Honey

September is National Honey Month.  Honey is an excellent beauty aid.  It is one of the main ingredients in one of my more popular lip balm recipes and is featured in several other beauty recipes that will appear in the book.  Legend has it that Cleopatra used honey for her own beauty treatments.

Why is honey such a great ingredient to use in DIY beauty recipes?  The texture of honey attracts moisture, even drawing moisture from the air, and then helps infuse that moisture into your skin.  Regular use of products with honey helps skin to maintain elasticity without making the skin dry.  Honey's antioxidants help to delay the signs of aging and, when used as part of a face mask, helps in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Honey has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties that speed healing, heal burns, reduce scars, and helps prevent infection.  Its antibacterial properties make it a great preventative treatment for acne.  It can even be used as a spot treatment for breakouts.

You want to use raw honey, not the over-processed and pasteurized product found in most stores.  Try to obtain local honey when you are able.

One simple way to add honey to your beauty regimen is to simply spread honey on your skin in a thin layer.  Let it sit for up to 30 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.  Pat your skin dry and moisturize as usual.