12 Ways to Use Honey As A Health and Beauty Product

Honey has been used as a health and beauty product for centuries. In ancient Greece honey was used in many cosmetic and anti-aging preparations, woman would anoint themselves with a mixture of honey and olive oil to protect their skin as well as for facial marks to promote a clear complexion. Throughout Egypt people have been using honey for centuries for its health benefits. It is even said that Egypt’s last active pharaoh, Cleopatra, bathed in a mixture of milk and honey as one of her anti-aging rituals. Even today, beauty formulators still heavily use honey in natural skin care treatments. As a natural humectant, honey can be used in a range of beauty products and can easily be used in at-home remedies to create amazing moisturizing products, full of antioxidants and antimicrobial agents. Below we will talk more about the myriad of wonderful things honey can do for the skin when added to your beauty routine, for the best results though you want to make sure you are using a raw or unpasteurized honey.

1. Moisturizing Mask – So as I stated above, honey is a natural humectant which just means it’s a great moisturizing agent because it can retain or preserve moisture. Here’s a nice DIY recipe you can try at home and see for yourself: You can spread 1 tsp raw honey on clean, dry skin and leave on the skin for 20 minutes, all by itself. Rinse with warm water. And if you need a more in-depth treatment for your skin be sure to try out this recipe: Mix 1 Tbsp. buttermilk, 1 tsp honey and 1 egg yolk, then apply to the face (avoid the eyes!). Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

2. Help Scars Fade: In ancient Greece they relied on a mixture of Honey and Olive Oil in a number of their beauty treatments. They often used honey to lighten the skin, and in this way, it is useful in decreasing the appearance of scars by helping to increase healing and regenerate skin tissue. Try this at-home treatment to see the effects: Mix one tsp raw honey with 1 tsp coconut oil or olive oil. Apply to the area with the scar, and then place a hot washcloth over the skin, letting it sit until cool. You can then repeat every day.

3. Acne: Honey is a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial substance, so it’s great to use as an acne treatment, and also to calm redness and irritation. Simply dab honey on your blemishes or affected areas and let sit for 15. Rinse with warm water. It is also great for fighting acne when mixed with tea tree oil.

4. Pore Cleanser: Honey has enzymes in it that make it antibacterial and antimicrobial, which can work wonders to clarify your skin and clear your pores. Mix 2 Tbsp. coconut oil with 1 Tbsp. raw honey and apply to clean, dry skin (avoid the eyes). Then rinse. You’ll start to notice a more even tone and clearer complexion.

5. Rid Yourself of Rough and Dry Skin: By mixing honey with baking soda, you can create a wonderous natural body scrub to get rid of rough and dry skin, thanks to honeys moisturizing properties. To do this take two parts honey and one part baking soda and gently rub on the affected area in a circular motion then rinse with warm water.

6. Honey Bath Soak: Why not treat yourself like a pharaoh with this great bath soak straight from Cleopatra’s book. ¼ cup honey mixed with 2 cups milk and a few drops of essential oil. Add to a hot bath, sit back, and relax. You can keep it simple also by dissolving 2 Tbsp. of raw honey in 1 cup hot water. Then pour the cup into your tub; soak for however long you wish. You can also add a little baking soda to further soften skin.

7. Eczema or Dry Winter Skin: Sometimes we all need a little extra moisture for our skin, especially in those harsh winter months. Just mix 1 Tbsp. of honey with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and a dash of lemon juice and apply to elbows, knees and/or rough patches and let sit for 20 minutes, like a mask for your body. Rinse thoroughly. Another great way is to amp up your favorite moisturizer by just adding a few extra tablespoons of honey to it, this is especially great when mixed with a shea butter moisturizer.

8. For Nails and Cuticles: Again, I have to say how moisturizing honey really is, so why not use is for smoother, more youthful looking hands. Add is to your mani/pedi experience by mixing 1 tsp honey with 1 tsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp coconut oil. Rub over each cuticle, letting the nutrients and enzymes heal the skin for 10 minutes, then dip into lukewarm water.

9. Amplify Your Shampoo: By adding 1 tsp of honey with your regular shampoo, you can strengthen and help retain moisture in your hair. The trick is in thoroughly mixing the shampoo and honey; you might want to first try mixing in a bowl and really let the honey blend into the shampoo so it’s not quite as viscous and difficult to deal with. But do not fear, the honey washes out. It may seem daunting, but this trick will help condition and nourish dry, damaged strands.

10. Conditioning Mask: Raw honey will help boost shine and volume. For an at-home hair mask, mix 1 Tbsp. raw honey with 2 Tbsps. coconut oil. Apply completely to your hair, tips to roots. Let the mix work its magic for 20 minutes then rinse well (in a hot shower, to make sure all the ingredients “melt” out). You can substitute the coconut oil with olive oil.

11. Soothing Sunburns: Honey is soothing, protecting and will hydrate sunburned skin.  Mix 1 part honey with 2 parts Aloe Vera for a powerful, antimicrobial healing ointment.

12. Soft and Smooth Lips: If you have very chapped lips, you can apply honey directly to the lips and let it sit and do its moisturizing magic.

How do Bees Make Honey?

I don’t know about you but when my little girl asked me “How is honey made?” I didn’t have a clue how to answer her. So together we researched a bit and learned all about how bees create honey together. Here are a few simple steps to explain how it is done.

