I love skincare you can eat! And the raw honey face mask is one of my favorite homemade recipes.
Why?
Raw honey was prized for its healing properties in ancient civilizations. In Egyptian And Ayurvedic traditions, honey was used to treat skin wounds and disorders (read more about the ancient uses of honey here).
Raw honey by itself is lovely, but you can also mix and match other food-based ingredients to tailor your mask to your unique skin type.
HOW OFTEN TO USE
I use a raw honey mask several times a week (sometimes every day), and I’ve noticed a definite improvement in the tone and softness of my skin. I love it even more for the fact that it’s totally edible and doesn’t expose my skin to the chemicals found in most beauty products.
Now, some of the recipes below are more powerful and should only be used 1-2 times per week. Others you can use daily. I’ve made notes for how often each mask should be used.
BUDGET-FRIENDLY BEAUTY
Plus, honey masks are super budget-friendly! Even if you use a premium quality raw honey, the cost per mask is extremely low. Buh-bye overpriced department store facial masks. It’s time to get back to nature.
MY RECIPES:
Here are my four recipes for honey face masks designed with specific skin types in mind. They are completely food-based and you probably have most of of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. Hurray for easy!
Check the recipes out below:
1. HONEY FACE MASK FOR ACNE-PRONE SKIN
I was doing some research on honey’s skin benefits, and I came across this article. Here’s an interesting quote:
“Clinical trials have shown that honey is an effective broad-spectrum antibacterial agent. It’s got so much oomph that it can even stop the ‘superbug’ MRSA from growing. (MRSA is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a ‘staph’ infection that is resistant to antibiotics and kills more people annually than AIDS).
According to the BBC, a man by the name of Sam Edwards from Wrexham, Wales credited honey with saving his leg! After being cut by a koi carp, he became infected with Mycobacterium marinum and developed a rare skin condition. After applying honey compresses for eight days, he found the bacteria had completely disappeared without his taking a single antibiotic.
If it can lick Mr. Edwards’ nasty bug, imagine what it can do to acne, which stems from inflamed sebaceous glands in the skin that can become infected by bacteria. It turns out honey also naturally absorbs excess oil, which helps prevent acne – and that means one of the benefits of honey on skin is you can use it in place of many chemical-laden over-the-counter acne creams and ointments.” – from Honey Colony
I personally find that honey completely calms my acne-prone skin. In fact, that’s the reason I started using the honey mask in the first place! Here’s my secret recipe:
- 3 teaspoons raw honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix honey and cinnamon together, and apply to your face. Leave the mask on for 10-30 minutes. The antibacterial properties of both honey and cinnamon are especially beneficial for acne-prone skin.
Do you have sensitive skin?
Cinnamon can occasionally be irritating if your skin is really sensitive, so you might want to do a patch test on the back of your hand first.
Because cinnamon is so powerful, I would recommend only using this mask once a week at most. You can use one of the other, gentler honey masks on other days if you’d like.
2. HONEY FACE MASK FOR DRY SKIN
- 1 teaspoon mashed avocado
- 1 teaspoon plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 teaspoon raw honey
Mix ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Spread the mixture over your face and let it sit for 20-30 minutes before washing it off.
The fats in the avocado and whole milk yogurt are deeply moisturizing to the skin, while the lactic acid in the yogurt smooths your skin, refines pores, and stimulates collagen production.
This mask is rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, zinc, copper, manganese and magnesium. It’s basically nutrition for your face!
You can use this mask several times a week if you’d like. It’s very gentle on this skin.
3. HONEY FACE MASK FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
