Healing, softening, soothing, antiseptic… Honey has many good properties for the skin, either for cosmetic use or to help heal wounds and injuries. We tell you how to use it in each case.
Almost all of us have it in the pantry, but certainly not thinking about its benefits for skin care.
However, it should be known that honey, a food present in so many houses when the cold hits because it is a great stimulant for the immune system, is also a true wonder for the treatment of skin conditions and for maintaining the good condition of the skin. skin in general.
In fact, with a good honey it can be rehydrated in a lasting way, but also repair it and promote healing when it has suffered injuries.
Let’s find out more in depth how it works.
An exceptional dermocosmetic active
The fantastic properties of honey at a cosmetic level are due to its unique composition, around:
- 17% water.
- 80% sugars, most of them simple (glucose and fructose).
- 3% of other substances, including lipids, proteins, minerals such as iron, potassium, copper, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, many vitamins (A, B1, B2, C…) enzymes, amino acids and various natural antibiotics.
Due to its texture, it is used above all in the form of a mask, poultice or as an ingredient for balms or creams.
But the truth is that it also works effectively by diluting essential oils when you want to integrate them into bath water.
A little history
The cosmetic use of honey actually has thousands of years of history.
Harvested and used by humans since the dawn of time for its medicinal properties, the Egyptians already used it as an embalming element and as a healing agent in bandaging injuries and wounds.
And they were absolutely right to do so! The healing and healing properties of honey today are out of the question. In fact, it is even used in hospitals in England and Belgium in various nursing care, such as ulcers.
Benefits of honey for the skin
In any case, science has revealed that honey not only has an exceptional power healing (up to double that of some drugstore dressings).
It turns out that it also has some amazing effects. antiseptics y anti-inflammatories. And it is in the combination of these three actions where the secret of this powerful cure is hidden against all types of wounds, even the most serious.
Of course, it must be recognized that the antibiotic properties of honey have been scientifically proven in the laboratory (in vitro) and not yet in people.
Each type of honey has its own therapeutic activity, depending on the plant from which it is derived, its concentrations of active ingredients…
Hence, it is important to take into account the following tricks:
- The darker and purer the honey, the more powerful it appears to be against bacteria.
- The more aromatic it is (this is determined by the plants from which it is made and its content in essential oils), the more powerful its active ingredients are.
The latter is, for example, the case of the now so popular manuka honey, native to New Zealand (the “manuka” is an aromatic plant native to these islands). In fact, studies have already been carried out that attest to its bactericidal power. about the bacilli Staphylococcus aureus y Helicobacter pyloritwo of the most common.
A little later you will learn other tips to know how to identify quality honey. But now, before that, let’s continue to see how to use it both in case of aches and pains and in cosmetic treatments.
Pain, skin disorders… How to use honey correctly
Here are some examples of therapeutic applications against common injuries and pains:
- In case of small wounds and/or bumps, myrtle, manuka or lavender honeys can quickly repair the skin. Apply a thick layer to the wound washed with soap and then rinsed. Cover below with gauze or bandage.
- In front of sore throat, add in 1 teaspoon of good quality honey 1 drop of essential oil (EA) of linalool thyme, tea tree or ravintsara. Stir and swallow slowly to relieve pain or redness. Of course, this solution is not suitable for children under 6 years of age and should not exceed 5 daily applications.
- When there is extreme cold, you can prepare a homemade therapeutic preparation by mixing 1 teaspoon of honey with 2 drops of EO of thyme or myrtle in a cup. Add to the mixture a few drops of lemon juice, pour boiling water over it and stir well. This drink comforts quickly, going especially well in case of cold.
In cosmetic, honey is considered an effective moisturizer, capable of deeply hydrating the skin. In addition, it is well tolerated by everyone as a mask or as an ingredient to be added to a repairing and/or soothing formula.
I give you a couple of ideas to use it extracting all its virtues:
- Honey mask. The easiest way to apply it, perhaps, is to mix 1 tablespoon of semi-liquid honey with 1 teaspoon of floral water (blueberry, orange blossom, lavender, etc.). Apply the mixture with a brush on a clean face, leave it on for 15 minutes and rinse with plenty of water.
- Honey bath. The ideal is to mix 3 tablespoons of liquid honey in a bowl with 10 or 15 drops of an AE with a relaxing and well-tolerated effect (true lavender, lavandin, etc.). Pour the preparation into the hot bath water to emulsify and… voila! You already have your aromatic bath with a therapeutic effect.
But which honey is better? Which to choose?
It is necessary to attend to both the geographical origin and the type of flowers that have been worked as well as the practices, organic or not, of the beekeeper. In fact, sometimes it is better to bet on non-organic honey but that meets other characteristics.
The subject is so complex that I prefer to recommend that you read this other text, where the matter is perfectly clear.
And if you want to have access to more remedies like this, we invite you to know our publication AlterNatura Health, in which month after month you will discover important keys to improve your health and that of your loved ones effectively. Here you can find out how to get it for an exceptional price.