Cleopatra is known for her beauty and you know what’s her secret to glowing skin?
You guessed it right, it’s Honey!
Cleopatra used honey and milk for washing her face and that’s how old the use of honey is in our skin care regime.
Our skin is the mirror of our body and our self. As much as what we eat affects our body, the same applies to what we put on our skin.
Being a lover of natural ingredients, I ditch any artificial product on my skin and like to put only what is edible to my skin also.
Dr. Pragya Gupta, a leading dermatologist from Bangalore, mentioned to me the benefits of using honey in my skin care routine when I visited her for my sensitive skin issues. Dr. Pragya then intimidated me that sensitive skin should be taken care of just like a baby’s skin with no harsh chemicals and artificial products.
Dr. Pragya Gupta says, “honey is a very effective ingredient for treating sensitive skin as it has antibacterial and moisturising benefits while still controlling the pH balance of our skin. Honey also helps in calming the skin and thus helps in irritated skin, rashes and breakouts.”
In this article I will guide you through how to wash your face with honey and also tell you why you should incorporate honey in your skin care routine.
Table of Contents
- The benefits of washing your face with honey
The benefits of washing your face with honey
I have conducted a survey on using honey for the skin and this is what I found out after talking to some of the top dermatologists in city:
1. Honey is moisturising
Dr. Vijendran Pragasam from Apollo clinic, says:
“Honey has moisturising benefits. Honey helps to nourish the skin and heal dry skin, flaky skin, and cracked skin.”
How to use honey for moisturisation?
Dr. Vijendran says the best way to use honey for moisturisation is to mix it with 2 tablespoons of milk. Milk and honey makes the perfect match for very dry skin. Mix the 2 ingredients and apply on your face using your fingers. Leave it for 10 minutes and wash it off with just water.
2. Honey is soothing and calming
According to Dr. Meera Shridhar, “Honey is calming to the skin due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Honey relieves burns and soothes irritation.”
How to use honey for calming your skin?
Mix honey and aloe vera in equal proportions and give it a good mix. Apply the mixture with your fingers and feel the cooling sensation. Wash off with water after 15 minutes.
3. Honey relieves sunburn
Dr. Pragya says:
“Honey helps to relieve sunburn due to its ability to heal damaged tissues and also reduce inflammation.”
How to use honey for sunburn?
After coming from the sun, wash your face with plain water. Apply honey that has been stored in the refrigerator for a few hours. Let it sit on the skin for 10 minutes and then cleanse using a gentle cleanser.
4. Honey helps to fight acne and breakouts
Dr. Regina Joseph gave a new viewpoint towards honey:
“While you might be thinking that as honey is moisturising, it can cause breakouts to sensitive skin, but on the contrary, honey helps to fight acne and breakouts due to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.”
How to use honey for acne and breakouts?
Mix honey and tea tree oil in a bowl. Apply the mixture with your fingers all over the face or on targeted areas. Keep for 10 minutes and wash off with just water.
5. Honey has anti-ageing properties
Dr. Vanita Mathew revealed:
“Honey contains natural antioxidants that help to fight free radicals that’s the leading cause for premature ageing. Also, honey adds lots of moisture to the skin that diminishes fine lines and wrinkles.”
How to use honey for premature ageing?
Honey alone will do wonders for premature ageing. Just apply plain honey on your face and keep it for 15 minutes. Wash off with water and apply your moisturiser.
6. Honey helps to erase hyperpigmentation and dark spots
Dr. Elizabeth Jaysheelan says that there’s a hidden ingredient in honey:
“The hidden gem in honey is a little bit of hydrogen peroxide that helps in lightening the scars on the skin. For the very same reason, you can also use honey in your face pack for a brightening effect.”
How to use honey for hyperpigmentation?
Mix honey, curd and gram flour in a bowl. Apply the pack on your face and wait for 15 minutes until dry and then wash off with lukewarm water.
See also: DIY Natural Face Masks for Blemish and Acne Spots and Pigmentation
7. Honey helps in gentle exfoliation
Dr. I S Reddy says that “honey has little bit of small granules in it that help in gentle exfoliation and thus helps to remove dead skin cells. It’s also effective in blackheads and whiteheads.”
How to use honey for exfoliation?
You can use raw honey that has not been processed or you can mix honey and sugar to add the scrubbing agents to honey. Gentle massage on your skin for 5 minutes and wash off with a mild cleanser.
8. Honey makes the skin glowy and youthful
Dr. Antoinetta Ashwini adds the last point on the benefits of honey:
“You will not be surprised to learn that honey has been used by the Koreans for decades and that’s one of their sole reasons for their youthful skin.
Honey, besides adding moisturisation that makes the skin supple, also has anti-ageing properties that help to make the skin youthful and glowy.
How to use honey for youthful and glowy skin?
Honey mixed with milk will do wonders for your skin. Yet if you have very sensitive skin, you can skip the milk and add curd instead, Dr. Antoinetta says.
See you soon!
I did online consultation with all the doctors and this was the result of my research. Hope you enjoyed reading with me and have benefited from my post.
Stay tuned for more skincare and hair care updates. Till then……
Keep it simple, keep it fashionable!
