3 Ways to Use Honey in Your Skincare

by Diana Rosen

Honey Soothes the Face

Honey has natural properties to help nourish the skin and make it look healthier, softer, and more evenly toned, for both men and women. Here are just a few ways to incorporate honey into your skin care routine:

As a Cleanser

You can wash your face with honey or use a honey scrub for smoother skin that gently removes bumps or blackheads and normalizes the production of sebum, the skin’s natural oils.

Because honey is gentle to the skin, it is excellent for sensitive skin. While any raw honey works well, if you have acne or eczema, use Manuka for its exceptional healing properties. The antibacterial properties of honey could help to clarify the skin.

How to Use

To cleanse in the morning
Warm ½ teaspoon of honey with your fingers, adding just a few drops of warm water to make it spreadable.

Gently spread it all over your face and neck, using circular motions.

Rinse thoroughly with warm water and lightly pat your skin dry or allow it to air dry.

For additional healing, use aloe vera juice as a toner. Do not rinse.

Doing this daily may eliminate the need for moisturizer.

At night time
Remove any makeup with jojoba or argan oil, with or without the contents of a vitamin E capsule.

Gently wipe the makeup off with a cotton pad soaked with the oil.

Cleanse your face as you did in the morning, but eliminate any toner. Instead, leave the honey on your face on for an extra ten minutes before rinsing it off. This gives your complexion an extra moisturizing boost.

As a Face Mask

Masks hydrate, soothe, and improve the texture of skin, and the recipes for those using honey are legion. Naturally, we love using a combination of green tea leaves and honey.

How to Use

In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of green tea leaves with 1 teaspoon of honey, and 1 teaspoon of almond oil.

Mix thoroughly. Using your fingers, apply the mixture to your face and neck lightly and let it dry, about fifteen minutes, before washing it off with warm water.

Use a clean washcloth or clean soft cotton rag to wipe off every drop of the mask.

Use this once a week to give you softer, healthier skin. Both green tea and the honey contain natural anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties which are known to fight free radicals that can damage skin.

As a Face Scrub

Exfoliation is great for people who want a smoother skin, free of bumps or rough texture. And nothing works better than plain old-fashioned uncooked oatmeal to reveal the smoother, healthier skin after applying this mask.

To grind the oatmeal, use a spice or coffee grinder. If you do not have one, pulverize with a mortar and pestle or in a blender. You can make extra for future applications, but do not use the scrub more than once a week.

How to Use

In a small bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons ground uncooked oatmeal with 1 Tablespoon of honey until thoroughly combined. Add 1 Tablespoon of warm water until the mixture forms a paste.

Using your fingertips, apply the scrub to your face and gently massage the face in small circular motions for just one minute.

Allow the paste to dry on your face, about 4 minutes.

To remove, take a clean cloth and remove as much of the paste as possible, then saturate a clean cloth with warm water and rinse the face with until every bit is removed.

Pat your face gently dry.

This mask can help heal redness and roughness due to the saponin in the oatmeal to help rid the face of dead skin cells and the anti-microbial properties of the honey.

Precaution

When using dishes or bowls to prepare honey for skin or hair care, do not put them in the dishwasher as any possible residual beeswax can clog up the valves.

Instead, hand wash thoroughly with soap and the hottest water you can stand. As necessary, use a powdered cleanser to remove waxy residue.