Four Homemade Honey Masks for Happy Hair

You know we love a good (dare we say "great") honey mask for skin health - but honey is just as beneficial for your hair's health as well. These all natural, simple homemade honey hair masks are perfect for helping your stressed tresses! Plus they’re inexpensive to make and foolproof to apply.

But First...Benefits of Honey for Hair

Honey has been used as a skin and hair treatment for centuries. Honey is both an emollient (meaning it soothes and softens dry hair) and a humectant (it retains moisture). So not only does it boost your hair’s moisture content, it also locks it in, making hair softer, shinier and more manageable.

But it does so much more than just that! Using honey on a regular basis may help:

Stimulate hair growth. Honey has been shown to nourish and help regenerate epithelial cells (of which the scalp has many!)

Give you naturally sun-kissed highlights. Since it has natural lightening properties, honey can accentuate your hair’s natural highlights without the need for chemicals.

Kill scalp bacteria. Because honey is naturally antibacterial, it’s said to help treat infections and kill the bacteria that leads to dandruff.

Kick inflammation to the curb and help promote rapid and improved healing associated with things like eczema and psoriasis.

And with plenty of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, it’s no wonder that honey is awesome for hair needing a little extra TLC. To reap the benefits, all you need to do is apply honey to your hair and let it sink in for a few minutes while the vitamins and minerals strengthen strands and soothe the scalp.

But, honestly, where’s the fun in that? Let's mix it up a bit with a few other natural, hair-nourishing ingredients!

Just mix, apply, rinse, and say hello to the lushest hair of your life.

4 Homemade Honey Hair Masks for all Hair Types

These honey hair masks are suitable for a variety of different hair types. But since all hair is different, it might be best to whip up a small batch and test it on a section of hair before slathering in on your entire head. That way if you don’t like it, it’s easy to rinse out and try again.

In no particular order:

Hibiscus Honey Hair Mask

Hibiscus has long been used by Indian women to give hair shine, bounce and lessen frizz. Honey is a natural humectant full of antioxidants and nutrients to help moisturize your hair and scalp. Avocado oil is well known as a nourishing oil for both scalp and hair helping to add shine and prevent hair breakage and split ends.

• 2 Tbsp Aloe gel (available health food or commercial pharmacies)
• 1 Tbsp hibiscus tea (can buy hibiscus tea bags at most health food or grocery stores or online)
• 2 Tbsp raw, organic honey
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil (may substitute coconut or olive oil)

Make the hibiscus tea (strong) - let cool. Mix all the ingredients together, whisk till well blended.  Add more aloe gel to adjust texture to your liking.Massage into scalp and work through to ends, leaving on for 15 minutes before shampooing. Leave on overnight as a sleeping mask (with a cap) for additional conditioning / nourishing benefits.

Apply mask once a week or once every few weeks.  

Warm Honey and Olive Oil Treatment for Dry/Damaged hair

• 1/2 cup honey (raw, organic if available)
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil

Applying honey alone can get very sticky, so olive oil is a wonderful addition to this mask to help smooth and coat the hair shaft. Mix the honey and olive oil together, and then warm over the stovetop or in the microwave for a few seconds.

Mix again after heating. Apply from scalp to ends and leave on for 10-20 minutes before shampooing. If you have trouble getting the oil out of your hair, I recommend using baking soda to break down the oil (simply sprinkle it on your scalp and use your fingers to gently massage it along the length of your hair). Then shampoo and condition like you normally would. 

Apply mask once a week or once every few weeks. 

Honey, Coconut Oil and Yogurt Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons raw, organic honey
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

The lactic acid in yogurt will cleanse the scalp, while the proteins nourish and strengthen the hair. Coconut oil can penetrate the hair, leaving the hair shiny, lustrous and smooth. It can also prevent split ends due to its moisturizing properties.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, using less coconut oil for shorter hair and more for longer hair. Massage into scalp and work through to ends, leaving on for 15 minutes before shampooing. Apply mask once a week or once every few weeks. 

Banana and Honey Hair Mask

• 1/2 cup raw, organic honey
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• dye brush (optional)
• shower cap (optional)

Banana not only soothes an itchy scalp and but it also moisturizes hair. Applying banana topically to hair can prevent breakage and split ends. For fine hair, banana creates volume and maintains natural elasticity.

Honey helps retain moisture and is also beneficial for healthy scalps. Olive oil serves as a de-tangler and frizz minimizer.

Combine the above ingredients together in a blender until a pureed consistency. Apply from top of head to tips of hair with dye brush (or work through sections with fingers - its a little messy, though). Leave on hair for at least 10 minutes. Option- cover with shower cap for deeper penetration.

The banana can stick to the hair shafts a bit, so you might need to add more oil depending on hair length, hair type (dry hair=more oil), possibly shampoo twice to remove any residual mask left over. Continue with usual shampoo, conditioner and styling. This mask can be applied once a week or once every few weeks. 

Other Natural Hair Conditioners You Can Try

Nature makes some pretty epic natural hair conditioners. You can use the following ingredients in addition to (or in place of) some of the ingredients mentioned above. We haven’t tried all the combinations you can possibly make, but since natural ingredients are usually pretty gentle, don’t be afraid to play with ’em until you find a recipe that works for your hair type.

A good rule of thumb is to add 1-2 teaspoons of an ingredient to your mask and then wait to see how your hair responds. If you’re worried about messing it up, apply the mask to a small, inconspicuous patch of hair to see what happens before applying it to your whole head.

• Raw mashed avocado
• Aloe vera
• Shea butter, either melted or whipped
• Raw egg
• Greek yogurt
• Banana
• Pumpkin
• Avocado oil
• Mayo

How to Use a Homemade Hair Mask the Right Way

It’s hard to go wrong with any of these honey hair masks, but there are some things you can do to make your mask a little more effective:

1. Wash and towel dry your hair first. I know we said earlier that you can apply your mask to dry hair, and you can, but if you use a lot of product or your hair is naturally curly, washing out old product and relaxing your locks may help the mask sink in better.
2. Spread the mask evenly throughout your hair section-by-section to ensure you evenly coat strands from top to bottom.
3. Using your fingertips, give yourself a quick scalp massage. Then gently finger-comb your hair to get rid of any tangles.
4. To enhance the mask’s effectiveness, cover your head with a warm, damp towel (a shower cap will also work) and let sit for at least 10-20 minutes.
5. Rinse with cool water. If you have fine hair, apply shampoo and conditioner like you normally would to get rid of any build up. Follow up with baking soda and a second round of shampoo to get rid of any stubborn oil residue.
6. Reapply weekly for damaged hair or every few weeks for regular maintenance.