First honey bees collect pollen and nectar in the spring when most flowers and plants are in bloom. Bees have a long tube-like tongues call proboscis, similar to a straw, that they use to suck the nectar out of the flowers. The nectar is than stored in their stomachs and carried back to the beehive.

Now inside of the bee’s stomach the nectar mixes with the proteins and enzymes produced in their stomachs, which converts the nectar into honey.

Back at the hive bees then drop honey into hexagonal cells made of wax also produced by the bees, also known as a honey comb. They then will repeat this process until all the combs are full.

Next the bees will work towards evaporating the honey to prepare is for long-tern storage. The bees fan their wings to evaporate and thicken the honey. Honey is about 10-20% water, whereas nectar is about 80%.

Once the honey has been thickened, the bees cap the honeycomb with wax and move on to the next empty comb, starting all over again.

So, in a nutshell, the honey we love to eat is just flower nectar eaten and then regurgitated by bees that has been enhances with the nutritional properties in their stomachs, that is then dehydrated.

The bees make all of the extra honey to store in their hives as food for the winters when there are no blossoms and therefore little nectar available to make more of their delicious honey. Luckily for us the bees only need a small portion of the honey to get through the winter, meaning that there is plenty of honey that can then be harvested by bee keepers, for the rest of us to enjoy. 

Recently I was given the opportunity to go visit some of our beehives and talk to some of the beekeepers about the hives and how they harvest the honey. The beekeepers will remove the honey filled combs from the beehives, as pictured here.

They will extract the liquid honey by first removing the wax cap with a sharp knife or a machine and then placing the bee hive frames in a large centrifuge to get the honey out of the comb. Beekeepers have the choice of reusing the comb, as we do, by putting it back into the bee hives to be refilled with honey so that the bees do not have to rebuild new combs.

Amazing Benefits of Cinnamon Honey

Gorder’s Honey was established in 1992 in Blackfoot, Idaho. In 2015, it was bought by its current owner David Dance where it relocated to its current location in Idaho Falls. In 2017, we are celebrating Gorder’s 25th anniversary by making another transition. In the coming months, we will be rebranding Gorder’s Honey under a new name. Please look for our new Label, Rocky Mountain Honey in stores coming soon. The same great honey and taste with a new updated look.

I have written before about the amazing benefits received by consuming raw honey, but today in honor of a new product coming soon to the Gorder’s Honey Company, soon to be the Rocky Mountain Honey company, let’s talk about the benefits of Cinnamon Honey!

Honey has so many great natural properties as a blend of natural sugar, minerals, vitamins, trace enzymes and amino acids that boast many health benefits. As I’ve talked about in the past honey also attracts and retains moisture, which means it can even be used in your beauty routine as a hair conditioner or body scrub when mixed with a few other natural ingredients. But whatever you’re using it for health or beauty reasons, stick to raw, unfiltered, unpasteurized organic honey.

Now cinnamon too has so many great benefits too, other than the fact that it is a delicious add-on to toast, oatmeal and desserts. Cinnamon, like honey, has powerful medicinal properties too. This natural spice is loaded with antioxidants and works as an anti-inflammatory in the body to help fight infections and repair tissue damage. It’s been linked with reduced risk of heart disease, reduced cholesterol levels and reduced blood sugar levels. The antifungal and antibacterial properties in the popular spice make it a perfect natural remedy for infections and even bad breath!

On their own, these two ingredients have many uses and boast multiple health benefits. But what happens when you put them together?

Combining just a teaspoon of honey and cinnamon can provide you with a strong mix that battles illnesses and diseases naturally.

1. Bladder Infection Remedy

If you are battling an inflamed bladder, you can use this natural remedy to help soothe it. Combine 2 tablespoons of cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of honey into a glass of lukewarm water. The mixture will help destroy the bacteria in your bladder that’s causing the infection.

2. Heart Disease Prevention

A daily dose of cinnamon and honey can help keep your body healthy and protect against heart disease. Half of a teaspoon of cinnamon mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey in the morning can strengthen the heart, lower cholesterol and help to prevent a heart attack.

3. Flu and Cold Remedy

The flu and the common cold always seem to creep up, no matter how healthy of a routine you try to keep. To help strengthen your immune system and get rid of your cold or flu faster, combine a little cinnamon with a teaspoon of warm honey. Consume for three days and your illness should subside.

4. Arthritis Management

To help with the pain of arthritis naturally, consume a mix of honey and cinnamon each day. Combine 2 teaspoons of honey with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix into a cup of warm water. Drink each morning and evening.

5. Cholesterol Control

If you suffer from high cholesterol, this drink may do the trick. Mix 3 teaspoons of cinnamon with 2 teaspoons of honey into a half liter of water. Drink it throughout the day to help lower cholesterol levels.

6. Toothache Remedy

For an aching tooth, make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon and five teaspoons of honey. Apply to the affected tooth up to three times a day until the pain subsides.

So be on the lookout for our new name and product, the same great raw, natural, and unpasteurized clover honey with a new cinnamon twist. This product is great on bagels, in yogurt or oatmeal, and in so many great baking recipes. And don’t forget to add this product to beauty routine to help give you clear blemish free skin!