Pamper your skin with honey

www.benefits-of-honey.com

I have heard so much about people spending thousands of Naira to buy different types of cream (concoctions?) for face, neck and body all in a bid to look younger than their age. However, some are doing it just to maintain their skin complexion.

I have tried my hands on some of these things but, I can tell you, there is nothing like going natural. After all, many of the beauty products also have traces of natural ingredients in them.

I am going the honey way, first. Honey has the ability to absorb and retain moisture. It has natural antioxidant and anti microbial properties. Honey absorbs impurities from the pores on the skin, making it an ideal cleansing agent.

Before you decide to use honey on your skin, you must be sure it is pure and not adulterated honey. A simple way of testing is to observe how liquid honey comes down into a glass of water. Pure honey does not immediately dissolve in water; you will notice that it takes a bit of effort to stir it in the water to dissolve the lumpy bits, whereas adulterated one tends to dissolve easily as you drop them into the water.

Here we go with some DIY recipes to pamper your skin.

1. Cucumber-Honey Toner:

Puree 1 cucumber in a blender, drain and collect the juice. Add 2 teaspoons of honey into the juice and mix. Pour the mixture into a bottle. Apply on the face and neck area with a cotton pad in the morning and at night. Air dry it and rinse clean. Store the bottle covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

2. Honey-Apple Toner:

In a blender or food processor, combine 1 peeled, cored apple with a tablespoon of honey and pulse until smooth. Apply mixture to face and allow it to stay for 15 minutes, then rinse.

3. Honey-Oats Face Scrub:

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon finely-ground almonds, 2 tablespoons dry oatmeal, and some lemon juice or yogurt to a luxurious and exfoliating facial scrub. Massage mixture gently onto face, then rinse with warm water. This blend gives a deeply emollient cleansing to the pores of your face. Almonds and oats are superb softening exfoliants.

4. Gentle Honey Cleanser:

Mix 1⁄4 cup honey, 1 tablespoon liquid soap and 1⁄2 cup glycerin (found in drug stores). Apply gently on to face using a face sponge. Rinse with warm water and pat face dry.

5. Hot Honey Bath:

Perhaps the easiest natural skin care recipe using honey -- Add 1/4 cup of honey to your hot bath water for silky and luscious skin. This is especially good for dry skin.