CLEAN BEAUTY | NATURAL COSMETICS | HOMEMADE COSMETICS
This Is Why Honey Is Amazing for Skincare
Everything you need to know about honey washing
Honey is Mother Nature’s gentlest yet most effective face wash. It has antiseptic, antibiotic, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.
It never spoils. Not only that, but it’s gentle enough for sensitive and allergy-prone skin.
Honey is antimicrobial. It has a similar pH level as the skin, and is chock-filled with antioxidants. It removes dirt, build-up, and dead skin without stripping away your skin’s natural oils.
For skin conditions like acne and eczema, raw honey is possibly the best natural face wash. It’s also really affordable compared to most facial cleansers.
You should consider washing your face with honey. Your skin will benefit.
Here are more reasons why
- Raw Honey is a Powerful Antibacterial. Much of honey’s antibacterial prowess comes from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This is a potent antimicrobial that can kill even antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA. That’s part of what makes honey so effective at treating wounds.
- Honey is a “Good” Acid. Honey is acidic, with a pH between 3 and 4. This is excellent for killing bacteria. It also breaks down and clears away dead skin cells.
- Honey is Hydroscopic. Another way honey heals is through its ability to attract and hold water away from wounds.
- Honey is a Humectant. Honey’s a natural humectant. This means it helps draw moisture into the skin — a must for those prone to dry, irritated, flaking skin.
But before you get all honey-happy, it’s important to note there are different kinds of honey. You need to pick the one that is best for the job.
Here’s the buzz on the best type of honey for your facial skin.
Raw vs. Pasteurized
Most kinds of honey won’t say “Pasteurized” on their packaging. They’ll just say “honey.”
Pasteurized honey will still be gentle on your skin. But raw honey has the excellent antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. When you pasteurize honey, you heat it to kill any natural microbes or bacteria. Unfortunately, you kill all the useful enzymes and naturally occurring healthful properties also.
Terms such as “all-natural” or “organic” aren’t official in many countries. You can essentially slap these words on any product. They may be lab manufactured and have never seen the sun’s light.
With food, the rules are more stringent, but you can never be too sure. Instead of getting sucked in by an “all-natural” label, look for specific descriptions. Choose “raw” “unpasteurized,” or “unfiltered.”
Unfiltered Raw Honey
This is hands down the best honey for face washing and for honey face masks, as well as for eating.
Raw honey might look strange to the uninitiated. It’s thick, creamy, a little crunchy, and there are bits in it.
If you’re looking for exfoliation and extra skin protection, this is the ticket. Those chunky bits are wax, propolis, and other elements of honeycombs.
Those bits are great news for you. Propolis is the resin-like material that bees use to bind pollen together. It’s hard to come by in its natural form. However, it’s been used for centuries. It’s an ancient remedy for any illness stemming from viruses, like canker sores, cold sores, etc.
That’s because propolis is a powerhouse of over 180 beneficial compounds. These include the phenolic compound known as caffeic acid phenethyl ester. This has been linked to inhibiting cancer growth. Organic acids contribute to raw honey’s power.
So your face (and body) will only thank you for getting some of that sweet propolis action. The wax also has natural moisture-barrier properties.
Filtered Raw Honey
Some types of raw honey will specify “filtered.” Honey straight from the source will include some impurities, which filtering will remove.
But these impurities aren’t typically harmful. Filtering will remove a lot of the wax and propolis.
Additionally, the process heats the honey and removes the biggest non-liquid parts. Please keep in mind that filtering doesn’t mean the same thing as pasteurizing.
Pasteurized Honey
Pasteurized honey is heated to kill any yeast and control the crystallization.
This has the end result of killing all the useful elements, which means it’s the worst honey for face care.
Pasteurized Honey doesn’t typically say “Pasteurized” on it. But it’s the honey that you’ll find in the little squeezable bear bottle, or in “creamed” or “spun” form.
If there isn’t anything on the packaging besides the word “honey,” then it’s a good bet it’s been pasteurized. It won’t hurt you, but it’s not going to do you as much good in the face-cleansing (or health benefits) department.
What’s the Best Type of Raw Honey for Your Face?
There are hundreds of varieties of honey. Honey is labeled according to the kind of flowers the bees are using or the region.
Each honey will have a different consistency, sweetness, taste, and color. These vary depending on the type of nectar collected in that particular region.
