How To Make a Honey Face Mask + 4 Extra Recipes for Clear, Glowing Skin

If there’s one natural ingredient to stock on your beauty shelf, it is honey. You can find the bee sap in anything from a hair mask, face wash, even an all-natural moisturizer—is there nothing the golden goop can’t do?

Consider honey the ultimate DIY superstar, one that you can add to virtually any treatment. But let’s start with the simplest out there: a single-ingredient honey face mask. Easy to make, and the benefits are just as sweet.

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What is Honey?

Honey has centuries-long credibility as a respected ingredient beyond kitchen use. Chief among the benefits is the antimicrobial activity of many honey varieties—it kills bacteria living on the skin. This effect probably explains how honey came to be used traditionally as a wound-healing agent in many different cultures. The sweet substance is produced by plant matter, enzyme activity, and live bacteria. According to these research scientists Howe and Marisa Plescia, what honey contains will depend in large part on what plant source the bees who are making it are using.

Honey is what’s called a natural humectant (draws moisture into the skin). If your skin needs a hydrating boost, this is the perfect ingredient. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and acts as an anti-viral/anti-fungal.

Benefits of Honey for Skin

As Shamban describes, it is full of flavonoids, hydrogen peroxide, and phenolic acid dermal benefits. Raw, unpasteurized honey is one of Mother Nature’s power players you want to have on your A-team to get the job done when needed.

  • Cleanses pores: good news: Honey is naturally antibacterial, one of the reasons it makes for a great face wash. Remove dirt and debris with nothing more than a little raw honey—just add water.
  • Treat Acne: You can use honey as a cleanser to help prevent certain types of breakouts because of its anti-fungal properties. For a more potent effect, honey can be left on breakouts to help them heal faster.
  • Exfoliate Skin: Honey on its works better as a cleanser as opposed to an exfoliator because of its smooth consistency. You generally won’t find honey, even in its purest form, to be particularly granular.
  • Fade Scars: Honey contains trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide. This might give it mild lightning properties, which is particularly helpful when it comes to resolving pesky post-acne marks and hyperpigmentation.
  • Hydrates Skin: Honey draws moisture into the skin from the air. Applying honey on the face is a great way to keep your skin hydrated, glowing, fresh, and supple at all times.
  • Helps Skin Conditions: Howe shares, “One researcher has shown it to treat seborrheic dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis.” Raw honey can also soothe eczema.
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How to make a honey face mask

A honey face mask is as simple as it sounds: Snag some raw/unfiltered honey from your favorite grocery store, and you’ve got yourself a spa-grade mask in a snap. Using honey by itself is an effective skin clearing, nourishing, and revitalizing treatment. That’s because honey, especially of the Manuka variety, has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that calm the skin and keep breakouts at bay.

With all the benefits honey has to offer, no surprise you can invest in a jar of the straight-up goop and slather on. Here’s how to do it right: 

  1. Apply an even layer of raw/unfiltered or Manuka honey on damp skin after your face wash routine.
  2. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse off with cold water. It rinses off much more easily than you might expect! It’s hardly sticky at all when you add water.
  3. After rinsing, apply warm water to face towel and gently dap the hot face towel on face for a minute. Then, follow with a cream or oil to seal in the moisture. 

Primp Tip: If you have a blemish you’d like to nix, try dabbing a little raw honey directly on as a spot treatment. “It can be particularly beneficial for acne or blemish-prone skin. There have been clinical studies proving positive results both in lessening size and duration of blemishes,” says Shamban.

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In terms of how often you should mask, we recommend sticking to a couple of times per week. While it certainly won’t hurt to slather on every single day, it’s not necessary to reap all the benefits mentioned above. Just 20 minutes 2x a week is plenty: It will still provide all those skin-boosting benefits.

With that being said, it’s also not necessary to leave the treatment on overnight; while you certainly can if you feel so inclined, know that you’re not providing your skin with any extra benefits. Remember, honey is thick and has a sticky texture so that might be messy when you wake up unless you’re able to sleep on your back through the night.

4 honey face masks for clear, glowing skin

Sure, a honey face mask is a simple, one-ingredient mask, but that’s not to say you can’t include some add-ons if you’re feeling fancy. Here are four ways to upgrade your honey mask, for any skincare concern you’ve got:

  • Brightening turmeric, honey, and lemon mask 

Turmeric and lemon are amazing for skin-brightening: Turmeric (and its active ingredient, curcumin) has antioxidant properties that can help protect the skin from free-radical damage, while lemon has a fair share of vitamin C—perfect for fading dark spots.

To make this mask, combine 1 tbsp. of raw or Manuka honey, 1 tsp. of ground turmeric, and ½ tsp. of lemon juice. Slather on and leave for 10 minutes or until the mask starts to harden, then wash off with warm water. 

  • Moisturizing honey and olive oil mask

This nourishing mask feels downright luxurious: Adding a natural oil to your honey mask can not only help with the stickiness and application of the honey, but natural oils are emollients that contain high levels of fatty acids, which moisturize and soothe the skin. The result? A lightweight mask chock-full of skin-healthy antioxidants. Feel free to choose any oil here (coconut, jojoba, argan—the list goes on.) We use olive oil because olive oil work wonders on dry skin and contains many antioxidants, such as vitamin E. Simply mix the two until combined, then leave on for 20 minutes. 

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  • Exfoliating yogurt and honey mask

Yogurt is jam-packed with lactic acid—a sensitive-skin-approved chemical exfoliator—which gently sloughs dead skin cells with ease. When you add honey to the mix, it becomes even more gentle and hydrating: Simply combine 1 tbsp. of finely ground oatmeal, 1 tsp. of raw or Manuka honey, and 1 tsp. of full-fat dairy or nondairy yogurt. Stir until it forms a paste, then slather on and leave for 15 minutes.

  • Skin-soothing mint, honey, and aloe mask 

If you’re looking for a fun, summery option reminiscent of a poolside cocktail, this refreshing mask is practically screaming your name. Both aloe and rosewater are great skin-soothing and -balancing ingredients, bound to tame any inflammation you’ve got (it feels especially lovely post-sun). Try this mixture during your next impromptu spa night: Mash 2 to 4 mint leaves, and mix with 2 parts honey, 2 parts aloe gel, and a few sprays of rosewater. Leave it on for up to 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water. 

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The takeaway. 

With all the skin-health benefits the goop has to offer, no surprise honey reigns supreme as a DIY-friendly ingredient. Of course, remember to do a patch test before applying honey to your face, especially if you’re new to DIY: Even if you consume honey all the time, your skin might have an unexpected reaction to it as a topical treatment. If you have any bee or pollen allergies, you may want to steer clear entirely, as raw honey might contain trace amounts of bee pollen or other tree pollens.

Other than that, feel free to slather on the star of DIY. A single jar of honey can have you glowing in no time.

BeautyLeeBar takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

This Mask Is Like a Virgin Mojito for Your Face

Living in Florida feels like summer is here all year round especially when it is hot, humid, and cool like it has been lately. One of the best ways to enjoy summer, which is its own special season according to traditional Chinese medicine, is to embrace the mix of warm and cool weather that’s to come. If you find yourself wishing you were on vacation, use it as an excuse to give yourself an at-home spa day.

This mask was formulated for warmer days to bring a cool, calming energy to the skin. Use it on mild sunburns, as a weekly hydration treatment, and/or when it’s too damn hot to do anything else. Here is a simple beauty solution that can make your skin glow.

DIY Mint & Aloe Face Mask

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons raw local honey
  • 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
  • a spray or a few drops of a rosewater toner
  • organic fresh mint leaves (2 to 4 leaves is all you need)

Directions

  1. Bruise and mash up the mint with a mortar and pestle to release the essential oils.
  2. Stir everything together.
  3. Apply it all to your face.
  4. Leave the mask on for 10 to 20 minutes.

Disclaimer: This article is completely based on research, experiments and data available on the internet. However, it is always advised to consult a dermatologist before following any remedy or making changes in your regime.

3 MILK-INFUSED HAIR MASKS TO TAKE YOUR HAIR FROM DRAB TO FAB

Cleopatra was right! Legend has it that the Egyptian empress bathed in milk to keep her skin and hair looking, well, like a queen. Containing protein, amino acids, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc, milk can do wonders for your dull and brittle hair. Since your consumption of milk is limited to your morning coffee, and you can’t go filling bathtubs with milk, there’s another way to treat your tresses with milk…hair masks!

We have three DIY hair mask recipes made with milk and other hair-loving ingredients that you can try out and get healthy and flawless hair…

Milk + Honey

In the Bible, milk and honey represent prosperity in the Promised Land.

The solution to all your hair woes is in this one hair mask. A popular homemade remedy, the mixture of milk and honey works like a charm. Antibacterial honey fights scalp infection, excess oil, and dryness while milk makes your hair soft and smooth. Mix two tablespoons of honey into one cup of raw milk and mix well. Apply this mixture onto hair and leave it be for 20 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water and repeat weekly.

Milk + Banana

Dry hair got you down? Make yourself a banana milkshake! No, we aren’t kidding. Blend one ripe banana and half cup milk for an ultimate dry hair solution. Milk and banana are both extremely moisturizing and will nourish your mane from root to tip. Apply this mask on your hair and leave it on for half an hour before washing it off with a mild shampoo. Repeat this twice a week for soft and luscious hair.

Milk + Eggs

Eggs are the shine-boosting ingredient you’ve been missing from your hair care routine. Combine it with nutrient-rich milk, and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe for silky and lustrous tresses. Break two eggs in a bowl, add half a cup of milk, and whisk. Add some lemon drops and mix well. Apply the mask on your hair and let it stay for 30-40 minutes. Wash with a sweet-smelling shampoo. Do this once a week for naturally glossy hair.

5 Ways to Create Faux Freckles That Look Totally Natural

Whether you have them naturally or need to fake it ’til you make it, freckles are always a good idea and have become increasingly more popular in makeup trends over the past few years. Since freckles are here to stay and help your complexion look flushed and healthy, you might need some help in re-creating them if you weren’t born with them, to begin with. If you don’t have a natural freckle in sight but desperately want some, we’ve got great news: you can fake your freckles. From freckle pens to henna, we’ve rounded up a few different ways you can fake the look of freckles that are way easier than you might think. Ahead, are all of the tips you need to know for creating the most believable, natural-looking freckles that will have anyone fooled.

01 Experiment with a Freckle Pen

Yes, freckle pens are a real thing and make our lives so easy when creating faux freckles. Thanks to Freck Beauty, they’ve created freckle pens that are specifically designed to help you create freckles in a few different shades for different skin tones. To use the pens correctly, all you need to do is dip the brush in the product and lightly apply freckles on the face to resemble a natural cluster. The key with this product is to continue to tap the brush lightly onto the skin until you’ve created enough freckles to your satisfaction. The more you practice with the brush, the easier it will get. If you add space in between freckles, the better and more believable they’ll end up looking. This freckle pen from Sephora can also help apply natural-looking freckles if you’re looking for something slightly different.

Freck Beauty
Freck The Original Freckle $28.00

02 Take a Second Look at Your Brow Pencil

Since brow pencils can be natural in tone, they are a great tool to utilize when creating freckles that blend well with your skin and hair. You want to avoid creating freckles with a noticeable contrast that they look out of place on the face. A few different brow products will work for this, yet those with precise pointed tips are best to create a natural freckle look since they are naturally small. You can use a waterproof pencil with a fine tip such as this Brow Blade Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil & Ink Stain from Urban Decay. This dual-sided pencil contains a precise pencil and marker that help define and fill in freckles on the skin, not to mention suitable natural, fluffy-looking eyebrows. When practicing with a brow pencil, you can opt to try different-sized freckles to see which ones work best. While you want to avoid anything looking noticeably large, the more misshaped they are, the more they will come off as natural, and no one will be the wiser.

Urban Decay
Brow Blade Ink Stain Waterproof Pencil $26.00 $15.60

03 Opt for Waterproof Eyeliner

If you need something in a pinch and have a waterproof eyeliner (liquid or pencil) in a soft brown or darker brown tone lying around, that can also be used as a tool to create faux freckles. With waterproof formulas, it’s important to keep in mind that once they’ve set on the skin, they are a tad harder to remove, so precision is key with the pencil to make sure there’s no smearing or smudging. If you’re going to try this tip, gently apply the pencil to the skin to create a faint dot and then follow up by pressing a tad harder for the freckle to become more visible. If you’re using a liquid eyeliner, press the tip on a paper towel a few times to get the ink flowing and make sure the tip has enough product.

Think of it like a practice run before applying the freckles for good. Try this technique for a few days to get the hang of creating the freckle shape and using the product together. While this might take you longer, they will look better in the long run with a little patience. Be sure to keep your hands off your face throughout the day not to ruin any of the freckles you’ve applied.

e.l.f. Cosmetics
Waterproof Eyeliner Pen $3.00
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04 Use a Stencil

If the act of creating faux freckles on your own is intimidating, don’t worry. You can use a stencil to help you know where to place the freckles and utilize it as a guide if you’re feeling overwhelmed. This stencil kit from Bronzie is easy to use and will give you the look of freckles in a few simple steps and completely takes away the worry of knowing where and how to apply them. Place the stencil across the face as directed and use makeup to fill in the areas where the freckles should be, along with thinking about where the sun hits naturally on the face for a sun-kissed, freckled finish. If you want your freckles to last, apply a setting spray to the skin after you’re done to keep everything in place.

Bronze
The Ultimate Tan Your Own Freckle Stencil $7.00

05 Consider Using Henna

Mihenna
The Henna Freckle Kit $18.99

Known for creating gorgeous, long-lasting works of art on the skin, henna has been used for centuries in hair and beauty remedies and treatments and is suitable to use for creating faux freckles, too. Using a kit like this one from Mihenna is ideal if henna is the route you’re taking. An organic, ready-made henna paste, moisturizing coconut oil, and a specially shaped cone that gives precise and natural freckles are included in the kit for a freckle application that lasts and looks beautiful. Freehand freckles on your face or body by using the cone to apply the henna; wherever you decide, this kit will turn you into a pro for creating freckles in no time at all. Lightly tap the henna after you’ve applied it to the skin to help set it and keep freckles in place.