Honey Mask for Acne

For centuries, people have been using honey mask for acne and for curing other marks, scars, spots etc. The honey mask for acne does not have a single recipe. It can be made with different combinations of herbs and other substances. This article tries to touch all possible aspects related to use of honey mask for acne.

Using honey mask for acne treatment is a very popular hone remedy and if you too are serious about treating your acne the natural, harmless way and if you are not very good at absorbing those medicines made of harsh chemicals, then honey mask is the right choice for you. You can get rid of acne, without taking the pain of digesting the bitter pills or applying those creams and lotions which, in many cases, are nothing but lumps of petroleum gel, mixed with some scent, colour, mild bleach and some antibiotics. These chemicals present in these What’s more! You can use this mask even with the medication you are already taking and it won’t interfere anyway. But before we start, we must know what causes acne and then try to deduce logically that how honey mask can be helpful for treating acne.

Cause of Acne:

Acne Vulgaris (the scientific name for common Acne) is almost a universal problem, with almost everyone in the world suffering from it sooner or later in their lives. This type of acne is caused by blocking of sebaceous glands, the glands responsible for producing and secretion of sebum, either due to peeled off skin or dust or other such blocking material and/or due to certain hormonal activities during teens due to which the production of sebum increases many times abruptly. That is why this type of acne is most found in teens. Anyway, now when the opening of these sebum glands are blocked, the sebum cannot escape and it starts depositing below the skin pores, making them look red and swollen. As a result, the openings of these glands are not cleaned (which was otherwise cleaned due to flow of sebum earlier). This makes them prone to infections by microbes and the situation aggravates. The pores now become red, itchy, painful swollen spots on skin which look ugly and leave dark spots on skin when they go. This situation is called acne.

Cure of Acne:

Once you know the cause, it becomes easy to find a cure. Since acne is caused due to blockage and subsequent infection of sebum glands, clearing the blockage and fighting the infection should help cure acne. This is where honey mask for acne comes into play. A honey mask for acne not only clears the blockage but also takes away the infectious microbes with it, thus reducing acne. Now, different types of honey mask for acne are used in different skin types, viz. dry skin, oily skin, sensitive skin etc. Let’s have a look what fits us.

Honey Masks for Acne:

Here are some masks, along with their recipes, symptoms, skin type for which it is made and some tips.

