A Guide to Unlocking Your Curls with Honey

If there’s one thing that natural hair textures thrive on, it’s natural ingredients. One of our favorites? Sweet, shiny and soothing Honey.

It turns out, Honey isn’t just for your tea. This popular haircare and skincare ingredient has been around for millenia, delivering beauty benefits around the world.¹ And for natural curls and coils, it’s a game-changer.

Keep reading for our guide to this ingredient, including the top Honey benefits for hair and how to use Honey in your routine.

Is Honey Good for Curly Hair?

At first glance, Honey may seem like an unlikely haircare ingredient. How is Honey good for your hair without turning it into a sticky mess? It all comes down to prep—when mixed into products, Honey can turn hair into its shiniest self (especially curly hair).

Thanks to its tolerability and lightweight quality, Honey is suitable for nearly all hair types. However, this ingredient is particularly nourishing for dryer hair types, such as curls and coils. Plus, compared to oils, Honey is less likely to weigh down lighter or finer curls.

5 Benefits of Honey For Hair

So, what does Honey do for curly hair exactly? As far as haircare ingredients go, Honey is a jack-of-all-trades. This natural ingredient delivers on many factors of hair health, from hydration to protein. By incorporating Honey into your routine, you could see amazing benefits like:²

• Moisture – Honey is considered both a humectant and an emollient. As a humectant, Honey can draw moisture into the hair follicle.¹ As an emollient, Honey can coat hair follicles to seal in moisture. Both of these qualities are particularly good for curls that need plenty of hydration.

• Antibacterial protection – In ancient medicine, Honey was used for its natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.³ On the scalp, it similarly protects from infection. When applied to the scalp and hair roots, Honey is proven to reduce conditions like chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. However, before you use this raw ingredient to heal a condition, please consult your physician.

• Hair strength – Honey offers a small amount of protein to hair. With regular use, this could prevent protein loss and combat natural hair breakage.⁵ Honey also contains antioxidants, which is believed to potentially stimulate hair growth and improve blood circulation.

• Shine – What happens when your hair type gets excess moisture and strength? That pro-level shine. By boosting these two qualities, Honey can help prevent your hair follicles from breaking and flaking. This smooth exterior gives luster to dull curls and coils.

• Hair growth – In general, hydrated and strong curls grow longer from reduced breakage than dry and damaged curls. Honey’s nourishing powers can help protect your hair’s integral protein structure and scalp health. As a result, your hair strands have the freedom to grow long and strong.

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How to Incorporate Honey Into Your Curl Routine

Honey is a little hard to use on its own (hello, sticky fingers). However, haircare products that include Honey can take your curls to the next level of health and hydration. Luckily, you have many options at your disposal.

To reap the bee-nefits, consider these products with Honey for curly hair:

• Leave-in conditioner – When it comes to dense coils and dry curls, a leave-in conditioner is your best friend. Give your hair a massive boost of moisture by applying a leave-in conditioner with Honey, such as PATTERN’s Leave-In Conditioner, to wet hair. Comb it through each of your curls in sections, focusing on the ends for extra nourishment.

• Shampoo and conditioner – By washing and conditioning with Honey-based products, you can apply Honey right to the scalp. Also, a shampoo such as PATTERN’s Hydration Shampoo, formulated with Honey won’t strip your hair of its natural moisture like many cleansers. Use these products with every wash to see the hair and scalp benefits.

• Transition treatment – The trip to natural hair can be a bumpy road. A hair treatment with Honey can smooth your ride by softening, soothing and moisturizing your curls. Once a week, apply a mask like PATTERN’s Transition Mask, to dry hair for 15 minutes and then rinse out.

• Scalp treatment – Got Honey in your pantry? Time for a DIY hair recipe that works perfectly for finer curls or tender scalps. Mix equal parts water and Honey and place it into a spray bottle. Generously spritz the mixture all over your scalp and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse out afterwards.

While most people tolerate Honey just fine, it’s important to patch test any product before use. Always swipe a small amount of a new product on your skin and observe for any reactions over the next 24 hours.

Keep Your Curls Sweet with PATTERN

The next time someone asks, “What does Honey do for your hair?,” you have an answer—just about everything. The moisturizing and protective powers of this ingredient is known to help curls feel and look their best. Whatever your curl type, Honey can make each spiral a little sweeter.

Ready to make your curls feel bee-autiful? Bring Honey into your haircare routine with PATTERN, or check out our blog to learn more about ingredients in our other hair products, such as Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Manuka Honey, Castor Oil & more. 

Make your curls feel their natural best by exploring our curly haircare products today.

Sources:

1. NIH. Honey in dermatology and skin care: a review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24305429/
2. Byrdie. Honey for Hair: Benefits and How to Use It. https://www.byrdie.com/Honey-for-hair-5181652
3. NIH. Evidence for Clinical Use of Honey in Wound Healing as an Anti-bacterial, Anti-inflammatory Anti-oxidant and Anti-viral Agent: A Review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3941901/.
4. NIH. Therapeutic and prophylactic effects of crude Honey on chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. ⁴https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11485891/
5. Byrdie Beauty. "Why Honey Is Amazing for Your Hair (and How to Use It)." Byrdie, 18 Nov. 2021, https://www.byrdie.com/honey-for-hair-5181652.