You probably use your fair share of products to combat skincare woes, whether it be dryness or fine lines, acne marks or, oiliness. Even if you take great care of your skin, you still might find yourself with problem areas. But we're here to help! You already know that honey has a special place in our honey beauty products, but did you know that you can use our raw honey directly on the skin? We call it Honey Skincare.
What does honey do for your skin?
If you're like the rest of us, your skin might have its rough moments now and then. You get pimples, dry patches, and redness; it's part of being human, and nobody has utterly flawless skin.
Benefits of Honey Skincare
Honey and skin have made the perfect pair throughout history
A great honey skincare product truly makes a difference in your skin. Throughout history, beauties from Cleopatra to the Duchess of Cornwall have used raw honey and or bee venom as part of their skin and hair care treatments for that youthful glow.
Honey is loaded with trace amounts of enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants that can combat free radicals on the skin, making it a powerful beauty tool.
When you combine honey with other ingredients, such as plant oils, botanicals, and butter, you create natural skin repair. On its own, honey is a simple, effective solution to what ails your skin. If you want to learn more about the scientific power of honey, read about other ways you can use honey and products from the hive for treating the skin. This Oatmeal Bath Recipe provides instant calming and soothing to dry irritated skin.
Used in many commercial moisturizing products, honey is an ingredient found in cleansers, creams, shampoos, shower gels, and conditioners to provide a calming effect.
- Honey contains antioxidants and flavonoids that may function in the right way.
- A natural humectant, Honey is a moisturizer that attracts and seals moisture on dry and parched skin without making it oily.
And it may even help a little with cellulite! (Well, sort of) Coffee has been proven (on some level-don’t get crazy on me) to shrink cellulite. Read more on cellulite and follow this recipe:
DIY Coffee Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c fresh coffee grounds
- 1/2 c of sunflower oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 c brown sugar
Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix: Then, take yourself to the shower and start scrubbin’. It is coarse, so expect your skin to turn a little pink or red. Don’t worry about this though: this is caused by increased circulation to your skin. I definitely notice softer skin, though apparently, you have to do this rather consistently to get any kind of significant cellulite reduction.
Rub-a-dub-dub…it’s another scrub
In or out of the tub, licensed massage therapist Karen Lee Miller touts the benefits of DIY honey body scrub-making (and even includes us in her recipe!). She points out: “There are all sorts of salt and sugar scrubs on the market averaging $20-30, or you can save money (about 2/3 the cost) and make your own honey body scrub."
This Honey Oat Scrub will leave your face feeling a bit lifted
Hair, hair!!
The National Honey Board is a great site to find all types of honey-oriented recipes and uses. This scalp treatment is fast, easy and cost-effective:
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons honey
10 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups of water
Directions:
In a large bowl, add honey, white vinegar, and water. Mix until thoroughly combined. Apply this solution as the last step to the usual hair regimen when showering. Leave on for 5 minutes and rinse out with warm water to achieve vitalized and radiant hair. Dry and style hair per usual.
There are many health benefits of honey
Clearly You’s Kathleen McCoy, professional beauty, education, and healthcare analyst, identified other scientifically-verified health benefits of honey and bee products
McCoy notes that:
- Honey can help treat kids’ nocturnal coughs more effectively than commonly-used Dextromethorphan;
- Honey helps faster healing by decreasing inflammation, especially on head and neck wounds;
One diluted bee venom injection temporarily improves chronic pain, and may help in chronic pain management; - Royal jelly protects cells against nicotine and smoking damage;
- Hippocrates used bee venom for medical treatments because it contained melatonin, anti-inflammatory agents hundreds of times stronger than cortisone.
Honey can be used out of the jar on the skin to care for complexion issues, including:
- discoloration
- redness
- acne
- dryness
Ways to use honey beauty products for Natural Skincare and Repair
- honey for blemishes
- natural skin repair
- honey for natural skin repair
- antibacterial face moisturizer
- honey beauty treatments
- natural face moisturizer
- honey exfoliator
Cleopatra knew, thousands of years ago that when you combine milk and honey and soak in it, the skin looks and feels better. We've been taking cues from nature since the beginning of time and this Milk and Honey Face Mask offers the power of nature from the comfort of home.
We encourage all sorts of home remedies for skin. It's likely that you have all of these ingredients in your pantry. This takes only a few minutes to mix this Bee Well DIY Face Mask and you won't be disappointed!
Another beauty secret that will delight and please is mixing seaweed with honey. The results are dramatic. If you're not able to get out to your favorite spa, you can try this DIY Spirulina Face Mask and revel at the results.
For Head to Toe Home Beauty Treatments
You can also add honey right into your bathtub for a moisturizing, balancing soak. Simply add a few tablespoons of raw honey to a warm bath and swirl. The honey will dissolve and help to pull moisture into the skin while also delivering head-to-toe nutrients.
For all of the above treatments, we recommend using darker honey. Sometimes dark honey, like Buckwheat, has a higher concentration of antioxidants than lighter honey, making it more powerful on the skin. Whatever you choose, make sure it is pure, raw, and straight from the hive for the maximum skin-boosting benefits.
Important to note is that honey contains at least 18% water.
Honey has a lower pH than most typical bacteria can stand, it is hygroscopic, possessing humectant properties that help to attract moisture to the skin. Honey is also loaded with nutrients, is antibacterial and a reliable humectant.
Because honey contains water it's very important especially if you are mixing other ingredients with honey for facials and body treatments that you make only enough to use in one treatment. On more than one occasion I have had deep and meaningful conversations with green beauty experts who revel in honey being its own preservative system. It is NOT. While it can slightly contribute to a preservative system, other plant-derived and synthetic components are necessary to stabilize the formula to be safe for more than a day or two.
Honey as a skincare cleanser
Crystallized honey makes a great treatment for skin that is prone to acne, discoloration, and dryness. To use plain honey on the skin, simply take a tablespoon right from the jar and apply it to a freshly cleansed face. Since it is a bit messy and sticky, this is best done before your morning shower, first, cleanse the skin with your daily cleanser, pull your hair away from your face, and apply a raw honey mask.
- leave this on for 10-15 minutes while you shower
- rinse off with warm water while gently massaging the skin
When you rinse off your honey mask, you don't need to follow with second cleanser-the honey will help to pull away impurities from the skin, leaving your face soft. Just make sure to follow with your favorite toner, serum, and moisturizer, and you'll be good to go!
This treatment can (and should!) be done daily as part of your facial routine in the morning or at night. This allows you to gently cleanse and exfoliate your skin every day, and fairly quickly, you can see acne marks, redness, and dryness fade away.
Honey as Scar Treatment for Natural Skincare and Repair
Honey can also be used on the skin to help gradually fade the appearance of light scars and marks. This is in part due to the chemical compounds in the honey, which deliver nutrients and moisture to areas of skin that are in need of regeneration.
Gently massage a teaspoon or two of honey on cleansed, slightly damp skin for a few minutes and then rinse off with warm water. By delivering moisture to the affected area, along with increasing blood flow (via massage), your marks can gradually lighten. Do this process daily, morning or night, until your scar fades away.
If you try any of these honey beauty tips, let us know! Stop into our Honey House in Owings Mills, Maryland to try out any of our honey skincare products.
More Honey and Beauty Recipes
Five ways to use lavender
4 DIY honey face masks
Treating Problem Skin with Honey
Benefits of Cocoa on your Body, Brain, and Skin
Don't forget to tag us on Instagram and use the hashtag #beeinspired so we can see all of your gorgeous faces!
