For the last few weeks, I’ve been stressing so much dealing I haven’t really had time to take care of myself. In the last two weeks I’ve lost my voice twice and I’ll admit my skin hasn’t been looking very good. I’ve been drinking lots and lots of tea especially with this cold weather… tea and honey! That’s when I got the idea I had to do a post about honey. Honey can be used in much more than your cup of tea or your food, it actually has healing powers.

Honey is really well known for fighting infections and bacteria and for its anti-inflammatory qualities. Way back in the day, honey was even used to put over battle wounds disinfect and prevent infections. When digested, the vitamins and minerals in honey can help disappate the bad cholesterol in your body and clean out the germs floating in your system because honey is absorbed into the bloodstream. Honey is also great for keeping your hair shiny, helping with dry skin, clearing up acne, and even as lip balm.

I’ve always done honey hair and face masks growing up so here are a few quick simple tricks you can use with that good old honey bear you have laying around your pantry.

Honey Face Mask: After a long hot shower (and your pores are steamed open,)  slather a generous, even coat of  honey on your face (avoiding the eye area) and leave it on for 10 minutes. The honey thickness of the honey pulls off all the excess dirt and oils lodged in your pores. The antioxidants in the honey will help clear up blemishes on your skin and the wax in the honey will leave your skin smooth and glowing.

Honey and Olive Oil Hair Mask: With all the products we use in our hair to smooth it out, poof it up, curl it, wave it, etc., our hair is damaged goods. I’ve tried using store bought hair masks and conditioners but honey is the only thing that can give your hair natural sheen because it locks in moisture to your hair.  All you need is half a cup of honey and between 2 tbsp. to 1/4 of a cup of olive oil depending on how thick and how dry your hair is. Mix it together and put it on your hair from root to tip. Leave it in for 30 minutes or even overnight then rinse and shampoo. Be careful not to put too much olive oil in the mix or your hair might turn out greasy even after you shampoo it out (from experience, believe me.) If you have it, I’d even suggest using  jojoba oil, almond, avocado, rosemary essential oil, wheat germ oil, or shea oil. All of these oils are natural humectants which will help give your hair that shine and moisture it needs.

Honey and Cinnamon Spot Treatment: Try this one out if you have acne or problems with blemishes. Mix a tablespoon of honey and two teaspoons of cinnamon together into a paste. You can use this mixture as a mask or as a spot treatment. I recommend as a spot treatment a few times a week so you don’t experience any burning or irritation as this cinnamon can be harsh especially for sensitive skin. This is a great, cheap at home remedy for blemishes and best of all, it’ll keep in a resealable container for about 2 months.

Honey Lip Balm: Just smear some honey on while you’re at home watching tv or running errands. The honey will disinfect your lips and help with cracked dry lips. Honey will help seal in moisture and it also tastes good so you don’t have to worry about licking it off. Not to mention the honey sheen could double as a gloss (depending if you’re a fan of the sticky gloss or not.)

Honey Mouthwash: This is really weird, I know. I heard about this trick a while ago. Mix honey with warm water and gargle. The honey will kill germs in your mouth and leaves your mouth with a sweet taste. I actually think this would be a good trick to use right before you go on a date or you see your significant other because its not as strong of a smell and not as obvious as minty mouthwash. Actually, I wonder if this would be a good trick to add to the weight loss thing… got the taste of honey in your mouth so there goes your sweet tooth 🙂

Try ’em out 🙂

xo, June 🙂