March 02, 2017

Honey-Kissed Skin: The Benefits of Honey in Your Skincare Routine

  

 We have all added a little honey to a hot cup of tea, and some of us health-conscious folks use honey to replace sugar in our recipes. But honey has so many other benefits besides giving a yummy boost to what we eat or drink. What about using it in our everyday beauty routines? Let’s treat our skin to something sweet!


Honey is antibacterial and antimicrobial so it kills germs on your skin without any harsh chemicals. It’s ultra-moisturizing; honey is a humectant so it draws moisture from the air, sinks into your skin, giving you super soft, glowing vibes. Also, it has brightening effects which work great on acne scars. Plus it’s healing! Have you ever applied honey to a small wound? It works wonders, like Nature’s Neosporin. I dealt with acne for about a decade, trying all kinds of over the counter face washes, spot treatments, etc. They dried out my skin and made the bumps come back with a vengeance! Once I switched to raw honey, my skin has been clear-just a couple of hormonal spots every now and then.  But the best part, in my opinion, is that it feels great spreading it on my skin and smells like a treat.


One of my favorite ways to use honey is on my face. Specifically, I use raw honey since it forms natural sugar crystals that are amazing for exfoliating your skin. You won’t find those in the pasteurized honey that comes in a bottle shaped like a bear. You’ll get the most benefit from applying it to dry skin, since the crystals won’t melt, giving you that rejuvenating feeling you get from a sugar scrub. It rinses off with warm water leaving you with softer, brighter skin.


My daily honey face wash regimen: In the shower, I take a glob of raw honey and emulsify it a little in my hands. I spread it on my face, keeping away from the delicate eye area. I rub the honey into my skin for about a minute. I’ll either rinse it off right away or leave it on until I’m finished with my shower activities. Sometimes I’ll wash my face first with black soap or castille soap if I need the extra freshness; like if I fell asleep with makeup on. (By the way, you should only use honey on a makeup-free face. See my next post on natural makeup removers for more info.) Those soaps tend to dry out my skin, so I’ll follow up with the honey right after to replace and retain moisture. In the warmer months, don’t even need to apply a moisturizer. In the winter though, I’ll apply a light face lotion.


You could also use honey as a facial mask-just leave it on for about 10-20 minutes. It doesn’t dry out, but it’s really sticky so I don’t advise falling asleep with honey on your face or you’ll wake up stuck to your pillow!



Try adding honey to your skincare routine, and let me know the results. Don’t forget to thank the bees! Stay grateful, friends.-N