Raw honey as an effective skin care treatment is a great example of the wisdom of ancient practices. Honey has long been documented for its importance in the world’s oldest medical journals and has been used in most ancient cultures as a nutrient and healing substance.

Modern research confirms its beneficial, antibacterial effects. For example, studies show that honey rapidly clears wound infection and facilitates healing of wounds that do not respond to conventional treatments such as antibiotics. Honey also contains high amounts of flavanoids, potentially giving it antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities. Flavanoids are phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables.

The reported benefits of honey are many; dressing wounds, healing skin ulcers and inflammation, treatment of damaged intestines and speeding up the growth of new tissue.

All of these properties make it a wonderful beautifying agent as well, which is a great, simple, traditional method when we are overwhelmed with a slew of skincare products even in the natural beauty realm.

Honey is frequently used in cosmetics because of its ability to keep the skin juvenile by inhibiting wrinkle formation. My speculation is that this is probably due to its ability to speed up tissue regrowth. Also since it contains vitamins and enzymes, this likely helps our skin cope with the high amounts of air pollution which causes skin aging.

Honey is said to be an effective treatment for acne when used daily over a period of time. It’s antibacterial qualities probably help clear the skin of pimples.

For me personally, I am prone to very dry facial skin, but after a honey mask, my face feels nourished, soft and plump.

Remember, honey must be raw and unpasteurized since the healing properties can be destroyed if it is heated up. Luckily, I’m in Canada where we produce lots of honey, so there is plenty of local, small business options for me at health food stores. Make sure to not support Billy Bee honey, a brand by McCormick, which is deceptively Canadian, however uses honey from foreign countries such as China. It’s also processed honey which has no benefits at all, whether its ingested or used topically.

Raw Honey Face Wash (and mask)

To use as a face wash, just smoothe a small amount all over your face like a mask. A little goes a long way if you heat it up with your fingers and palm.

Let it sit for anywhere from a couple minutes to however long you want really. Simply remove it by very gently scrubbing your face with a cloth soaked in warm.

Sometimes I end up leaving it on for a very long time, as I’ll put it on after breakfast and let it sit while I’m working on the computer. I like to let it sit for a while, as it feels like my skin is eating up the nutrients.

Obviously this works best if you do not have makeup on your face before.

After I rinse it off, I like to use a low comodogenic oil as moisturizer such as grapeseed oil or jojoba oil. I’m thinking of switching to oils that have a 0 comodogenic rating such as argan, hempseed, shea butter or sunflower oil.

And that’s that – simple, effective, traditional and uncomplicated. Let me know your favorite simple, natural skincare solutions.