Bee beautiful with honey

Honey has numerous skin care benefits:

It is a natural humectant that draws moisture to the skin and locks in moisture to keep it hydrated
has antibacterial properties, making it useful for discouraging breakouts
has healing and skin repairing properties
contains antioxidants to protect against premature skin aging and damage
has anti-inflammatory properties that are healing for skin rashes, skin inflammation and itchy skin conditions
is purifying and good for decongesting clogged pores

All of these benefits make honey a popular ingredient in homemade beauty recipes. Here are 14 recipes to try plus Cleopatra’s secret beauty formulas as a bonus!

For the Face

Facial Masks
1. For a simple moisturizing mask, smooth a thin layer of honey onto the face. Leave on for about 15 – 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water.

2. Mix a teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and a couple of drops of lavender oil and massage onto the face. Relax for 15 – 20 minutes and then rinse off with warm water.

3. For softening and brightening, use equal parts honey and lemon juice and apply to the face and neck. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse with cold water.

4. To even skin tone: Finely chop two tablespoons of fresh parsley and add to a blender along with one egg yolk. Mix the ingredients and then add one tablespoon of honey. Blend. Apply a thick layer to the face and neck and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water. The parsley helps lighten dark discolorations and even out skin tone. It’s also believed to be helpful for reducing the occurrence of blackheads as well as wrinkles. The egg yolk and honey moisturizes dry skin, often a problem for mature skin.

5. Facial Scrub: Combine one teaspoon of sugar and one tablespoon of honey with one tablespoon of sparkling mineral water. Gently scrub the face for a few minutes and then rinse with warm water. Mineral water is high in silica which strengthens cells found between elastin and collagen fibers and slows down the formation of wrinkles.

Toners
6. This calming face toner comes from the National Honey Board. Boil two tablespoons of chamomile flowers (or one tea bag) in a cup of water. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain. Add one teaspoon of honey and 2 – 6 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the hot tea and stir until the honey has dissolved. Pour into a glass bottle (large enough to hold eight ounces). After cleansing the face, dab the toner onto the skin with a cotton ball. Be sure to follow with moisturizer. This toner will last one month.

7. Cucumber alone makes a great toner. Imagine adding honey! Peel and chop one medium-sized cucumber into pieces. Puree the cucumber in a blender and strain using a cheesecloth over a bowl. Let the cucumber stand for at least 15 minutes to strain the juice into the bowl. Then pour the cucumber juice into a bottle and add two teaspoons of honey. If necessary you can microwave the honey to make it more fluid. Shake the bottle and then apply the toner to a cotton pad and use on your face and neck. If you like, you can also use it on the décolletage. This recipe makes about 1/2 cup and will last one week when stored in the refrigerator.

For the Eyes

8. Steep a bag of chamomile tea and allow to cool. In a blender or food processor, combine two teaspoons of cucumber (peeled and with seeds removed), one tablespoon of aloe vera gel and 1/2 teaspoon of honey and blend on a low setting. Add the chamomile tea and blend until the mixture is smooth. Gently apply the mixture under the eyes with your ring finger. You can store the mixture in the refrigerator for one week. It’s especially good for relieving under eye puffiness when chilled.

For the Bath

9. Soak: For a yummy chocolate milk bath, mix 1 cup Epsom salt (or 1 cup sea salt) with 1 cup powdered milk, 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and place into a glass jar. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture to your bath water and then add 1/2 to 1 cup of honey to the bath water.

10. Body Scrub: Chop up or gently puree one or two small oranges. In a bowl, add the orange to two cups of plain yogurt, two tablespoons of honey and three tablespoons coffee grounds. Gently scrub onto the body in the shower and rinse off. This scrub helps remove dead skin cells and the coffee grounds assist in removing cellulite by increasing blood flow and circulation.

11. For a body polish that removes dead skin cells and brightens skin, crush 1/2 cup poppy seeds and mix with 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of honey. Apply and rinse off in the shower. Poppy seeds have anti-inflammatory properties, and are soothing for skin rashes and itchy skin. The natural oils in the seeds are very moisturizing. Poppy seeds are frequently found in exfoliating powders. Combined with the honey, this polish is great for dry skin.

For the Hands

12. This recipe from Bonding Over Beauty author Erika Katz can be used as a sweet smelling hand scrub. Combine one tablespoon of pureed mango, one tablespoon honey, one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon olive oil. Mix and put in a jar.

For the Feet

13. Try this pumpkin foot scrub from Skyy Hadley of As U Wish Nail Salon. For this scrub you will need 1 can pureed pumpkin, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/2 cup raw sugar, 2 tablespoons of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Put the pureed pumpkin in a bowl and stir in the yogurt, honey, sugar and olive oil. After washing your feet in warm water, apply the scrub to your feet in circular motions. Massage into feet for 10 minutes. Remove the scrub with a wash cloth and warm water.

14. To soften, moisturize and revitalize the legs and feet, crush a few fresh mint leaves and add to one tablespoon coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of honey (you can warm both in the microwave if necessary) and rub into the feet and legs. It’s also soothing and relaxing to use while still warm or you can cover with a moist and warm towels. (You can also add 1 tablespoon of sugar and use as a scrub.)

Cleopatra’s beauty secrets
The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra is known as the most beautiful women in the human history. For centuries people had admired Cleopatra’s beauty, her talents, her body and looks. The secret for her soft and glowing skin is attiributed to the baths in milk of a young donkey (3 cups) mixed with with fresh honey (1/2 cup) and almond oil (5 tablespoons). Pour this substance into your bath too and make your skin gentle and silky! For her face the legendary Egyptian Queen used to crush green grapes to a pulp, add honey and mix it all together. You may also apply this balm to a clean, damp face and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse well.
For the hair, now, she mixed 3 table spoons of honey with 1 table spoon of castor oil (if you don’t have castor oil – olive oil will do). Apply this substance on your freshly washed hair and let it soak in for 5-15 minutes, then rinse. This natural hair treatment helps to repair damaged hair, giving it more shine and softness.
Last but not least, here is the recipe for Cleopatra’s face cream, excellent for every skin. You will need: 2 tablespoons of aloe vera juice, 4 drops of rose essential oil, 1 tablespoon of almond oil and 2 spoons of beeswax. Heat the beeswax and the almond oil until the substance gets liquid, then add the rest of the ingredients. You can add vitamin E. After the cream cools down, you can put it into your fridge. It can last for about a week.

So, which of these secret recipes would you try?