If you've ever wanted to know "is honey good for the skin?" or "is honey good for hair", you're in the right place!

There are so many great reasons why honey is a key ingredient in beauty products ranging from shampoos to facial creams.  Honey is natural full of the anti’s, the good anti’s: anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties that make it a staple not only in kitchens but as part as your beauty regimen as well.  Let’s get into some of the specifics on how honey can be used holistically, for total body care, and how to create a sweet self-care ritual centered around honey!

Honey for Self-Care

Honey Benefits For Skin

As a humectant, which means honey attracts and draws in moisture from the air, honey has amazing moisturizing properties. Proper moisturization and hydration are key to any successful anti-aging regimen. Moisturized skin helps to combat signs of premature aging like wrinkles and sagging skin.

Raw honey helps balance the skin, which makes it great to use for skin conditions caused by inflammation or irritation, like acne, eczema or psoriasis. 

In addition to unclogging pores (hello and goodbye blackheads!), as a natural and gentle exfoliator, raw honey helps to gently exfoliate dead or dull skin cells, revealing vibrant and new cells underneath. The natural antimicrobial properties in honey also help to speed up the skin’s healing process, making honey widely used to treat scars, acne blemishes, and soothe damaged or dry skin.

You can even use honey to help soften knees, elbows, and chapped lips.  Add a bit of honey to your shea butter for the body or put a raw honey mask all over your face and lips for 20-30 minutes for an easy but effective hydrating face mask.  Add a bit of honey, coconut oil, and brown sugar in a bowl, for a DIY sugar scrub.

From just these few examples, I hope you can tell how honey’s abundant moisturizing, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties are absolutely amazing for your skin!

Honey Benefits For Hair

As amazing as honey is for your skin, it is equally as impressive for your hair!  Honey is naturally emollient, which means it has softening properties that not only soften the skin, but also acts as a natural hair conditioner, helping to strengthen and protect hair from breakage and damage (*clearing my throat* for my fellow natural sistren and brethren).  The emollience of honey also helps to increasing shine and overall appearance of the hair.

The antioxidants in honey help to combat scalp issues like dandruff and psoriasis, while its humectant nature and nutrients help to strengthen hair follicles, which may help prevent excessive shedding and baldness.

 

Honey for Wellness

Honey for Energy

Sugars are known to be our main source of energy. Honey contains a carbohydrate makeup of natural sugars, minerals, vitamins, and aminos that is so beneficial it is often recommended to athletes as a pre-exercise option. In addition, the naturally occurring sugar in honey also helps to decrease or prevent fatigue when exercising. its naturally occurring sugars also prevent fatigue during exercise.  Compared to other sugars, honey helps maintain normal blood sugar levels, making honey a natural and healthy source of energy. 

Honey to Increase Metabolism

When taken in the morning, it helps increase metabolism and burn more calories, which help you lose those extra pounds faster. Honey has amazing metabolism-boosting properties, to assist in keeping you energized during the day, and can also help you lose weight faster (it that’s one of your goals).  Drinking a glass of warm water mixed with honey is a great way to soothe your digestive system and get your body pumped for an active and prosperous day.

Honey to Boost Immunity

Phytonutrients are compounds found in plants that help protect the plant from environmental dangers, such as UV radiation or protection from pests.  Since honey is produced by bees pollinating plants, honey contains phytonutrients.   These phytonutrients are the reason why honey is such a great antifungal and antibacterial soured, as well as what gives honey its anticancer and immune-boosting qualities.  However, heavily processed and pasteurized honey can destroy these vital phytonutrients, so as always, raw honey is the recommended source to obtain these nutrients and benefits.

HONEY SELF CARE RITUAL

Let’s make it a honey-care day!  Try out one (I really mean ALL) of these ways to incorporate honey into your self-care ritual:

Honey Dew Body Scrub

Benefit: This olive oil and honey mxi provides a gentle exfoliating and hydrating treatment 

Ingredients

• 1 TBS Honey
• 1 TBS Oatmeal or sugar
• 1 TBS Olive oil

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients into a bowl.
2. On clean, slightly damp skin skin, apply mixture in the bathtub or shower.
3. Rub in upward, circular motions.
4. Rinse with lukewarm water.
5. Let it for 15 minutes and wash with normal water.

TIP: Since the granules in sugar and oatmeal aren’t perfectly round, we recommend only using this below the neck, not on the sensitive skin of your face.

Never to leave out facial care, here’s a healing and hydrating honey face mask recipe for you to try out:

Hydrating Honey & Aloe Gel Mask

Benefits: The anti-inflammatory properties in honey and aloe vera help to soothe and soften skin.

Ingredients

• 2 TBS honey
• 2 TBS Aloe Gel (try to get 80% of higher of aloe)
• 3-5 drops of Rose Water or Floral Hydrosol
• 2 - 4 Mint Leaves, mashed or muddled

Recipe

1. Mix all ingredients into a bowl.
2. On clean skin, apply to face in upward strokes or circular motion
3. Let sit for 15-20 minutes.
4. Rinse with cool water.
5. Apply toner and moisturizer of choice.

TIP: Substitute the honey and mint for SIIKA MAMA Honey, which is raw honey infused with mint, calendula, and rosemary.

Honey Hair Mask

Benefits: The cleansing properties of honey and protein properties in yogurt help to cleanse and strengthen hair follicles, decrease hair breakage, and eliminate frizzy-ness and dullness.

Ingredients

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup Coconut Oil
• 1 cup Full-Fat Yogurt

Recipe

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and blend well.
2. Apply liberally to hair and scalp.
3. Let sit 15-20 minutes.  For additional penetration, place hair in a shower cap, conditioning cap, or plastic bag.
4. Rinse well!

Good Night Honey

Finally, wind down by adding a teaspoon of honey to hot tea or cocoa, for a blissful night’s rest. Serotonin (a neurotransmitter in our brains that improves mood) is released by honey. Once released, serotonin transforms into melatonin, which helps to regulate quality and length of sleep.

 

Self-care Sweetly,