant with the best fibre data.