Honey Mask: Honey alone can be used as a mask and is effective in curing acne by cleansing your pores and not letting microbes grow there due to its anti microbial properties. Added to this, the waxy part of honey helps keep the skin soft, smooth and glowing.
Ingredients: Nothing but honey. Quantity: As per requirement.
Preparation: None
Application: Just spread a layer on your face.
Tips: Try to use filtered honey.
Facts: Honey has anti microbial properties, anti oxidants and at the same time, is sticky (which is beneficial). This stickiness pulls away the dust, dead skin, microbes etc. from the pores while the anti microbial properties do not let the skin infected again. The anti oxidants in it helps make the skin look younger and last but not the least, the wax in it makes the skin smooth, shiny, moist and glowing. Isn’t that great?
Caution: Those who are allergic to topical application of honey should keep away.
Apple Honey Mask: Here is a simple and very beneficial mask whose leftovers can also be eaten (just joking).
Ingredients: One medium sized apple (preferably organic apple), four to five tablespoons of honey (preferably organic honey) and lukewarm water (to wash face).
Preparation: Scoop out the seeds of the apple and run the rest in a mixer to make a fine pulp. Now add three to four (depends on the size of the apple and how many persons it will serve. The quantity of honey should be sufficient to mix well with the pulp) tablespoons of honey into it. Mix well into a uniform paste. Your apple honey mask for acne is ready to apply.
Application: Apply a layer of this apple honey mask on your whole face. Wait for ten to fifteen minutes and let the mask dry up a bit. When done, wash the mask off with lukewarm water. That’s it. You are done!
Tips: The apple honey mask works best when fresh. So, you need not keep it prepared in refrigerators to apply later. Since it is very easy to prepare, make it just before you apply.
Facts: While the grains of apple work as a sort of gentle scrub for cleaning your face, the glycolic acid in it facilitates exfoliation. Together they clean up the skin pores. Now, honey in it is a natural antioxidant and has anti microbial properties. This eliminates the microbial infections that cause acne.
Caution: Test if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in the mask by applying it on a small patch in your wrist and wait for a few hours. If rashes appear or you show other symptoms of allergy, do not use this mask on your face.
Milk Lemon Yogurt Honey Mask: This is another very good treatment for acne. This one too, is made up completely from natural and edible stuff.
Ingredients: Two tablespoons of fresh milk, two tablespoons of honey, fresh juice of one lemon, one tablespoon of fresh yogurt and lukewarm water.
Preparation: Just mix well all the ingredients in a bowl to get a uniform lotion.
Application: Apply one layer of this mixture on your whole face and down onto your throat. Wait for a few minutes till it dries up. Then apply another layer and keep applying until you have used the whole stuff. When finished applying, wait for around ten minutes and then rinse off with warm water.
Tips: Use to three to four times a week (even applying daily will not harm) and prepare it fresh every time you do it, as it is very easy to prepare. Although it may not be possible, but try using organic ingredients.
Facts: The citric acid in lemon juice is an excellent cleanser, and so is milk. Yogurt is also a good cleanser as well as a good softener (this is important because using lemon juice alone can make your skin feel stretched and dried). And about honey, I have already told above.
Caution: Check if you are allergic to any ingredient prior to using it.
Note: You can separately use combinations of lemon-honey, milk-honey and yogurt-honey acne mask. All of them just do fine.
Cinnamon Honey Mask: This honey mask for acne is just great and is a very popular one. Here it is.
Ingredients: Cinnamon Powder (The quantity depends on the place affected by acne. If you need a mask for your whole face, three to four tablespoons of cinnamon powder would be sufficient) and honey (sufficient to make a loose paste with the cinnamon powder).
Preparation: Again, the preparation is very simple. Just mix the two ingredients and make a uniform paste.
Application: Apply on the areas affected with acne (you can apply it on the whole face too) before you go to bed and leave overnight. Rinse with warm water next morning. Just try it for a fortnight and see the results.
Tips: It gives very good results but requires some time. So, do not lose hope and do not expect results within a day or two. Best when fresh.
Facts: Cinnamon is rich in cinnamaldehyde, one of its main constituents, apart from eugenol, methyl chavicol, linalool, beta-caryophyllene and roughage or fiber. While the components in cinnamon oil, particularly cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and methyl chavicol have great anti microbial properties and eliminate microbial infection in acne, the coarse granules or fiber in cinnamon powder facilitates exfoliation. About honey, you already know it. So, that makes a great combination for acne treatment.
Caution: Many people are allergic towards cinnamon and it can sometimes produce irritations in sensitive skins. So, this mask should be used after testing somewhere other than face.
Aloe Vera Honey Mask: It is another great mask that takes very good care of your skin and helps cure acne too.
Ingredients: One tablespoon full of Aloe Vera juice or pulp (not Aloe Latex) and one tablespoon of honey.
Preparation: Mix the two ingredients uniformly.
Application: Apply a coating of the mixture on your face and affected areas.
Tips: Works best when fresh. Leave the mixture for around ten minutes to stand before application.
Facts: Aloe Vera is well known for its skin-friendly properties. It moistens, soothes, smoothens and tones skin. Added to that, we have remarkable anti microbial and anti oxidant properties of honey. This mask is best for those having sensitive skin or suffering from redness, inflammation, itching etc.
Caution: Aloe Vera, supposedly, has no side effects and there are no reports of it being allergenic. Honey may be allergenic to some. Whatever it is, please test it on your wrist before you apply it on your face.
Kelp Aloe Vera Honey Mask: This is an improvement over the normal Aloe Vera Honey Mask for Acne and it increases the benefits manifolds. Let’s see what it is.
Ingredients: One tablespoon full of kelp powder, one tablespoon full of Aloe Vera juice or pulp (not Aloe Latex) and one tablespoon full of honey.
Preparation: Mix the three ingredients to get a fine, uniform mixture. Let it stand for nearly ten minutes.
Application: Apply a layer of this Kelp – Aloe Vera – Honey Mask for acne thoroughly on your face and other affected areas. Leave it for fifteen to twenty minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water. A few minutes later, wash your face again with cold water.
Tips: Do not use soap to wash your face or else all your efforts will go in vein.
Facts: Kelp is a natural detoxifier and is a great moisturizer for skin. The minerals present in this sea weed help tone skin and the coarse grains of dried kelp powder (as it is generally sold) are very good in exfoliating dead skin. So, it is simultaneously a scrub, moisturizer, toner, detoxifier and good nourishment for the skin as well. About honey, I don’t think I need to repeat its properties.
Caution: Kelp may be allergenic to some due to its high iodine content. Also, kelp may be rich in metallic pollutants like lead and cadmium since all industrial sewage and wastes are ultimately dumped in seas. So, if you are collecting kelp yourself, avoid the highly polluted places. If you are buying it, make sure that it is collected from a place with less pollution.
Tea Tree Oil Honey Mask: The Tea Tree Oil – Honey Mask also helps cure acne. Here are the details;
Ingredients: Two drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil and one tablespoon full of honey.
Preparation: Very simple. Just mix the two ingredients very well.
Application: Just apply on whole face or affected parts. Wait for 15 to 20 minutes and rinse with lukewarm water. Use it twice to thrice a week for better and faster results.
Tips: Insist on organic tea tree essential oil. Use the mask as quickly and as fresh as possible after preparation because the essential oils are generally volatile and often oxidize to lose their benefits.
Facts: Tea Tree Essential Oil has strong anti microbial, anti septic and fungicidal properties. It also has some anti oxidants. So, when combined with honey, it helps eradicate the infections in acne affected areas.
Caution: Due to its strong germicidal and fungicidal properties, tea tree oil should not be used in pregnancy. Moreover, ingestion should be avoided. Tea Tree Essential Oil may not suit some skin types and may cause irritations, inflammations or rashes. In that case, its use should be stopped. You should consult a practising Aromatherapist before using essential oils.
Aspirin Honey Mask: This mask may look some strange in this site meant for organic products, but Aspirin – Honey Mask for acne is also in use and gives good results. Read some more below;
Ingredients: 1 or 2 aspirin tablets, 1 tablespoon full of honey and water sufficient to dissolve the tablets.
Preparation: First dissolve the aspirin tablets in little water. Than add honey to it and mix well and let the mixture stand for 2 to 3 minutes.
Application: Apply the mask on your face (particularly on affected areas), leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water. Thereafter, wash again with cold water.
Tips: Use non coated aspirin tablets.
Facts: Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid is a good skin conditioner and is often found in skin care products. Further, it works extremely well to treat acne in oily skin. The coarse granules of aspirin do the exfoliation. The rest is taken care of by the anti microbial and anti oxidant properties of honey.
Caution: Prolonged use of aspirin or heavy doses should be avoided, as it may leave the skin excessively dry and make it look yellow. Aspirin does not suit all skins. This should also be carefully dealt. This mask need not be used on dry skins. Better consult a doctor before using this mask.

