A Jillion Uses for Honey

Photo by Barba-gris

Aww, honey, honey… doo do do do do dooo!

Honey has an incredible number of uses and properties; it’s an antimicrobial, a mild laxative, helps the body retain calcium, a moisturizer, aids weight loss, and never ever goes bad. Woo, and that list isn’t even close to comprehensive. Best of all, though, honey has been a beauty secret to famous women throughout history.

Here are some uses I’ve gathered from my own experience and the experiences of friends and acquaintances that were generous to share them with me. They don’t quite add up to a jillion, but if enough be people share their own secret uses for honey, we could get close! Well, kind of close.

So without further ado…

A Jillion Uses For Honey

Facial Moisturizer: Spread a thin layer of honey on your face, let it sit for five minutes, and then rinse it off. When the seasons change (like now), my skin gets super dry, so I try this trick before bed and the honey leaves my skin is super smooth! Come morning, my face is still moisturized. It’s great for all skin types because it won’t clog pores and has antimicrobial properties which discourage the growth of bacteria (one of the causes of breakouts and acne). Be warned, however, rinse the honey off really well. More than once I’ve made the mistake of missing a spot, and woke up to mysteriously sticky pillow cases.

Facial Scrub: This is a variation on the above; add some rolled oats to the honey before you spread it on your face, then massage it into your skin. The oats act as a gentle exfoliater that removes dull, dead skin cells without the risk of over-exfoliating and irritating delicate skin.

Bathtime: Add a few squeezes of honey to your bath for moisturized, soft skin when you step out and dry off.

Hair Conditioner: In the shower, I’ll sometimes squeeze a small palmful of honey into my hand after shampooing, and coat the ends of my hair. I wait a few minutes before thoroughly rinsing out, and voila! No frizz, no flyaways. It's like magic.

Shine Serum: Mix a tablespoon of honey into one cup of very warm water, then put the mixture into a spray bottle. Spritz onto damp hair and comb through. Then, style as normal and prepare for hair so shiny, you'll stop traffic with one toss of your locks.

Lip Balm: Add a few drops of honey to a small amount of petroleum jelly and you’ve got a tasty moisturizing lip treatment. From there, depending on how creative you want to get, you can add various essential oils and food coloring and experiment with different colors, scents and flavors. Vaseline sells these teensy baby jars of petroleum jelly, which work perfectly.

Shave Balm: Mix together one part honey to two parts cream and slather on your legs instead of shaving cream. It's way more hydrating than soap or shaving cream and cuts way down on razor burn and irritation.

Mani/Pedis: Before soaking your tooties for a pedi or your fingers for a mani, rub a little honey on your cuticles or rough spots (like heels and the balls of your feet) to soften them.


That's all I got! What are some of your favorite uses for honey?