A handful of topical honey uses

Honey doesn’t just taste good and provide health benefits when consumed. Research shows promising results with topical honey use too.

Before we get to today’s post, I wanted to let you know that I’m sharing some special news with every post from now until this blog’s first anniversary next month. I’m amazed it’s only been a year—it feels much longer! This week I’m letting you know that I’m planning to offer pollen and propolis for the first time. I’ll have a very limited supply of pollen with honey sales this summer. Propolis is harvested in the fall, so I won’t know availability until closer to the holidays. (If you already subscribe to my seasonal honey updates, you learned that news yesterday.) Now, back to this week’s topic…

Raw honey in the hive.

Honey can be used topically for general skincare, wound care, chronic skin issues, and many other conditions, but it’s important to distinguish which kind of honey and its source. With most commercial sources of honey completely adulterated and cut with corn syrup, or heated and stripped of medicinal properties, the appropriate honey for skincare is likely not found on a supermarket shelf. For skincare, you’ll ideally choose raw and as close to the source as possible. For a true honey, it’s best to know your beekeeper and their practices.

Raw honey contains important enzymes, vitamins and minerals, flavonoids, and countless other properties. As I explain in the following use cases, some situations might prompt the use of particular honeys that have been produced with specific floral sources. The following is a collection of broad uses and each requires a closer look into honey sourcing, frequency of use, and the individual’s particular skin condition and known allergies.

5 uses and benefits of raw honey in skincare

1. Routine skincare. For general skincare one of my favorite things is a honey mask 10 minutes before a shower or bath. The ingredients? Honey. Nothing else. Honey is hydrophilic, which means it draws moisture from the air. Honey is also a humectant, which means it pulls moisture into your skin. Some studies that show honey’s antioxidants help to slow or repair cell damage. Since honey also fights bacteria, it’s also shown to help reduce or prevent acne, and has also been used to help reduce acne scarring.

2. Wound and burn treatment. Whether a burn was caused by a fire, chemical, or steam, or wound was caused by a bite, cut, or diabetes, numerous modern studies and thousands of years of use show promising results from honey application. Antimicrobial, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal, honey’s properties are all around ideal for treating burns. Honey has been shown to kill staph bacteria, particularly MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus), E. coli, and many other bacterial strains. The Cochran Database of Systematic Reviews revealed that “clinical studies suggest that honey can be more effective than traditional treatments for healing partial thickness burn wounds.” Using honey for wounds and burns can also help prevent painful and costly procedures. For instance, research shows that topical honey use is so effective for wounds and burns that it allows patients to heal without the need for skin grafting. “Honey has been shown to stimulate angiogenesis and epithelialization, promoting more efficient healing,” according to the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

3. Chronic skin irritations like eczema and psoriasis. While the research isn’t broad, a small number of studies show promising results for improving the comfort for people managing chronic skin issues. Remember that humectant property I mentioned earlier? The ability to draw moisture into the skin helps tissues rebuild and repair. Dry, cracked skin creates risks of infection, particularly if bleeding occurs and introduces the risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream. Medical News Today reported a study that suggests honey fights skin inflammation caused by eczema because of its antibacterial properties. More than two-thirds of people with eczema (atopic dermatitis) harbor the staph bacteria Staphylococcus aureus on their skin. The study showed that skin conditions “significantly improved” with only one week of daily honey use.

4. Fungal skin issues. Another ingredient in honey is hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide’s reputation as a wound cleaning agent comes from its ability to kill viruses, mold spores, yeasts and bacteria, and fungi. Since fungal strains and skin infection locations vary, honey may not be the ideal support for all fungal skin infections. Also, research shows that the floral sources of honey greatly impact honey’s antifungal properties, so these issues should be researched in greater detail.

5. Bug bites and bee stings. It’s a little funny that a treatment for a honey bee sting is honey, however, honey helps for a number of insect stings and bites. Honey helps alleviate itching and prevents bacteria from entering the body through the bite or sting site. Another helpful supportive agent is basil. General culinary basil, mashed into a poultice and applied to the sting helps reduce inflammation.

An important note on any topical honey use—aside from checking with a medical professional first—is to implement the treatment indoors. Some treatments suggest applying honey under a bandage and/or before bed time. Avoid “wearing” honey outside and exposed. Bees and other insects will smell the honey and try to eat it. Honey bees will return to their colony and tell their fellow foragers where to find the food source, and they’ll keep coming back until it’s gone. Avoid turning into a walking buffet and keep the honey skincare indoors.