Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Jacked-Up Honey Face Wash



I realize that many people out there have already talked about washing your face with honey: Lauren, Kate, and Leslie are the ones that introduced me to the idea. If you haven't read what these ladies have to say about it, you may wonder why anyone would want to spread that sticky stuff all over your face. Well, here's why:
  • Since honey has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, it helps fight bacteria that may be contributing to acne. That little fact alone was enough to convince me to try it initially.
  • Honey also is a humectant, which means it gently moisturizes.
  • Since it's gentle, even those with sensitive skin, rashes, or eczema benefit from honey.
  • It's great for all skin types and once you rinse it off, you have a "glow" to your face you didn't have before.
  • It can help scar tissue.
  • PS: It does remove dirt and oil!
Pretty impressive, right?

Although quality matters, you can still get some pretty impressive results with the low-brow stuff.

Honey ranges wildly in price and quality anywhere from the little honey bears at your average grocery store to manuka honey. I'd encourage you to at least spend a little extra to get raw and/or organic because it will last you quite a while and the cost over time is fairly low.

All the tutorials I've seen so far use plain honey, but I wanted to add another level of customization for different skin types.


If you want to try it plain, here's what you do:
  1. Spread up to 1 teaspoon over your dry face, massaging it in with your fingers. A very grainy honey may not be ideal unless you don't mind the extra friction. As your skin warms the honey, it will get easier to spread.
  2. Either let it sit for 30 minutes or more (more time to get those benefits to your skin), or rinse it off immediately with warm water.
  3. Pat dry with a towel.
  4. If some stickiness remains, just give it another splash of water.
I keep a little jar of honey in the bathroom and always wash my face this way in the morning.

I kept this tutorial simple by using stirred honey, so if you want to use a honey that's truly "creamed honey," you can follow this tutorial, but you'll need to buy a small amount of creamed honey to begin with.


Adding one or two special ingredients to the honey allows you to benefit your skin type even more:

Normal, aging, or sun-damaged skin: carrot seed essential oil + rosehip seed oil

Acne or scarred skin: helichrysum essential oil + rosehip seed oil* OR tamanu** oil

Normal skin: lavender essential oil + jojoba oil

Acne-prone skin: neem oil**

Aging or damaged skin: macadamia nut oil infused with chamomile or macadamia nut oil and chamomile essential oil

*Rosehip seed oil may exacerbate acne, so if your acne gets worse, you should switch to tamanu or neem oil.

**Although tamanu and neem oils are strong-smelling and may be hard to get used to, their benefits far outweigh the smell so please don't dismiss them! :)

If you usually have normal skin with the occasional breakout, I'd mix up a full batch of the face wash using the formula for normal skin. When you break out, you can mix up a dollop of plain honey with a few drops of neem or tamanu oil in your palm and use that until the breakout passes, then go back to using the formula for normal skin.




Jacked-Up Honey Face Wash
Yield: 1/2 cup


1/2 cup honey (raw and/or organic is best)
1 teaspoon base oil (such as rosehip seed or tamanu)
5-10 drops essential oil, optional (depending on your skin needs)

In a bowl, combine all ingredients with a spoon until thoroughly combined and honey lightens in color and becomes creamy in consistency.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature. If you're using essential oils, a glass container is best.

To use:
  1. Spread up to 1 teaspoon over your dry face, massaging it in with your fingers. A very grainy honey may not be ideal unless you don't mind the extra friction. As your skin warms the honey, it will get easier to spread.
  2. Either let it sit for an extended period of time (I usually aim for 30 minutes), or rinse it off immediately with warm water.
  3. Pat dry with a towel.
  4. If some stickiness remains, just give it another splash of water.
NOTE: If you simply stir the honey to combine the ingredients, some of the creaminess will go away over time, but it will still be thicker than your original honey. You can always give it another quick stir every so often if you want!

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

      2 comments:

      1. Love this and I have all of the ingredients in my kitchen! Trying tonight.

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        Replies
        1. That's great Lisa! I hope you love it as much as I do!

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