The “Not so good” things about Honey Mask for Acne: Here are few things that you may not like about these masks;

*They are sticky.
*They keep dripping and create a messy uneasy situation.
*You won’t get the results overnight.
*Honey and a few other ingredients used in these masks can be allergenic to some.

General Guidelines: Here are some points that apply for all types of honey mask for acne.

*It is always best to use fresh prepared masks.
*Try to use organic ingredients as far as possible.
*Honey should be filtered. Raw, unfiltered honey may contain dust, pollen grains, hair found on body of bees and their dead remains that may prove to be highly allergenic.
*Manuka Honey is said to be best in terms of anti microbial properties and hence Manuka Honey Mask for Acne is considered most effective.
*Whenever you rinse your face or other body parts after applying these masks, do not use soap (even mild). Otherwise too, soap is not recommended in case of acne.
*After you rinse your face with lukewarm water, wash it again with cold water after a few minutes. This will tone your face and give firmness to face muscles.
*Always test the ingredients for possible allergic reactions.
*Wash your face, preferably with warm water or a natural cleanser (not soap) before applying masks. However, it is not essential or compulsory.

Availability: Although most of the ingredients used in masks discussed above are very easily available (except Tea Tree Essential Oil and Kelp) in general, they may have different availability in different parts of the world. About honey, it is very easily available in nearly all stores.

Price: Now this is ridiculous! Most of the ingredients discussed above are already available in every household, except Kelp and Tea Tree Oil which too are not very costly (Tea Tree Essential Oil may be costly, but it will be needed in very small quantities each time and you will not need it very often). About aspirin, it is one of the cheapest of drugs available these days.

History: Many of these masks are already in use for hundreds of years in households to treat acne.

Finally: Just give these masks a try. They are as good as free and you do not need to search the world to get the ingredients. So, you have nothing to lose except your acne. Give a try and tell me.

