Honey in skincare
Honey has been used to improve skincare health for centuries and more recently become a very popular ingredient in the skincare and beauty industry. Certain honey has such powerful antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties they are used as medicinal alternative options for a variety of skin conditions and to improve skin healing. The benefits of honey on the skin is a long list from skin healing, whitening, hydrating, smoothing, cleanser, and more.
What are the benefits of honey on the skin?
Healing
Cleanser
Hydration
Bleamishes
Anti-inflammatory
What are the antibacterial compounds in honey?
The antibacterial factors in honey are its high sugar content, its low pH, and the antibacterial compound called hydrogen peroxide. In addition to this, more recently manuka honey and RS honey have been found to have methylglyoxal and the antimicrobial peptide bee defensin-1. Manuka and RS honey are the sources of medicinal grade honey for which it is used for.
What skincare products is honey found in?
Honey can be found in various forms of skincare products such as creams, face masks, lotions, serums, gels, ointments, facial mists, shampoos, lip balms, and more.
What is medicinal honey?
The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey are considered the most important characteristic of honey for the healing of wounds, bruises, burns, eczema, rosacea, and acne. Manuka honey, Kanuka honey, and RS honey are common sources of medicinal-grade honey that are often bought behind the counter.
Caution when using honey
Using honey topically is generally safe for most people. However, people with pollen allergies may react to raw honey. It is still important to conduct a skin patch test on a small part of the skin before applying honey to larger areas of the body.