10 Amazing Benefits of Honey for Hair and Skin

A lot of people use honey in their everyday diet, such as in pancakes, smoothies, salads, and as a natural sweetener for their tea. Consuming this super healthy food provides number of health benefits like improving digestion and energy levels, treating insomnia, regulating blood sugar, losing weight, etc.

Besides its numerous health benefits, honey can be also used in many beauty treatments. It can improve your hair and skin in various ways as it possesses strong antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and humectant properties. Raw honey is great natural solution for your dry hair, dandruff, acne, or tanning.

1. Fades Scars

All scars, regardless of their size and location, have rather unpleasant appearance, and people usually look for various ways to eliminate them as soon as possible. They are indeed hard to treat, but honey can minimize their appearance by lightening the affected area.

Honey hastens the tissue regeneration and healing process, and help revive skin cells. All this contributes to the process of fading scars.

• Mix honey and olive or extra-virgin coconut oil, in equal amounts. Apply the mixture on your scar with gentle massages in circular motion, for one to two minutes. Cover your scar with a warm washcloth, and let it stay until it cools. Use cotton ball to wipe the area clean.

2. Treats Psoriasis

The autoimmune disease called psoriasis affects the skin cells by causing itching, blisters, redness, and lesions. You can use honey to reduce the inflammation, soothe the skin, and prevent infection of the damaged skin, although it can’t actually cure the disease. Honey will also relieve the skin dryness, and its peeling.

Complementary Therapies in Medicine published a 2013 study which suggest that topical application of beeswax, natural honey, and olive oil mixture in equal proportions helps in the treatment of dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris.

• Take a microwave-safe bowl, and put 1 teaspoon of each, beeswax, honey, and olive oil. Put the bowl in a microwave and warm the mixture until the beeswax melts. Stir it and let it cool down. Once cooled, apply the mixture on the affected area several times a day. Don’t forget to avoid picking and scratching the lesions.

3. Healis Minor Cuts and Wounds

Honey is an effective germ killer, so,  it can be used in the treatment of minor cuts and burns. It hastens the recovery process by helping drawing the fluid away from the affected area. It lowers the risk of infection as it prevents the growth of microorganisms. In 2013, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has published a study which shows that honey is an effective remedy for acute wounds, but not for chronic ones like infected surgical wounds or skin ulcer.

• Apply a think Manuka honey layer on the affected area, and cover with a bandage. Let it covered for few hours before removing the bandage. Use moist cloth to clean the area. Repeat the same process when needed.

4. Fights Acne

Excessive secretion of oils combined with dust trapped in the skin pores, makes a perfect environment for bacteria. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties, honey can lower the acne symptoms, and prevent possible infection. It has an excellent nutritious content which keeps the skin hydrated and glowing.

• Apply raw honey on the affected area and let it stay for about half an hour. Then, wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this two or three times a day.
• Another option is to prepare a mixture from one tablespoon of honey and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and apply it on your acne. Let it stay for about 15 minutes, and rinse it off with warm water. Do this one or two times a day.

5. Postpones Skin Aging

Honey is rich in antioxidants which prevent damage of skin cells caused by free radicals. Free radicals hasten the aging process and contribute to the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s-feet, and sagging skin. Honey maintains the glow and youth of the skin by keeping the skin well-hydrated.

• Mix raw honey and lemon juice in equal amounts. Apply it on your neck and face, and let it dry naturally. Then, was it off with lukewarm water. Do this once or twice per week.
• Another alternative is to make a face and neck mask by mixing two tablespoons of avocado pulp and raw honey. Let the mixture stay for about half an hour, and then wash it off with lukewarm water. Do this once a week.

6. Stops Hair Loss

You can also use honey to prevent baldness, thanks to its fungicidal, germicidal, and antioxidant properties which stimulate hair growth. Moreover, it can treat your dandruff, which can be one reason for hair loss.

• Prepare a mixture with one tablespoon of honey and one tablespoon of onion juice, and massage your scalp with it. Allow it to act for half an hour before washing your hair as usual. Do this hair loss treatment two times a week.
• As an alternative, you can use a mask prepared from equal amounts of yogurt and honey. Apply it on a wet hair and let it stay for 30-40 minutes. Shampoo your hair as usual. Do this 2-3 times a week.

7. Softens Chapped Lips

Honey is great for treating or preventing dry and chapped lips. Its moisturizing ability brings back the lost moisture in lips, thus preventing appearance of painful cracks. Moreover, it lowers the chances of infection from cracked lips.

• Apply honey on your lips using your finger in the same way as a lip balm. Do this several times a day.
• You can as well mix honey and sugar in 1:2 ratio to prepare a lip scrub. Scrub your lips with the prepared mixture for few minutes to remove the dead skin cells. Do this lip scrub treatment once a week.
• Saliva dries out the lips, so make sure you avoid licking your lips. Last but not least, drink plenty of water to stay your lips hydrated.

8. Softens the Hands

Your dry and rough hands can be successfully treated with honey, thanks to its humectant properties. They preserve the moisture in your hands, making them soft and smooth. What’s more, its antioxidant properties prevent free-radical damage, thus postposing the appearance of aging signs on your hands.

• Just rub some honey all over your hands, and let it act for 10-15 minutes. Wash them well with warm water, and once they are dry apply a mild moisturizer. Do this every day to have extra soft hands.
• You can also prepare a mixture of honey and glycerin in the same amounts. Apply it on your hands and let it dry naturally. Rinse it off with lukewarm water.

9. Treats Minor Burns

Minor burns which affect only the top skin layer and are marked only with redness, can be treated with honey. Honey will prevent infection, quickly reduce the swelling, and hasten the healing process. It also lowers the risk of scars.

• Take some raw honey and place it on a gauze bandage. Put the gauze directly on the affected area. Replace the bandage with a new one 3-4 times a day. Keep doing this until the burn is completely healed.

10. Treats Dry or Damaged Hair

Honey is an excellent way to treat your dry and damaged hair, thanks to the vitamins and minerals it contains, as well as its humectant properties which keep the moisture of the hair. Honey can even alleviate your itchy scalp, as well as condition your hair making it soft and smooth.

• Prepare a mixture from¼ cup of extra virgin oil and half a cup of raw honey. Warm it in a microwave for several seconds, and then apply it on your scalp and go all the way to the ends of your hair. Let it stay for 10-20 minutes, and then shampoo your hair using a mild shampoo. Do this twice a week, until you obtain the wanted results.