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Acne Treatments – Honey Mask

Using honey or raw honey to treat acne

Honey is a natural antiseptic and many people use it as mask to help soothe and heal their skin. However, if you are allergic to bees, it’s probably not a good idea to use this mask.

Honey is superb for healing burns and small cuts. It’s also a humectant, which means it helps keep your skin moisturized. Because of all of these amazing qualities, honey is thought to treat acne as well. I mean, it’s antibacterial, it helps with wound healing, and it even keeps your skin hydrated. What more could you ask for?

But of course, there is always a catch.

Honey will help clear your skin if your acne is from bacterial problems, but if your acne is from hormones, irritation, or any of the other numerous causes of acne, then honey probably won’t do much at all. It could help soothe existing breakouts and heal irritated skin, which could help improve your complexion, but it won’t make acne disappear and never come back.

Different Types of Honey

Honey Mask for AcneThere are many different types of honey. Manuka honey is supposed to be the best one out of all of them, followed by raw honey. They are both much more expensive than regular honey (around $7-$10 per jar at health food stores), but I think their benefits are worth the extra dough.

I’ve never used manuka honey before, but I have tried regular honey and raw honey. Having compared the two, I’ve got to say, raw honey is much, much better than regular honey.

Raw honey looks different from regular honey because it’s unfiltered. It’s thicker and has an opaque color to it instead of being translucent. There are also bits and pieces of grainy things in it, which are rumored to be bee parts and other miscellaneous things (poor bees!). Some places sell « unfiltered » honey, but if it doesn’t have the word « raw » written somewhere on the bottle, it’s safe to assume that it’s not raw honey.

How to Use Honey to Treat Acne

Using honey for your acne is pretty straightforward. You just scoop some out of the jar and apply to your face like you would a mask. Since honey is a bit thick, it helps to dampen your skin a bit or to apply the honey with wet hands to help it spread better. (Sometimes, people like to add honey to home-made recipes, like the aspirin mask.)

If you’re using honey for the first time, spot test a small area of your jaw line to make sure you’re not sensitive or allergic to the honey. You can pretty much leave the honey mask on your skin for as long as you want, but it depends on how your skin reacts. Most people wash the mask off after 30 minutes. I actually like to keep it on for an hour and on days my skin is feeling especially shoddy, I even go to sleep without washing it off. If your skin tolerates honey well, you should be able to use it as frequently as you wish. I tend to use a raw honey mask once a month to give my skin some extra oomph.

Honey masks are a little bit tricky though because unlike most masks, honey doesn’t dry up. It’ll sort of slip and slide all over your face, so you want to make sure you don’t apply too much honey. Otherwise, the warmth from your skin will liquefy the honey even more and cause it to run or drip.

Besides using honey as a mask, you can also use it as a spot treatment or Neosporin-replacement. I find that if I put a blob of raw honey on a would-be pimple, it sometimes brings it to a tiny head by the next day. For my mom, raw honey is especially handy around the kitchen for whenever she gets burns.

A fun way to use honey is to slather it on and then keep patting your face with the palms of your hand. This will create a bit of a suction feeling and as you pat all over, it will help improve the circulation in your skin.

My Experience with Honey and Acne

I have used both regular honey and raw honey before and there definitely is a big difference. Regular honey never does anything for my skin, but raw honey makes it look brighter and less red. Raw honey doesn’t make my skin feel more moisturized, but it does make it feel more soothed. It’s also easier to wash off with water.

Whenever I feel a pimple coming, I dab a bit of raw honey on it to either 1) bring it to a head or 2) shrink it before it has a chance to get big. On some days, I even sleep with the honey mask on. Keeping your pillow cases, hair, hands, and sheets honey-free is quite a daunting task.

Before, I thought I could just smear a teeny, tiny bit of honey on my face and go to bed, but even the slightest traces of honey would run all over the place. I can’t tell you how many mornings I woke up with honey down my neck and in my ears. Not to mention, having my hair and pillow cases all glued to my face!

But the secret to preventing honey from running while you sleep is not to just use tiny amounts of it, but to use tiny, diluted amounts. Diluting honey helps it stick to your skin instead of to other honey particles so it doesn’t spread and run everywhere. I usually take a pea sized amount of honey, mix with some water, and then pat on with the palms of my hand. I guess instead of a honey mask, it’s more like a honey toner. But, I wait for the honey-water mixture to dry a bit before going to sleep.

