I was once standing in the beauty & personal care section of a super market with aisle full of women staring at a number of variants of a newly launched Ayurvedic product. Kesar, Coco & Shea butter, turmeric, Aloe Vera, Honey, etc. Out of all these variants, honey in particular caught my eye. I saw honey variants of lip balms, fairness creams, shampoos, face cleansers, foot scrubs, and moisturisers. There were honey variants for all the products from tip to toe.
What made Honey so special? It took me not so long to find out that raw honey has a varied use since medieval times. For thousands of years honey has been used both for its taste and typically as a natural remedy. Even today honey’s benefits go beyond just sweetening up your favourite yogurt or afternoon tea. Packed with a powerful punch of antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties, honey can help with everything from low energy to sleep problems to seasonal allergies. But that is not all; what if I tell you that this golden syrup has amazing applications when it comes to treating skin related problems. Blemishes, dark spots, split hair ends, and in many other beauty routines. Applying raw honey to your skin regularly can work wonders and bring the much desired glow to it.
Here are some benefits of raw honey for Beauty and skin-
Fight Acne
Raw honey can solve acne problem on multiple levels. For starters, it is a great cleanser that draws out the impurities from deep inside your pores and it’s gentle on all skin types. It is also an antiseptic and antibacterial that calms the inflammation and tackles the infection. Honey also keeps the skin moisturised without making it too oily, thereby making you less prone to acne breakouts.
Apply a thin layer of raw honey on your face. Leave it for 30 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water. You could also apply honey only to the area of the breakout. Take a small amount on a cotton ball and apply to the area of the breakout. Mix in a little green tea leaves and lavender oil to boost honey’s acne fighting powers.
Soothe an itchy scalp
Thanks to its anti-fungal properties, honey helps to remove the impurities that clog hair follicles, leading to itchy scalp. Combine 1 tbsp. honey with 4 cups of warm water to make a honey hair rinse. After shampoo, pour this mixture into your hair, massage your scalp and the strands. Let it sit in your hair for 2 minutes and then rinse with warm water Repeat every other day until your scalp is flake-free.
Exfoliator & cleanser
Natural honey has the ability to draw out dirt, pollution and impurities from your skin and truly cleanse it. It is also a great makeup remover which also nourishes your skin after the harsh synthetic product has been removed. Just mix it with some natural oil and watch it dissolve the makeup.
Try a honey cleansing scrub to remove all the dead skin cells and get over-all smoothness on your skin. Mix 2 tbsp. Honey with 4 tbsp. of finely grinded almonds and add 1 tbsp. lemon juice. Rub this gently onto your face and body. Rinse with warm water and dry with a soft towel. This mixture will gently exfoliate your skin and restore moisture to prevent further dead skin cells.
Body Lotion & moisturiser
Pure honey is extremely moisturising and regular usage can improve your complexion. The sugars in honey act as natural humectants and emollients that increase the water content in your skin. Humectant is a natural substance that draws moisture from the air into your skin. This moisture stays in your skin and prevents dryness. This is the reason why honey is used as a base for a large number of skincare products. The enzymes in honey go deep into the skin and moisturise it from within.
Mix 2 tbsp. honey with 2 tsp. milk or cream and spread this mixture on your face thoroughly, leaving it on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Your skin will feel soft and moisturized. To deal with rough spots on your body instantly, mix together 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and apply as a lotion on rough, dry skin areas of your body. Rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.
Lip Balm
With the cold months about to make an appearance, the season change has already started causing our lips to chap. Honey can be used to tackle this problem. Just apply a thin layer of honey on your lips and leave it on overnight. It will seep into your lips and leave them smooth and soft in the morning.
Honey can also help to nourish the lips to make them pink. Mix the lemon juice and honey to make your tan removing lip serum. Coat your lips with this serum and leave it for an hour before wiping off with a soft, wet cloth. The citrus extracts from the lemon juice remove the tan. This process can be done a few times in a day to remove tan and pigmentation.
Hair Conditioning
The humectant qualities of honey draw in moisture to your hair from the air and keep it locked in. Applying honey to your hair regularly will add volume and shine. For best results make a hair mask with honey and use it twice a week before you shampoo.
Combine 1/2 cup honey with 2 tbsp. olive oil for normal to oily hair. If your hair is dry, use 1/4 cup oil. First, moisten your hair a bit with water. Next, use your hands to apply the honey mixture throughout your hair. Cover them with a towel and leave on for 30 minutes. Shampoo, rinse and dry as normal. The honey will condition your hair, restoring the moisture from root to tip.
Foot Scrub
Cracked heels result when your feet are exposed to dry air or when they’re constantly rubbing against a shoe. Make a scrub by mixing two parts of honey with one part of baking soda, Mix well and rub gently over your skin to get rid of the dead skin. You can also use this mixture for all over body exfoliation.
After a long day, soothe your feet and get rid of all the dead and dry skin by trying out this foot spa treatment at home with honey. Mix 1 tbsp. honey, 1 tbsp. liquid soap, 2 tbsp. almond oil and 1 tsp. vanilla extract in a bowl. Fill up your foot bath with warm water, add this mixture and soak your feet for 10 minutes. The honey will soften and moisturize your feet bringing back its freshness.
In Conclusion
The above Remedies using Raw Honey are being used by people since ages and have proven to be of great benefit. Raw honey is a crude form of honey immediately taken out of the cells of the honey comb within a bee hive. Research on the medicinal uses of raw honey is promising and will give you awesome results.
