Honey Face Mask for Clear, Glowing Skin
I recently visited the Honey Hive in Taupo, New Zealand and now I’m fascinated by bees! I’ve always loved honey, but now I have an even greater appreciation for it. One bee will visit thousands of flowers in its lifetime and will produce only 1/2 a teaspoon of honey. And yet that honey holds amazing nutritional and healing properties. Honey is naturally antibacterial and contains powerful healing enzymes.
Honey is obviously tastes great as a sweetener in your tea or baked goods, but there are heaps of external uses as well. It can be used as a natural antibiotic on burns or scrapes, and it can be used as a natural acne treatment!
The Search for Clear Skin
Can I be straight up with you? Is that OK? I’m 26 and I still deal with acne. It’s gross, I know. I’ve wondered for years when I would “grow out of it.” But since I’ve been getting back to my roots and learning about true nutrition, I’ve come to realize that everything I could have done wrong through my life, I’ve done.
Bummer, huh?
Just about all skin conditions originate in the gut–from an imbalance of good & bad bacteria. There are lots of things that can cause that imbalance, and unfortunately I’m the walking poster child for many of them. So here we go:
- I was bottle fed as a baby
- Took antibiotics for every cough & cold growing up
- Drank pasteurized milk
- Ate a regular diet of processed & packaged foods (including waaaaay too much sugar)
- Took birth control pills for years
- Then stripped all the natural oils from my face with harsh chemical products.
Sigh. So I’m working on restoring a good balance of bacteria in my gut by taking a high quality probiotic supplement, cutting sugar and pasteurized dairy out of my diet as much as possible, and starting to implement fermented foods.
I’ve tried a number of natural acne face washes and lotions from the health food store, but they didn’t do much good. I finally just quit washing my face altogether and instead only used coconut oil as a moisturizer (it’s antibacterial as well). Surprisingly enough, washing or not washing my face didn’t make an ounce of difference in my acne, but it did restore the balance of oil on my skin. No more time wasted scrubbing my face twice a day with smelly sulfur based soap! And I no longer deal with oily or dry skin. (Score!)
So, back to the honey. You’ve probably already surmised that I’m going to tell you about a honey face mask for acne. Not only does putting honey on my face keep my acne at bay better than almost anything else (what I eat is the most important), but it has improved the quality of my skin within days.
Here’s how I do it:
How to Make a Honey Face Mask
1. Pull your hair back well with with head band and remove any makeup (or not, but definitely remove eye makeup with this natural make-up remover).
2. Take about a teaspoon of raw honey from the jar using a spoon or the tips of your fingers.
3. Rub your fingertips together a bit, then smear the honey on your face evenly. I find it helps to dot it on first, then smear gently.
4. Leave it on your face anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. (Fix your breakfast, wash the dishes, brush your teeth, read a book. There are plenty of things you can do with honey on your face.)
5. Rinse off with warm water, then pat your face dry. You’ll be surprised at how easily it comes off!
I often follow my honey mask with an apple cider vinegar toner, then moisturize with coconut oil. Don’t worry–the wonderful fragrances from the honey and coconut oil override the potency of the vinegar.
A few notes for you about the honey mask:
- You can moisten your face with a small bit of water before applying the honey. This makes it way easier to spread, but you don’t want to water down the honey. Try splashing some water on your face, then patting it almost dry with a towel.
- Do this every. single. day for at least 2 weeks to get started. Twice a day is ideal, but once a day is alright, too. After a while you can reduce the frequency of honey masks and just use coconut oil.
- Choose a raw, unpasteurized honey to make sure all the enzymes and nutrients are in tact.
Who’s willing to try putting food on your face? If you deal with any kind of skin problem, honey can be incredibly beneficial. And you can’t get much easier (and truly cost effective) than one simple ingredient for a homemade beauty product.
As a side note, I’ve also learned that mead (fermented honey wine) is incredible! If anyone has had experience making their own mead, please let me know. I want to learn!
Who’s in for the honey face mask challenge? Have you already tried using honey on your face? What has your experience been like?
This post is linked to Monday Mania, Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday
Comments are closed.
Ce
May 30, 2013 at 8:32 amHoney face mask after steaming is good too!
Just boil a pot of water and steam face for couple of minutes until face is moist; apply honey mask to face. Wait 10 minutes and then return to the pot of water to begin to steam face again for 15 minutes.
Voila and wait for face to feel crystal clear clean!
Honey: Above and Beyond Your Tea Cup « My Blog
June 2, 2013 at 2:35 pm[…] Even before pharmaceutical and over-the-counter treatments were popular, men and women used honey to improve their skin condition, heal blemishes, and minimize scarring. As an effective, low-cost home treatment, many people use honey for acne because of its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Honey masks can bring moisture and vibrancy and back to facial skin within days. Laurel of Leaves shares her simple and effective honey mask on her blog. […]
Fatima
June 4, 2013 at 2:06 amCan you suggest me a natural antibiotic ? I am fed up of taking antibiotic capsules for tooth ache?
Lucy
June 5, 2013 at 7:03 amI like to use 2 tablespoons of honey and two teaspoons of milk(any) and mix them together, then put it on my face. I usually leave it for 10-20 minutes then wash it off. It works wonders!
Kimberly
June 5, 2013 at 9:27 amInstead of using it as a mask, I use it to wash my face twice a day. It seems to work A LOT better than just letting it sit as a mask. My acne has cleared up almost completely, my scars faded, and my skin is brighter.
