Sweet Cheeks: 4 Honey Beauty Recipes

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As much as I love being pampered, I’ve come to realize that treating myself to the spa can make for a very, well, sad wallet. I’d resigned myself to feeling just okay until I learned legendary heartbreaker Cleopatra’s secret to youthful, beautiful skin: honey.

1.  Honey contains antioxidants, which promote new cell growth, keeping skin youthful. This means that scars fade faster, too.

2.  Honey is humectant; it traps moisture from the air. Even oily and problem skin can benefit from this, since many products over-dry skin. This causes the pores to go into overdrive, producing more sebum (oil) and potentially more blemishes.

3.  Honey is antibacterial, especially darker varieties like Manuka honey which is made by bees that harvest the same bush from which we get tea tree oil. Honey cleans your skin while keeping it moist to promote healing. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and other cultures knew what they were doing when they used it to treat wounds.

A jar of honey at the grocery store often lasts longer and is cheaper than your average tube of face gunk. You can also feel like you’re doing your skin a favor; honey doesn’t contain any harmful parabens or ecotoxins, making it a cheap and clean beauty buy. Here are some honey beauty recipes to make your own bathroom feel like a spa.

Basic Honey Mask for All Skin Types

• 1 tbsp honey
• Optional drop of lavender or tea tree oil for troubled skin, chamomile oil for stressed skin

Wear this mask on a clean face for at least 10 minutes. Wash gently with lukewarm water. Although essential oils can initially be pricey, each drop goes a long way.

Honey Yogurt Exfoliating Scrub

The “exfoliants” you see in most commercial face masks are just little plastic microbeads that pile up on the ocean floor. Use ground oats or almonds and nature (and your wallet) will thank you.

• 2 tsp organic yogurt
• 2 tsp almond or oatmeal, pulsed in a food processor to a fine consistency
• 1 tsp honey

Combine ingredients and gently apply to your face. Massage—don’t scrub, which can irritate your skin and actually cause breakouts—and wash with lukewarm water.

Honey Hair Mask

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 avocado, peeled and de-stoned

Mash the ingredients in a bowl and then apply to hair. Slap on a shower cap, read a book in the tub, and wash as usual 30 minutes later.

Cleopatra Bath

• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup organic milk or cream

To make sure the honey mixes well with the bathwater, pour the honey and hot water into a cup or jar and stir until the two are thoroughly mixed. Pour it back into the bath with the milk or cream and enjoy.

This is a guest post from Alexis Bonari. Alexis Bonari is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she's been researching physics scholarship programs as well as chemistry scholarship programs. Whenever this WAHM gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping.