Guide to the benefits of honey for beauty and well-being

There’s a reason the health benefits of honey have been rumored for centuries. With its nutrient-rich profile, the natural ingredient is one of the most versatile additions when it comes to your wellness, skin and hair routines. Ahead, some of the main benefits to be expected from the proven ingredient.

Skin care

Complexion benefits

According to New York dermatologist Marina Peredo, MD, antioxidant-rich honey offers a variety of health and healing benefits for the skin: “Honey has antimicrobial properties, it hydrates, hydrates and may calm inflammation. Explains the doctor, noting that the ingredient is naturally rich in antifungal and antibacterial properties, so it helps to clean the pores, kill bacteria and treat rashes.

A natural moisturizer, honey also has the ability to absorb water and, in turn, deeply hydrate the skin without leaving a greasy feeling, making it ideal for acne-prone skin or those with severe skin conditions. chronic skin problems such as eczema or rosacea. In addition to treating dry skin and soothing reactive skin, Dr Peredo notes that honey also contains hydrogen peroxide, “which can help fade scars.”

“Honey is also a great source of antioxidants and skin-loving polyphenols, compounds that help minimize free radical damage and prevent premature aging,” says nutritionist Jennifer Hanway.

All about propolis

Also made by bees, propolis – essentially a “glue” to keep hives sterile, says Dr. Predo – is another skin care ingredient with a long list of healing benefits. Usually brown to black in color, Dr. Peredo notes that the ingredient is antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal. “It helps in the healing of wounds, burns and redness and can be used for acne scars and post-lasers,” explains the doctor. “It has great moisturizing properties and can help fight aging, fine lines and wrinkles.”

Choose wisely

If you’re looking to incorporate the benefits of honey into your skin care routine, don’t settle for just any type of honey. “You should look for raw honey when using honey in skin care,” says Dr. Peredo. “Other types of honey are heated and filtered to increase shelf life, which in turn decreases its enzyme-rich properties. Manuka honey is also great for the skin, but it is much more expensive because it comes from New Zealand and Australia. Hanway’s quick and easy tip: “Choose darker honeys for richer sources.”

Derm Approved Products

“One honey-infused product that I love is Naturopathica’s Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm ($ 64),” says Dr. Peredo. “It is gentle and cleanses the skin while removing makeup and moisturizing the skin. It is also formulated with lactobacillus ferment to rejuvenate the skin and royal jelly peptides to provide a smooth and even complexion. For more affordable skin care, Dr. Peredo loves Burt’s Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion ($ 8). “It nourishes and softens the skin with a combination of honey, coconut oil and grapefruit oil.”

For products infused with propolis, Dr. Peredo recommends Epicuren’s Brazilian Propolis Mist ($ 30.50) and Propolis Lotion ($ 38), as both “help support healthy skin and complexion. radiant ”.

Do-it-yourself masks

There are countless honey mask recipes floating around the internet, but here are two of our favorites:

Created by radiant Jada Pinkett Smith, her quick and easy mask recipe is not only simple, but surprisingly effective. The recipe: mix half an avocado and two tablespoons of honey, apply to the skin, then rinse.

For a safe and dirty lip mask – you can also use it as a face mask – mix one teaspoon of honey with two teaspoons of sugar and massage the paste onto your lips, applying pressure to loosen dead skin cells. Not only will your skin be smoother with the physical exfoliation – be sure to rinse off after letting the mixture sit for a few minutes – but the honey will also help heal the skin.

Health + Well-being

Dense nutritional profile

“Raw honey is full of micronutrients, including some of the vitamins and minerals that our diets can typically be poor with, including B vitamins and essential nutrients like magnesium and zinc,” says Hanway. Honey is also a great source of prebiotic fiber, “the type of fiber that helps nourish and nourish the good bacteria in our gut microbiome,” adds the nutritionist.

Blood sugar stabilizer

It might sound counterintuitive, but Hanway says honey actually plays an important role in balancing blood sugar. “While all calorie sweeteners – both natural and refined – will raise blood sugar, honey has the lowest glycemic load – the measure of the impact a given amount of food has on blood sugar after consumption – and may even deliver. benefits for the appetite. -reducing and balancing blood sugar, ”she says.

According to the nutritionist, a 2010 study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that when honey was consumed for breakfast, participants exhibited a “blunt blood sugar response, which means their blood sugar levels did not rise, and a reduction in the hunger hormones ghrelin and peptide YY”. However, not all types of honey are good for you. “The types of honey – determined by the type of flower the nectar was collected from – that are considered low GI are Yellow Box, Stringybark, Red Gum, Iron Bark and Yapunyah honeys,” Hanway explains.

Hair care

Strand savior

New York-based stylist and hair expert Shab Reslan said that while she hasn’t used any honey-fortified hair care products, the ingredient’s benefits are undeniable. “The biggest property of honey when it comes to hair is its antibacterial abilities as well as its soothing characteristics for any type of scalp problem,” says Reslan. “It can fight any type of infection created by chronic buildup or fungal disease.” The natural emollients found in honey also make hair appear smoother by coating the hair follicles.

A few options to try: Softening Gisou Honey Infused Leave-In Conditioner ($ 34), Bumble & Bumble Bb.Bond-Building Restorative Styling Cream ($ 34), and Leonor Greyl Gentle Volumizing Shampoo Honey Shampoo ($ 26) .