Honey is commonly used as an ingredient when preparing snacks, meals, and drinks. It is a natural sweetener that is also known to be healthy. But in addition to that, did you know that it can also be used as a skin moisturizer? Honey also has some therapeutic value for the skin. This is why there are many skincare products available, such as after sun creams, lip ointments, and lotions that contain varying amounts of honey.
There is also an increasing amount of evidence that supports the use of honey as a remedy for many skin conditions. Based on a legend, honey was the preferred weapon of Cleopatra in her beauty arsenal, and now, science is also catching up to what many women have known for years.
Raw or unpasteurized honey is a truly versatile and all-natural ingredient that you can use on your skin. It is great for aging skin and wrinkles and can also help with acne prevention and treatments as it opens up and unclogs pores. Honey is also a great and effective moisturizer that soothes irritation and blemishes, leaving the skin glowing. Read on if you want to learn more about the effectiveness of honey as a skin moisturizer.
Benefits of Honey on the Skin
Including honey in skincare is actually not new. But researchers have recently begun to verify some of the subjective evidence about the benefits of applying honey to the skin. Here are some of them:
Antimicrobial and wound healing properties
Honey is most popularly known to help fight against skin infections that may cause the skin to become dry. Based on a review, Manuka honey from New Zealand can help with healing wounds. This is why some countries, including the United States, have permitted honey in medications for healing wounds.
Anti-inflammatory properties
People who have dry skin usually suffer from psoriasis and acne. But did you know that honey can also help in moisturizing these kinds of skins? Based on a study conducted in 2017, raw honey has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. There is another review that supports this, which found out that most variations of honey have anti-inflammatory properties, which can help in treating acne and psoriasis.
Anti-aging effects
One of the causes of dry skin is aging. Therefore, if you want your skin to remain moisturized, it is essential to use skincare products that can combat the signs of aging. One of the best ones is honey. Based on a study, honey can help with improving the appearance of the skin. It can help stop the formation of wrinkles on the face, which can keep the skin looking young. At the same time, honey can also prevent infections on the skin that can quicken aging.
How Can You Use Honey on Your Skin?
There are lots of skincare products out there that contain honey. You just need to make sure that you are choosing a raw and unfiltered type of honey when you buy products. Moisturizers, lip balms, and face masks that contain honey have an added moisturizing and calming effect, which will leave your skin and lips hydrated. Also, face masks and cleansers that contain honey is useful to fight acne and blackheads with their antibacterial properties.
In addition to purchasing skincare products that contain honey, you can also use raw honey on your skin or mix it with other ingredients to make your own cream or ointment at home. You can also apply honey directly to your skin. First, clean your skin with soap and water. After that, apply the honey to your face or other areas of the skin. Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse it off well.
Before you use honey or products with honey on your skin, it is important to do a patch test first. Apply a small amount of it to a small area of your skin and wait for around 20 minutes. When your skin becomes irritated, do not continue using honey on your skin.
What are the Risks and Side Effects of Using Honey as Skin Moisturizer?
The main risk of using honey as a skin moisturizer is probably allergies. Those who are allergic to honey should not use it on their skin. In addition, people who are allergic to pollen or bees should also avoid applying honey topically on their skin.
People who do not have allergies to honey or other ingredients should still do a patch test before applying honey to larger parts of their bodies. Also, when you use honey or honey-based products, you need to remove them from your skin before going to bed. It’s because when honey remains on the skin, it can create a mess or make your skin dirty. When honey acquires dirt, it could cause certain skin conditions to worsen.
Conclusion
With this, we can say that honey is indeed an effective skin moisturizer. In addition to that, it also contains natural antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that are great for treating different skin conditions. However, if you have existing skin conditions, it is better to consult with your dermatologist first before using honey or any product that contains honey on your skin. We hope this article helped you learn more about honey as an effective skin moisturizer.