Makayla
June 5, 2013 at 1:35 pmHello, I’m 16 (17 in 2 weeks) and I’ve had acne since I was around 13. It’s been hard dealing with. I have really sensitive skin. I only use natural face washes and lotions, with no fragrances in them. I’ve used tea tree oil before, and it worked well, but left my skin super dry. I’ve been interested in using a honey mask, but after reading the comments, I’m a little freaked out. My skin is already horrible, and if it gets worse, before it gets better… that’s scary. I think I’m going to do it, but I’m a little worried how my face is going to look on my birthday… do you have an estimated time for how long it will be “worse” before it gets “better”? Also, what does coconut oil do? I’ve read a lot of posts where people use them for moisturizers, is that all they do? I’ve also read that it irritates the skin of people with sensitive skin. I’ll have to look into it more. Oh, how I love my acne covered sensitive skin. Haha.
veggie gurl
June 9, 2013 at 11:56 pmI’ve used it at night to repair my skin, I just leave it on all night and sleep on a towel. Be sure it’s local honey! Support bee keepers! A good diet helps as well with the skin issues – I noticed after going vegan[minus honey obv] and dropping the cheese that I stopped having break outs and mood swings. All that estrogen really messes things up. :)
Riley Parsons
June 19, 2013 at 4:26 pmHow well does the honey mask work? Has it completly eliminated your acne?
Food to Fitness
June 20, 2013 at 1:06 amGreat Article. Read about health benefits of honey here: foodtofitness.com/health-benefits-of-honey/
Victoria
June 20, 2013 at 8:08 pmdo you think a honey salt scrub with cinnamon and nutmeg would work the same as a honey mask?
Lisa
June 20, 2013 at 9:38 pmHi Lori, I just read your post and put organic honey on my face right away! Can’t wait to see the difference >.<
Roxy
July 1, 2013 at 9:08 amThanks for the advice guys, I’m on day two and will keep you all posted… So far so good though!
The only thing I do differently is I add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to moistened and I heat up the mask before applying it as I figured this would open my pores…
Would this be ok do you think?
Thanks xx
Alex
July 1, 2013 at 9:14 amTHANK YOU! Like yourself, I’m in my early 20s and have STILL been struggling with acne, hoping to outgrow it. I came across this post last night and I can’t believe how well it work after only 1 application – and that I had the solution in my home all along. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ella
July 3, 2013 at 6:34 amI do not have much of a problem with acne; I have just a few very little and quite unnoticeable spots, but my main problem is that I always have dry and flaky skin! Will honey help that?:(
Seven Health Uses for Honey Permaculture Research Institute - Permaculture Forums, Courses, Information & News
July 4, 2013 at 10:05 am[…] minutes every day will help clear up the infection and heal the blemish. You can also use it as a full face mask. 20 minutes every day for two weeks is recommended to […]
vino varadhan
July 7, 2013 at 5:34 amHi..im 21yrs old..i applied dabur honey on my face for past 1week..on applying i feel my face s glowing..but the problem i deal with it is breakouts on my face,it was more..i didnt felt like this anymore..it made me feeling worse..suggest me what can i do?did i continue it or suggest someother facepack which is budgetfriendly..
Annie
July 10, 2013 at 2:46 pmHi Lori, pls i really need your help. i need you to tell me that honey will clear the numerous bad black spots i now have on my face resulting from acne. the acne is actually gone, but the black spots are still there. Pls can i apply the honey and leave it overnight on my face?
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Jon
July 14, 2013 at 3:45 amAfter months of lengthy research about diet and disease/health, I came to the same conclusions as you. Avoid sugar, cut back the dairy (eliminate pasteurised milk) and eat more fermented foods like Sauerkraut, Kefir and aged cheese. I also stopped drinking alcohol too because I believed it was causing a neutralising effect on my stomach acid and causing acid reflux problems. One of the very worst products I used to eat was artificial sweeteners. It started off in diet drinks and low fat foods but now it’s creeping into loads of regular processed foods and drinks. I believe the stuff is basically poison and I have seen research comparing it to DDT which means you are basically ingesting weed killer. My health deteriorated rapidly while consuming it and it took me over a year to discover the link (which is how I got started researching) 7 months on i’m still recovering but at least I’m getting better all the time. Just wanted to say mainly that when I gave up the milk, my oily skin dried up naturally and I’ve had oily skin ever since adolescence (now 40), I lost weight naturally and also my knees stopped aching.
I know it seems obvious but if we just ate natural foods like vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, nuts and seeds and fermented products we would all be much healthier, weigh less, look less aged and be practically disease free (obviously you can’t eliminate every toxin, most of us breathe in vehicle emissions on a daily basis)
I have just discovered the benefits of honey, it’s antibacterial properties and I also found out that it heals scarred tissue and ulcers within the digestive system. I now add a teaspoon to my green tea but as a guy, I’m struggling to come to terms with the face mask thing ;-)
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Ladan
July 18, 2013 at 9:39 pmI read your post about two weeks ago and started using manuka honey. At first I started getting all of these zips in places where I’ve never broken out before. But Now I’m starting to see a huge difference. My forehead was a huge problem area for me. I’ve used so much products to try and get rid of the pimples, but they never work. Now i can see they are starting to fade away (so happy). However now I’m starting to see scars that are being left. Do you have any tips on how to get rid of them?
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Lara
August 19, 2013 at 8:37 amIs it really hard to spread? Or is it just me
Jennifer Grey
September 5, 2013 at 9:15 amHello!
I love eating honey hahaha before, then I read your blog and I realize that honey not only for my stomach I can use also in my face and i love to try this honey mask.
Thank you for this information :)
Hayley Canning
September 8, 2013 at 4:54 amHoney as a face mask really is effective and it works well for all skin types. It always calms down the redness in my skin http://www.squidoo.com/honeyfacemask