When you think ‘honey’, what comes to mind? Sweet? Sticky? Syrupy? Or… Bees?
Well, yes. Honey is all that, but it is way more. Honey is one of nature’s most valued healthcare secrets; slowly uncovered by a lot of women over the centuries. Honey, especially in its pure form is extremely useful for skin treatments. It contains antioxidants, which are good for anti-aging treatments. It is also a great moisturizer that works to soothe skin irritation and blemishes.
Honey possesses qualities that make it an elite skincare instrument for all skin types. It is also a natural humectant, which means it can draw moisture from the atmosphere. This helps it give the skin a nice, moist balance without making it oily. This is because humectants extract moisture from the skin without replacing it. This also makes it a multiple-use agent, as evidenced by its presence in various beauty products such as face masks, shampoos, lotions, and lip balms, among others.
The uses of honey for the skin although varied, is sure to work for your skin in many amazing ways. Here are some benefits of honey for the skin;
Prevents Acne
Honey contains antibacterial and antiseptic properties that work to get rid of dirt and bacteria on the skin. They also aid in the process of clearing out clogged pores, which in turn reduce the chances of inflammation or breakout.
To use honey as an anti-acne treatment, first, wash your face to ensure the skin is clean. Next, apply raw honey and leave it on for 15-20 minutes, then rinse it off with water.
Wound Healing
Honey is recognized as a major skin healing ingredient. Many in-vitro studies suggest that honey possesses antimicrobial properties which make it ideal for the treatment of wounds. Also, the natural sugar in honey can draw water out of damaged tissues, which reduces swelling and encourages the flow of lymph to heal the wound. This sugar also extracts water from bacterial cells, which can help keep them from increasing.
It is naturally soothing, able to nourish damaged skin and fade scars. In some countries, honey is approved in medications for healing wounds.
To use honey as a treatment for an injury, apply it directly to the affected area. You can also apply it in a dressing or gauze.
Anti-Aging
Due to the antioxidants present in honey, it can help with improving your skin’s appearance. Honey can control wrinkles and fine lines on the face, and also prevent infections on the skin that accelerate aging.
To use honey as an anti-aging treatment, apply it as a mask on your face and neck, and gently massage it into your skin. Leave it on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing it off.
Exfoliating
The enzymes in honey work as a gentle exfoliator by gently peeling off dead skin cells and leaving you with a healthy glowing complexion. Unlike with most artificial exfoliators, you can be sure of no redness or itching when using honey.
To use honey as an exfoliator spread raw honey all over your face and leave it for 10-15 minutes before you rinse it off.
Treating Sunburn
Honey may be one of the best home remedies for treating burns. Due to its large anti-inflammatory properties, it can supply nutrients to damaged tissues and speed up the repair process. This is why it is also a great remedy for treating sunburns.
To use honey as a treatment for sunburns, you can either apply raw honey directly to the affected area or create a mixture of honey and aloe vera gel. Since aloe vera also possesses healing properties, this mixture will work amazingly well for your skin.
Brighter Skin Glow
Honey is a major skin brightening component. Due to its exfoliating qualities, using it on your skin gets rid of dead skin cells that make your skin look lackluster. This can give your skin a radiant natural glow.
To get this effect, you can use honey alone or with a host of other ingredients depending on your skin brightening goal. If you are going for a distinctly lighter complexion, honey can be mixed with tomato juice or drops of natural lime juice to achieve this.
A quick warning: before using honey on your skin, it is important to know whether or not you are allergic or will react adversely to it in any way. One of the ways to determine this is to carry out a quick test. Apply some honey on a small section of your skin and wait for about 30minutes. If there is no irritation or itching, then you can proceed to apply it to your skin for treatment.
The uses of honey for skin continue to be explored and unraveled by many beauty experts and enthusiasts alike. Perhaps, there are more undiscovered capabilities of this natural super syrup, we can’t say for sure. One thing that is certain however is that honey is a definite must-have on the journey to achieving skin perfection.