Consumers spend billions of dollars every year on skin care products, when with a little know-how, they could whip up their own effective, affordable skin care products at home. The key ingredient is honey, which offers many benefits, from wound care, to food and beverage sweetening, to skin cleansing.
Blackhead Removal
Blackheads are caused by an excess of sebum that is trapped inside a hair follicle. Air oxidizes the plug, which is often made up of skin debris and sebum, causing it to turn black. Blackheads are not normally infected, but picking at them can cause the delicate follicular wall to tear, causing an infection.
Janice Cox, author of “Natural Beauty from the Garden.” recommends using a dab of honey on a blackhead to release the plug before infection can occur.
Soak a cotton ball in warmed salt water, which you can make at home, and hold this to the blackhead site for about five minutes. This will soften the blackhead plug. Then dab a bit of honey onto the site and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. According to Cox, honey draws impurities out and has germ-fighting properties. Rinse the honey away.
You may need to apply gentle pressure to the sides of the plug in order to express it. If so, use the sides of your fourth fingers to do so, as these fingers are not as strong as your index fingers. By using the sides, you limit the likelihood of scratching your skin.
Skin Cleansing
Honey’s non-abrasive texture and anti-bacterial properties make it a gentle, effective skin cleanser at an affordable price. You can use honey alone to cleanse skin simply by applying a thin coat to your face and massaging it with damp fingertips. Rinse well.
For oily skin, add several drops of lemon juice to one teaspoon of honey and massage into skin before rinsing. Janice Cox, in her book, “Natural Beauty at Home,” recommends adding a few drops of milk to the honey for use on dry skin.
For sensitive skin, mix 1 cup of warm water with 1/2 cup of oatmeal and 1 tbsp. honey. Blend until smooth in a blender. Cox suggests adding 1 to 2 drops of tincture of benzoin.
Moisturizing Mask
Dehydrated skin looks dull and flakey. A honey mask can revitalize skin, improve texture and aid skin in retaining moisture. “Milady’s Skin Care & Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary” points out that honey creates a watertight film on the skin’s surface so moisture cannot evaporate. It also allows skin to rehydrate itself. Further, the fructose in honey offers skin-softening properties.
For an anti-bacterial, rehydrating mask, combine equal parts plain Greek-style yogurt with honey and apply to the face. Julie Gabriel, in her book “The Green Beauty Guide,” points out that yogurt has lactic acid in it, which offers peeling benefits.
Lips
Honey’s hydrating and protective properties make it an ideal lip balm for dry, chapped lips. No mixing is needed. Simply apply a thin layer of honey to lips before going to bed. Rinse off any remaining honey the following morning.
Julie Gabriel suggests using honey on any lip sores as well because of its antibacterial and wound healing properties.
Hand Softener
Honey is an ideal remedy for soothing chapped, work-weary hands. Julie Gabriel recommends mixing 1 tsp. honey with 2 tsp. olive oil or almond oil and massage into hands.
