My favourite skincare product is hiding in your kitchen.
I love using this mask a few times per week.
by Fran Allen, CNP
I love skincare, it’s so fun to experiment with ingredients and see how they affect and transform our skin. My personal research gives me the opportunity to share with my clients and help them achieve their best skin ever. I’ve seen this product help my skin and so many of my clients too. It’s easy to use, fast acting and something you're probably have hiding in your pantry, RAW HONEY!
What is raw honey?
What separates raw honey from a common grocery store honey is pasteurization. Pasteurization is the process where honey is heated at high temperatures to kill any yeast that may be present in order to prevent fermentation. High heat kills most of the enzymes and some vitamins, so pasteurized honey doesn’t have as many nutrients as raw. It’s also done to keep the honey from becoming granulated, making it look better to consumers. Conventional pasteurized honey is smooth and uniform in color. Raw honey is milky in color and may have granules that can be melted easily if desired.
Raw honey is full of amazing nutrients for great skin: vitamins A, C, D, E and high concentrations of B vitamins including thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid. Raw honey also has beneficial enzymes and other nutrients that help protect and support healthy skin.
Personally, I have naturally have dry, sensitive skin type and have seen such a dramatic difference in the tone and texture of my skin by incorporating raw honey masks to my weekly routine. Here are a few of my favorite benefits of using honey in my skincare regularly.
Benefits of Raw Honey
Honey is gentle and effective for all skin types. I love using raw honey as a gentle exfoliating mask 1-2x per week , it works well for people with very sensitive or reactive skin like mine. The enzymes in raw honey help to remove dead skin gently and antioxidants help to heal and support inflamed skin. Honey is anti inflammatory and perfect for acne prone skin, honey helps to calm and heal cystic breakouts, the rich antioxidants help reduce scarring and pigmentation. Honey also works well for mature skin too, the natural humectants and emollients plump and hydrate the skin to improve tone and texture.
Some of my raw honey collection and a few of may favourite mask additions.
How to Use Raw Honey?
As a Mask
One of my favorite ways to use honey is as a simple mask. After cleansing skin, apply a small amount of water or toner on the skin to make sure the skin is damp. Take a dime size amount of honey and rub between your fingers to warm the honey, then apply in a thin, even layer over the face. Leave the mask on for 5-10 minutes and remove with a warm, wet face cloth. Finish by massaging toner and serum into the skin.
For added benefits, add some of these to your mask for extra nutrients:
Matcha: naturally full of antioxidants and polyphenols help to reduce inflammation and improve skin's elasticity, tone and reduce scarring.
Spirulina: helps to brighten and encourage cellular turnover, also naturally anti inflammatory and great for decongesting clogged pores.
Pearl Powder: rich in minerals, and amino acids, pearl powder is great for decreasing inflammation, brightening and encouraging cellular repair. It’s amazing for sun damaged skin.
Raw Cacao: high levels of antioxidants protect and repair the skin from free radical damage, it soothes redness and blemishes and calms complexion.
Yogurt: full fat yogurt is amazing for hydrating and gently exfoliating dry, flaky skin. The naturally occurring lactic acid helps to dissolve dead skin and tighten pores.
As a Cleanser
If masks are not your thing i would recommend double cleansing with honey. It helps to gently exfoliate and decongest while leaving skin feeling nice and hydrated.
1.To start remove any makeup using an oil cleanser, my favorite is Province Apothecary’s Moisturizing Oil Cleanser. Massage the cleanser into dry skin for about 1 minute and remove with a warm wet face cloth.
2.Once the oil is removed, wet your face with water or a few liberal spritzes of hydrating toner. You want to have a bit of moisture to avoid pulling or stretching your skin with the honey.
3. Use about ½ tsp or a dime size amount of honey and warm between your fingers. You don’t need to be exact but i find this amount to be the most effective and easiest to manage. Massage the honey all over your face, the same exact way you’d use a soap-based cleanser. (There won’t be suds, and your skin won’t get a “tight” feeling it gets after you use a conventional soap. This is a good thing—it means your skin won’t be dehydrated and your skin’s natural moisture will be intact!)
4. Remove the honey with a warm, wet face cloth just as you would a regular cleanser, make sure to get all of the honey from your neck and decollete to avoid any stickiness later.
5. Once all of the honey is removed, finish by spritzing your favorite hydrating toner and massaging your serum.
This can be done once or twice per day, depending on your oil production and lifestyle. For drier skin types I would recommend washing your face only in the evenings and for oilier skin or more active people washing morning and night.