Another method a helpful reader kindly pointed out is to apply honey directly to your skin and then lay a piece of paper face mask on top to keep the honey in place. If you live in Asia, these paper masks (dry ones are usually sold as little pellets that you have to rehydrate) are found at stores like Watson’s, Cosmed, or Sasa’s. If not, you might be able to find them at your local Asian grocery and/or cosmetics store. But, a sturdy paper towel could easily do the trick.

Unfortunately, although raw honey seems to soothe and heal existing skin irritations, it does not prevent acne from forming in the first place (which is my main problem). But, give it a try. You’ll never know how much you may love it if you never try using it.

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Use Honey For Acne Treatment

Why should you use honey for acne treatment? Because, honey is an ancient remedy with strong antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antioxidant properties. It’s been used for centuries as a most popular home remedy for any kind of wounds and ulcers.

Honey is considered as one of the most useful and easily digestible food with high nutritive and energetic value. It is rich in vitamins especially vitamin C, vitamins B2, B3, and B5.

It has a wide range of therapeutic and healing benefits. Here are some of the proven benefits of using this liquid gold:

• acts as a antiseptic (great for external use on acne, scars, wounds)
• improves the metabolism
• improves immunity boosting the immune system
• acts as antioxidant and stimulates detoxification
• acts as a sedative
• reduces pain and irritation
• reduces the formation of harmful free radicals and protects the body from remains of free radicals
• stimulates mental and physical activity
• helps with anemia, anorexia and loss of appetite
• ejects excess water from the body
• helps in treating gastritis, gastric ulcer, intestinal infections
• cures hemorrhoids
• removes unpleasant odors
• helps with morning sickness
• helps with chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, rhinitis, allergic rhinitis
• improves absorption of medications and make them more effective
• has a positive effect on the removal dental calculus
• has a positive effect on heart disease
• has a positive effect in treatment of gangrene

There are many types of honey such as mono-floral honey, multi-floral honey, crystallized honey, liquid honey, creamed honey, chunk honey, and comb honey. Also there are a lot of flavors like: acacia, alfalfa, avocado, blueberry, buckwheat, chestnut, clover, eucalyptus, fireweed, lavender, lime or linden, manuka, orange blossom, sage, tupelo, wildflower etc.

Honey is used today in all kinds of health treatments because of its unique and powerful healing properties. It is used for situations such as burns, arthritis, hair loss, weight loss, urinary infections, bad digestion, bad breath, high cholesterol, toothache, sore throat, insomnia, stress, fatigue, migraine, dizziness, skin infections, acne, etc.

All honey types and flavors have common characteristics but some of them are better choice for specific health problem. Some examples on what type of honey is best for specific problem:

• Acacia honey -insomnia, stress, irritated nervous system
• Chestnut honey – bad digestion
• Sage honey – cold, bronchitis, bronchial asthma
• Lavender honey – urinary infections, migraine, dizziness
• Manuka honey – skin infections, acne, acne scars

Since we know that acne is mostly caused by bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes and we also know that honey has strong antibacterial properties, this is a very good reason to use honey for acne treatment. It will clean your body from inside and outside. It will stimulate your body to eliminate the toxins and waste (also responsible for acne development), reduce pain and infection of acne, eliminate bacteria, reduce inflammation, boost your metabolism and immune system which is crucial for overall health, and also clean skin.

Inner use of honey for acne treatment

It is highly recommended that you use honey in every day diet. You can eat it raw or mix it with tea or any other liquid, fruit, salads and so on. Daily intake of honey should be around 3- tablespoons. The best way to start a day is with a tablespoon of honey mixed with some fruit or whole grain cereals. Also, it is good to have a tablespoon of honey before going to bed. Before you put honey in cup of tea (or or any other liquid) make sure that isn’t too hot because it will eliminate the healing properties of honey. Also, honey in liquid should be dissolved completely because this way the body will fully exploit valuable healing substances of honey.

The external use of honey for acne treatment

Applying the honey alone as a face mask or in combination with some other great and helpful ingredients (lemon, tea tree oil, apple, garlic, cinnamon, etc.) will clean the skin pores, eliminate bacteria, reduce pain, swelling and inflammation. Honey is a great exfoliator, excellent for skin peeling, so your skin will look healthy and glowing, will feel soft and smooth.

Feel free to use this liquid gold for acne treatment, and combine it with some other ingredients mentioned above. It will only help you but it will not clear you acne overnight. Before you decide about use honey for acne treatment, make sure that you are not allergic to it.

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