Honey has been used in folk medicine for centuries to treat various skin conditions, wounds and burns due to its antimicrobial and healing properties. Today, there are more effective treatments but honey is still used as a cosmetic and pharmaceutical ingredient due to the high content of useful substances. What are the uses and benefits of honey for skin and hair? Let’s find out together.
Honey is a sweet edible product made by honey bees who convert nectar from flowers into honey by a process of regurgitation and store it in beehives as a primary food source. Honey is high in fructose, glucose and sucrose which give it its sweetness. It also contains vitamins (mainly B vitamins and vitamin C) and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc, phosphorus). The exact chemical composition of honey and therefore its properties depend on the area where it was gathered, the floral source of nectar from which it was made, and a number of other factors.
Honey has been consumed by people since ancient times. Humans apparently began collecting honey from wild bees at least 8,000 years ago. During the Middle Ages monasteries and abbeys were centres of bee-keeping. However, it was not until 18th century that European natural philosophers began to study bee colonies, trying to understand the complex biology of honey bees. That’s when the first modern apiaries began to emerge.
Honey wasn’t only used as food. It has been a traditional folk medicine treatment for centuries. Having noticed its healing properties, people used it topically to treat skin wounds and burns. It is still used orally to treat cough and sore throat. Honey is also added to DIY cosmetics such as facial masks, hair masks and scrubs because it is known to have a positive effect on hair and skin. No wonder cosmetic manufacturers began to add honey to their products.
Today, honey can be found in a wide range of mass-produced personal care products including hair shampoos and conditioners, facial creams and masks, body care products, hand and foot creams, soaps and shower gels. It is usually combined with other natural active ingredients (herbal extracts, vegetable oils and butters), which allows to enhance its useful properties. As we’ve already mentioned, the useful properties of honey depend on its chemical content which is stipulated by a number of factors.
Natural honey has various uses when it comes to skin and hair care. Most often it is used as a nourishing and moisturising ingredient that provides skin and hair with vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, as well as helps to retain moisture within the skin and hair, preventing dehydration. Honey is also known for its antioxidant properties. It protects the cells against the destructive effects of free radicals and thus prevents premature skin ageing.
These are not the only cosmetic properties of honey. It is also known for its cleansing and antiseptic effect as well as for the ability to accelerate tissue regeneration (we’ve already mentioned that it used to be a common treatment for wounds and burns). It is also claimed to have anti-cellulite properties. According to manufacturers of anti-cellulite cosmetics, honey helps to break down subcutaneous fat and provides a detoxifying effect, making the skin velvety smooth and supple.
Some women apply pure honey to their skin, but it is most effective (and considerably less sticky!) when combined with other natural ingredients to create DIY masks and scrubs. Honey-based DIY cosmetics often contain milk or cream, propolis, ground coffee (as a natural exfoliant), various vegetable and essential oils, oatmeal, egg yolk, etc. However, some people can’t use such DIY cosmetics because they are allergic to honey. That’s why they prefer mass-produced cosmetics formulated with honey and other natural ingredients. Such products are less likely to cause allergy but they retain the useful properties of honey.
Our online shop Organic Store presents a wide range of natural and organic cosmetics formulated with 100% natural honey. They include mild honey peelings for face and body, sea salt infused with honey extract, nourishing hand and body creams, handmade honey soap, protective lip balms with honey and beeswax, and other products. Among brands which produce natural cosmetics with honey and other bee products are Savonry, Planeta Organica, Sierra Bees, YAKA, Organic Kitchen, Home Doctor, LuxOne, and Green Pharmacy. Choose your honey treats, submit your order, and our manager will contact you do discuss the details.
Cosmetics With Honey in Our Store
Sierra Bees Organic Honey Lip Balm, 4 g |