For example, honey made from flower nectar is called blossom honey. Alfalfa honey is one you’ve probably tried if you live in Canada or the United States. Alfalfa honey is light, has a mild flavor and mild smell.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s wild forest honey. This has a much stronger flavor but is considered by experts as the most medicinal.
It’s impossible to point to just one type of honey as the best honey for your skin. There are, however, two factors that’ll help you choose the best type of honey for you.
- Darker is better. Darker honeys contain more minerals and antioxidants. This is great news whether you’re eating the stuff or putting it on your face.
- The plant matters. Honey is often named after the primary type of plant blossom the bees were munching on. This not only affects the flavor of the honey but its benefits for your skin as well. For example, Manuka honey is especially useful for blemish-prone skin and acne. It is derived from the flowers for the Tea Tree bush.
You might need to experiment before you find the perfect type of honey for your skin type. I know I did. To get you started, here’s a brief rundown of the types of honey I’ve tried.
Acacia Honey 🍯
This is light-colored honey, which I don’t normally go for. However, a study suggests acacia honey may help increase collagen formation.
As a face wash, it’s gentle and pleasant to wash with. It’s also delicious since it’s one of the sweetest kinds of honey. Although sweet, it has a very low sucrose content and a high fructose level.
Buckwheat Honey 🍯
Buckwheat honey is a rich, moisturizing honey perfect for dry, flaky skin or the winter months. It is very dark and full of antioxidants.
Researchers from UCD ran a study. 25 participants consumed around four tablespoons of buckwheat honey for nearly a month. The resulting blood samples showed an increase in levels of polyphenolic antioxidants.
Manuka Honey 🍯
Manuka honey is expensive unless you happen to live in New Zealand, where most is produced.
Manuka honey is especially good for blemish-prone skin and acne. This may be because the pollen comes from the flowers of the Tea-Tree bush. This isn’t the same kind of Tea-Tree we’re all familiar with for blemish control.
There are three species of plants growing in Australia and New Zealand known as ‘Tea-Tree.’ The one all the Tea-Tree Oil comes from is the Melaleuca variety.
The Manuka Tea-Tree has been shown to have strong antifungal and antioxidant effects.
Manuka honey is famous for stimulating tissue healing. This is thanks to its “Unique Manuka Factor” (UMF). You’ll see the rating for this on official Manuka honey.
If you’re going spend the big bucks for Manuka honey — go for the good stuff, with lots of good healing power. Don’t bother with a UMF rating below 5 (a rating of 0 to 4 means pretty much undetectable UMF). A rating over 10 is clinical-grade. Those with ratings of 15 or higher are top-super-superior grade.
Manuka is not very moisturizing. You might want to only use it on the areas of your face with acne, blemishes, or wounds.
Thyme Honey 🍯
This is another good honey for the blemish-prone. Thyme has been shown to have more antibacterial effect than benzoyl peroxide. It’s also more moisturizing than Manuka honey and perfect for dry to normal skin.
Final Notes
- The best way to assure the quality of your honey is to buy it locally. It’s a safe bet that where there is a local or farmer’s market, there will be a honey farmer. He or she will be able to tell you everything about the honey they’re selling.
- Please be aware that washing with honey will not remove make-up. You may want to use a natural make-up remover beforehand.
- If you’re not sourcing your honey direct from a honey farm, check where it came from. Consumers in the US buy about 400 million pounds of honey per year. However, US producers only supply 150 million pounds.
- Where does the rest come from? Some of it is from China, which has gained infamy for its funny honey business. At worst, Chinese honey may contain antibiotics and pesticides. At best, it may be mixed with sugar water and corn syrup.
- Honey naturally crystallizes. This doesn’t mean it’s gone bad. Honey never spoils, unless you’ve contaminated it with a foreign substance.
- One last thing you’re probably wondering about. Isn’t honey sticky? Yes, it is, but the benefits for your skin will be worth it. Enjoy experimenting.
Give it some time, and you’ll see some remarkable improvements to your skin. Your skin will be clear, soft and smooth. You’ll understand why so many people swear by washing their face with honey. 🐝
It’s easy to make the switch
- In case you need another reason to switch to a clean beauty or personal grooming routine — here’s the last thing I’ll say about it: It’s never been easier to go au naturale.
- Thanks to so many of us finding out about the toxins in our cosmetic products and demanding better solutions, there has been a boom in organic, natural companies offering clean, non-toxic beauty and cosmetic products.
- The time to make the switch to natural, clean personal care and beauty products is now. You’ll never look back.
- Read more here and here.
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