It can be said that honey in cosmetics is the same as salt in the kitchen. Not only it's delicious and affect the good mood, but also has a beneficial effect on our complexion. Honey is ideal for face and body because it suits all skin types.
From ancient times, honey and other bee products are used as food and medicine, but also for the care and beauty of face and body. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was famous for bathing in honey and milk and Poppea, wife of a Roman conqueror Nero, used a face lotion made of honey and milk to maintain the youthful appearance.
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Due to its excellent composition, honey is biologically valuable food for children and adults, easily digestable and it's natural source of life force. A drop of honey contains more than a hundred different important substances for your body. According to the content of enzymes, honey is among the most important food products.
Honey is not only food but also a natural product which has got a big attention in the cosmetic industry. It abounds in sugars, vitamins (B1, B2, B6, C), minerals (potassium, sodium, magnesium, copper), as well as enzymes and tannins, can calm sensitive skin, regenerate dry hair and refresh chapped lips. If you want to know more about honey, read this article on Wikipedia.
Natural honey is an effective treatment for minor abrasions and burns. It is also effective as an antimicrobial agent. Honey is gentle but very effective antiseptic that stops the growth of bacteria that causes acne.
In cosmetics, honey takes a very important place, because it is one of the oldest, most proved and totally harmless remedies for beauty and skin care.
From ancient times, honey and other bee products are used as food and medicine, but also for the care and beauty of face and body. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was famous for bathing in honey and milk and Poppea, wife of a Roman conqueror Nero, used a face lotion made of honey and milk to maintain the youthful appearance.
Even before it began largely cosmetic production in late 1800, honey was already a very popular ingredient. Today, in production, honey is being increasingly used for skin moisturizing, face masks, hair conditioners and shower gels in response to consumer demands for natural formulations.
You can buy products with honey for hair and skin care, but you can also make them at home!
Cleopatra's bath
Since it dissolves in water, honey is ideal for baths. Because of the nutrients it contains, it regenerates and soothes extremely dry, irritated skin.The famous Queen has abundantly used honey for care of the face and body. Here's a recipe for Cleopatra's bath:
Mix two tablespoons of honey with 2.5 dl of warm water, let it dissolve honey and add it to the prepared water for bath.
Nourishing mask
Hidrated skin is an important factor in maintaining its softness and flexibility. As skin ages or is subjected to external influences like stress and chemical agents, loses its ability to retain water, becomes dry and wrinkled. Honey is hygroscopic, which means it attracts and retains water. Honey is a natural basis for a variety of moisturizing products including lotions, cleansers, creams, shampoos and conditioners. Because honey is not an irritant, it is suitable for sensitive skin and baby care products.- The combination of olive oil and honey was very popular among the ancient women, because it refreshes complexion very quickly. Mix equal amount of honey and olive oil and rub it on your face. Let it stay for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water. If you have extremely dry skin, you can hold it for few hours.
- If your skin is tired, then is very effective mask of equal amounts of honey and milk. Hold it on your face for 10 minutes, and then wash with lukewarm water.
- If you have oily skin, mix two tablespoons of milk with a tablespoon of the low-fat cottage cheese, lemon juice and honey, and leave it on your face for 10 minutes. The same effect will be achieved if you replace the cheese and milk with egg white of one egg, but then you need to hold it twice as long to absorb excess sebum and oil.
- If you want to get rid of acne, take an apple and 5 tablespoons of honey. Grate the apple and mix it with honey. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.
Hair conditioner
Thanks to the high content of amino acids, honey is an excellent ally of dry and damaged hair. Its sugars are helping the hair become shiny and smooth, and its tannins provide a natural shine. In addition, honey has mild antibacterial effect, and is therefore ideal for sensitive skin of the head and people who have dandruff. Shampoos containing honey are especially recommended for damaged, colored hair.- How to restore your hair shine and make it softer and healthier? Add a tablespoon of honey and a few drops of olive in a conditioner you usually use. Rub into the roots and leave it on for 15 minutes, then rinse well with warm water.
- If you have a problem with static in your hair, pour one teaspoon of honey in one liter of water and rinse your hair with it, after last shampooing and rinsing.
- In addition to honey, you can play around with a few other ingredients. Take some fresh yeast and mix it with one tablespoon of honey. Stir mixture until it becomes compact. Apply the mask on your hair and cover with a towel. Rinse after one hour. It would be good to repeat this treatment at least twice a week.
- Sesame oil and honey are another winning combination for beautiful hair. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, honey and one egg yolk. Cover your hair with foil and heat up for 10 minutes with hairdryer. Wash your hair after that.
Body and Face Scrub
- Mix half a teaspoon of brown sugar with a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Rub in elbows, knees and heels, where skin is rougher.
- Honey scrub soothes face prone to acne and blackheads, and is suitable for all skin types. You can add sugar or salt and a little lemon juice and corn grits to honey, and then gently massage the face and rinse with warm water.
- Mix equal amount of finely chopped almonds and oats and add 20 drops of essential oil of your choice. Apply this scrub with gentle circular movements on the face or body, and then rinse
Here's a video from Youtube with tutorial on how to make a scrub with honey, lemon and sugar. :)
Antioxidants
Preliminary research has also revealed that honey has significant natural antioxidant properties. Antioxidants play a big role in protecting the skin from UV radiation and in helping skin renewal. Prolonged exposure to the sun's UV radiation can cause skin damage, premature aging and even skin cancer. Therefore, always look for honey in ingredients of cosmetics and skin care products.How to choose the right type of honey
When choosing the type of honey, you can be guided by the sense of taste. But regardless of whether you chose the acacia, forest, sunflower or clover honey, the effect on skin is always the same. To prepare face masks, it is only not recommended to use industrial honey, because it's mainly intended for further processing and therefore its not very useful for skin care. The use of this type of honey is out of the question, unless you are allergic to natural.How to distinguish fake honey from pure honey
Sometimes honey traders or dealers are adding water and sweetener in honey to create a larger amount and generate more revenue.The main difference is that real honey contains no water. You can test if your honey is natural in the following ways:
1. Add a tablespoon of honey in a glass of water. Pure, natural honey will turn into lumps and go down to the bottom, and fake honey will begin to melt as it contains water.
2. Put on paper a few drops of honey. Pure honey will not break through the paper for a long time, because it does not contain water.
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