Natural Face Wash: Honey!

Hi friends!

Today I thought I’d talk about my newest adventure in facial care!

But first, let me tell you why I think this is important…

As you may know, so many of the products that line the shelves today contain ingredients that are harmful to your health, even some “natural” products! These ingredients can cause cancer, trigger allergic reactions, interfere with the endocrine system, impair reproduction, damage a developing fetus, the list goes on...

Did you know that the skin is our body's largest absorption organ? Tests have shown that absorption through the skin (which can go straight to your blood stream) is almost always greater than ingestion through the mouth. It is far more toxic to take a 15 minute shower in chlorinated water than to drink a glass of it! That’s crazy! So then, why would I want to put something on my skin that I wouldn’t put in my mouth? I know what you’re thinking…..and yes, there might be some exceptions to this, but probably not as many as you would think! All I’m saying is, if I have the choice to use something that is natural (and even edible!) rather than a chemical laden product, why would I choose the latter?

So now on to the fun part!

I recently found a thread on the Mothering website (which I love!) where ladies were raving about their experiences with washing their faces with honey! Yes, HONEY! But this isn't a new idea. Cleopatra's legendary milk and honey baths are just one of many historical examples of people using honey to pamper their complexions. I read through the entire thread (all 33 pages of it!) and it took me 3 days to sort through all the great info! So, I thought I’d compile a little summary here about what I’ve learned.

There are lots of different options and ways to do this. Since no one routine will work for everyone, you have to tailor it to your skin type. And, this is not just for women! It works just as well for men too!

So let’s get started! First, you need some raw honey. The main reason to get raw honey is because regular honey brands can sometimes be just “honey flavored” syrup, not real honey.

First Step: Wash your face with raw honey!

(If you wear make-up, you can use cotton cosmetic pads soaked in olive oil to remove it.)

Here’s what I do:

In the morning I wash my face in the shower. I plan on buying a little squirt bottle to keep some honey in the bathroom so it will be more readily available. I put a little glob in my hand, then rub it all over my face using circular motions. I let it sit there while I wash my hair and body, then rinse with warm water. Voila! My face feels clean and sooo soft! You'd think that the honey would feel sticky and gross, but it doesn’t at all! I wash my face again before bed using the same method, but at the sink.

Now here’s why it works:
Honey has glycolic acid, which helps skin get back to its naturally acidic pH. Honey also has antibacterial properties, which help with acne.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Exfoliating can help unclog pores which trap acne bacteria and other gunk, and rid your face of dead skin cells.

As for how often to exfoliate, it depends on your skin and sensitivity. In general, it’s recommended to exfoliate no more than every 3 days. Some people can gently exfoliate twice a day, some people can only stand it once a week or once a month. It's up to you and your skin type. The problem with over-exfoliating is that you risk drying out skin and stripping off the top layer. Your skin responds as if it were injured and produces more oil, resulting in acne.

If you want to exfoliate, you can add a little bit of baking soda to your honey when you wash your face. Baking soda exfoliates and can dry out acne. If this is too harsh for you, try brown sugar, sea salt, or ground up oatmeal. Another option is to use a wash cloth when rinsing off the honey. Gently rubbing your skin can help exfoliate, but don’t rub too hard or your skin might end up irritated.

Step 3: Tone your skin

I personally don’t use a toner because I have very sensitive skin, but toning can be very beneficial if you are dealing with acne or if you wear make-up. Also, it might be a good idea to tone your face after using baking soda (very alkaline) to exfoliate, to restore your skin’s pH.

For a great non-toxic option, just dilute some apple cider vinegar in water and use that like you would a normal toner. I would start off using 25% ACV 75% water to see how it works with your skin type. If you need more, bump it up to a 50/50 solution.

Step 4: Moisturize!

This is such an important step! Even if you skip the toner, you should definitely moisturize your skin after you wash it.

Great options for moisturizing:

- Coconut oil

- Shea butter

- Jojoba oil

- Rosehip oil

- Sweet almond oil

Remember, a little bit goes a long way!

If you have oily skin, you;re probably cringing at the thought of puttin goil on your face. Once you wash your face, the oil is no longer there as a barrier to keep the skin's own natural water content inside. If you don’t moisturize, your skin over-reacts and produces way too much oil in an attempt to balance itself out, and the result is oily skin! The reason skin gets so oily is because it needs more moisture than it is getting, so if you do use a light moisturizer, it may calm down the excess oil production.

Moisturizing also gives the skin a glow, helps makeup go on better, and improves the texture of skin!

Random Tip: Make sure you wash your pillowcases often. Oils from your hair or face can aggravate acne and it builds up on your pillowcases.

If you decide to try this honey thing out, keep in mind that your skin may go through a “detox” period before you begin to see results. Your skin is used to commercial cleansers, and may need time to get used to your new routine. Some people say they have breakouts or oily skin at first. This can last days or weeks for some people. But stick with it and be patient! Once you find the right balance and routine for your skin, you’ll never want to go back to commercial cleansers!

Feel free to comment! I'll try to answer any questions the best I can.

Thanks for reading :o)