Honey helps cleanse, soften, moisturize, soothe and tone skin and condition hair and nails. Honey’s moisturizing power results partly from it helping prevent evaporation of water from the skin; partly from it being a humectant (attracting water from the air); and partly from its acidity (see below). The humectant effect also tones puffy skin by drawing out water. Honey on dry skin stimulates skin-oil or sebum production. Honey’s flavonoids improve ‘broken veins’ (dilated capillaries). Honey helps heal cracked or sore skin and has antimicrobial powers. Its antioxidants reduce damage from polluted air and encourage healthy skin-cell turnover. Honey also enables face-mask ingredients such as oil, ground nuts, egg yolk or clay to stick to the skin. Its fragrance can lift the spirits. Last but not least, honey’s acidity maintains or restores the skin’s natural acidity.
Healthy skin has a slightly acidic surface called the acid mantle or hydrolipid film. This contains fatty acids from skin oil, lactic and amino acids from sweat, and amino acids and pyrrolidine carboxylic acid from dead skin cells. In women, the normal skin pH (an indicator of acidity or alkalinity) over most of the body is 4.5–5.75 (below 7 being acidic, above 7 alkaline). Men’s skin is slightly more acidic. This acidity helps repair damaged skin. It also activates enzymes that promote the production of the skin-oil lipids that discourage evaporation of water from the skin (other than from sweat) and deter the entry of harmful substances and microorganisms. The acidity also helps prevent infection by encouraging healthy populations of the microorganisms naturally present on the skin.
Any reduction in acidity – for example, from soap or dermatitis – encourages drying, cracking and itching. Most soaps (even mild, glycerine or baby soaps) and beauty bars have an alkaline pH of 7–9, which temporarily destroys normal skin acidity. This generally recovers between 30 minutes and two hours or more afterwards, although this recovery may be compromised by washing with soap twice daily. Certain soaps are particularly alkaline (pH 9.5–11), and only a very few have the pH of normal skin. However, many liquid soaps, non-soap cleansers and bath and shower gels have a pH that resembles that of normal skin more closely; and a few have the pH of normal skin.
Honey’s moisturizing effect results partly from it maintaining or restoring skin acidity, as this helps prevent water loss. A honey-containing cleanser helps retain the skin’s natural acidity.
The moisturizing and softening properties of honey’s acidity make honey an excellent aid for a manicure or pedicure.
Diluted honey can also restore acidity to freshly washed hair. Most shampoos are alkaline and therefore temporarily destroy the scalp’s normal acidity, leaving it prone to dryness, irritation and even infection. Their residues can also make hair look dull. Rinsing with a dilute solution of honey in water makes hair shine. It also makes it more elastic and, in turn, stronger.
When using honey in beauty products, it’s often easier to use runny honey. If you use raw honey, you get the added benefit of extra fragrance because it contains the maximum levels of volatile aroma compounds.
• Dissolve 1 teaspoon of runny honey in 4 tablespoons of warm water to make a honey-water cleanser, or
• Dissolve 1 teaspoon of runny honey in 4 tablespoons of warm milk to make cleansing milk.
Gently smooth either of these over your face to loosen grime and dead skin cells. Rinse well with warm or cool water.
• Use 2 teaspoons of runny or thick honey, or
• Peel and purée 5cm/2in of cucumber, then mix with 1 teaspoon of runny honey.
Apply either of these to your face, leave on for five minutes and rinse off with cold water.
• Use 4 tablespoons of runny honey, or
• Mix 2 tablespoons of runny honey with ½ pint of full-cream milk (or 3 tablespoons of full-cream milk powder).
Stir either of these into a bath of water.
Add extra fragrance by stirring five to six drops of neroli, rose or ylang-ylang essential oil into either mixture.
• For normal skin: mix 1 teaspoon of runny honey with 1 teaspoon of milk.
• For dry skin: mix 1 teaspoon of runny honey with 1 teaspoon of full-fat plain bio yoghurt and 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil.
• For oily skin: mix 1 teaspoon of runny honey with 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
• For ageing skin: mix 1 teaspoon of runny honey with 1 teaspoon of full-fat plain bio yoghurt, 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil, the contents of a vitamin E capsule and 1 drop of frankincense essential oil.
Smooth the chosen mixture into your skin. If you make several batches at once, put the mixture into a sterilized jar with a tightly fitting lid and keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.
You can add extra fragrance to any of the first three recipes by stirring five to six drops of neroli, rose or ylang-ylang essential oil into the moisturizer. The fourth recipe already has extra fragrance from the frankincense oil.
Put 1 tablespoon of beeswax pellets into the upper part of a double boiler and half-fill the bottom pan with water. Bring the water to the boil and simmer until the beeswax melts. Beat in 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil or almond oil. Remove the bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of rose water and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Cool, stirring, until lukewarm, then stir in 3 drops of essential oil, choosing from chamomile, frankincense, lavender, neroli, rose, sandalwood or ylang-ylang, which add fragrance and encourage skin regeneration. Cool and store in a sterilized jar with a tightly fitting lid for up to two weeks.
Smooth into your hands after washing and drying them. Beeswax pellets are available from health-food stores and pharmacies (drugstores); almond oil from pharmacies; and rose water from pharmacies and certain supermarkets.
• For normal skin: mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, an egg yolk and a handful of fine oatmeal.
• For dry skin: mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 2 egg yolks and a mashed banana.
• For oily skin: mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 whisked egg whites, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a handful of fine oatmeal.
Apply any one of these to your face then relax for 30 minutes before rinsing with warm water.
Put 1 tablespoon of beeswax pellets into the upper part of a double boiler and half-fill the bottom pan with water. Bring the water to the boil and simmer until the beeswax melts. Beat in 2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil and 2 drops of an essential oil such as lavender or chamomile. Remove the mixture from the heat, cool slightly, then stir in 1 teaspoon of honey. Store in a small sterilized jar with a tightly fitting lid for up to two weeks.
Apply as necessary.
• For normal or oily skin: mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 2 tablespoons of ground almonds and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, or
• For dry skin: mix 1 tablespoon of honey with 2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Rub one of these onto your skin, then rinse with warm water.
Mix 2-3 teaspoons of liquid honey into 1½ pints/5 cups of warm rinsing water. To enhance hair colour: if blonde, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice; and if brunette, 1 teaspoon of vinegar.
Apply to your hair after shampooing. There is no need to rinse, and the honey will not leave your hair feeling sticky.
Mix together 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (from certain supermarkets or pharmacies/drugstores), extra-virgin olive oil or almond oil. As an optional extra, consider adding 1 tablespoon of buttermilk to add moisturizing power and because its lactic acid increases hair strength and elasticity. Wet your hair and massage in the conditioner. Relax for 20 minutes, then wash your hair with a mild shampoo and condition it as usual if you like.
Mix 2 teaspoons of thick honey with 2 teaspoons of extra-virgin olive oil and 1 drop of frankincense, lemon or neroli essential oil. Massage this mixture into your cuticles, leave for 20 minutes, then rinse.