Anti Aging Remedy – Honey

Perhaps more than ever before, our society is obsessed with youth.  Botox, nips and tucks, and overpriced collagen skin creams are sadly all viable anti-aging options for women who want to look younger.  What many of us don’t think about, however, is that not only are these so-called remedies are not only bank-breakers, they’re terrible for your skin.  Your skin is your barrier against the elements and literally the face you show to the world – it’s worth your time and consideration to treat it with care.

That doesn’t mean you have to load up on expensive creams, though.  Most of these contain harmful chemicals like parabens, sulfates, and PEGs that may stress your skin and speed up the aging process, even if they seem to be making your skin softer in the short run.

How did legendary beauty Cleopatra keep herself looking youthful?  She – and many others of ancient civilizations—used honey.  In fact, she used to take baths of milk and honey to keep her skin soft, and ancient Greeks used similar methods, too.  Many cosmetic companies use honey in their products and hike up prices.

The following are benefits of going straight to the source:

1. Honey is a humectant, which means that if you apply it to your skin or hair, it absorbs moisture from the air and keeps it on the applied area.
2. Honey is antibacterial, so although it retains moisture, it kills germs.  It can even be an effective treatment for acne-prone skin, which can easily be over-stripped of moisture by harsh cleansers.  When this happens, the skin panics and produces more sebum, leading to a breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria.  Honey can prevent this.
3. Honey, especially darker varieties like Manuka honey, contains antioxidants, which hunt down free radicals on your skin and allow for new cell growth.  This means that honey can help fade old scars, too.

Instead of going to the spa this weekend to spend triple-digit numbers on a chemical bath and face mask, why not bring a little of the natural stuff to your own bathroom and make your own cheap spa experience?  Here are some recipes to help.

Dry Skin: Honey Egg Mask

• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp organic yogurt (full fat is okay for dry skin)

Stir the ingredients in a bowl and apply to your face for 5 minutes.  Wash with warm water and cleanse as usual.  The honey and egg moisturize while the yogurt cleans and tightens pores.

Stressed Skin: Honey Lavender Mask

• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 drops lavender essential oil

Splash your face with warm water when you wake up in the morning (or after you’ve cleansed).  Mix the ingredients and apply to your face.  After 15 minutes, rinse with warm water.  Lavender not only produces a relaxing scent, it’s also an antiseptic that will clean your pores.

Honey Oats Scrub

• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp steel cut or rolled (non-instant) oatmeal
• 1 tbsp organic yogurt (full fat for dry skin, skim for oily skin)

Pulse the oats in a food processor until fine and mix with honey and yogurt.  Gently apply to skin and move fingers over skin in soft, circular motions (no “scrubbing”).  Rinse with warm water.

Honey Olive Oil Hair Conditioner

• ¼ cup honey
• 1/8 cup olive oil

Mix the two ingredients in a bowl and apply to hair.  Put on a shower cap and enjoy a honey bath (pour ¼ cup of honey into a warm bath) while the mixture moisturizes your hair for 30 minutes.  Shampoo and condition as usual. Best of Reviews recommends a list of vitamins to use over 50 to keep your health in a good shape.