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What Are the Benefits of a Honey Face Scrub?

Alex Tree
Alex Tree

The primary benefit of a honey face scrub is how well it exfoliates skin. Even ancient Egyptians exfoliated with edible items, removing dead skin and making their skin smoother. The benefits of using honey are still being explored, but research suggests honey is soothing to skin and can speed the healing of some wounds. In addition, facial scrubs can be made at home, eliminating the need to purchase expensive beauty products. A lot of honey scrubs are also all natural, which can be very beneficial to people with sensitive skin.

Exfoliating is the act of rubbing a somewhat abrasive substance against skin, resulting in the removal of dead skin. While exfoliating temporarily irritates skin no matter what the substance used, the redness goes away and leaves smoother skin. Exfoliating is also a way of lessening acne, as acne is often brought on by having dirty skin. In general, a person should exfoliate every week to every two weeks, depending on personal needs. Exfoliating too often or with a product too abrasive can damage the skin, however.

Regular face washing with proper products helps keep skin smooth and healthy.
Regular face washing with proper products helps keep skin smooth and healthy.

The benefits of honey in a face scrub are still being researched. Some studies show that honey soothes irritated skin and can speed the healing process of certain wounds, like burns. While most of this is still debatable, honey scrubs are safe to use by the vast majority of people. It is not a miracle cure for dry skin like beauty product manufacturers sometimes imply, but it usually does not hurt to give it a try.

Face scrubs made with honey can moisturize, nourish, and soothe the skin.
Face scrubs made with honey can moisturize, nourish, and soothe the skin.

Honey face scrubs can be made from simple natural ingredients, so people sometimes make them at home. Face scrubs sold commercially are usually much more expensive than the ingredients used to make homemade honey scrubs, resulting in these scrubs being popular. Sugar is sometimes integrated into a honey face scrub because its properties are sometimes considered complementary to honey. While honey has antibacterial properties and acts as a moisturizer, sugar is abrasive enough to be an exfoliant.

A honey face scrub may help reduce acne.
A honey face scrub may help reduce acne.

These face scrubs usually have fewer chemicals than scrubs made from synthetic materials, meaning they can be beneficial to people with sensitive skin. Still, it is important to be cautious when trying a new beauty product, as it is possible to have an allergy to honey or other chemicals in a honey face scrub.

Discussion Comments

Almita

@Jacques6 - I tried your mix out this morning and it's very nice. I added a couple drops of coconut oil, but mostly just to help with the smell. I have a lot of acne trouble and so does my daughter -- so we decided to try out the honey and avocado mix for awhile.

Instead of 15 minutes though, we watch an episode of a TV show. It makes time go a little faster and we don't have to worry about smudging it. Does anyone have a face scrub recipe they would like to share? I wanted to do both.

Jacques6

@w00dchuck41 - I used sugar for awhile too, but it was a bit too hard on my face.

Oatmeal makes a great face mask -- unless you have an allergy like mine. I ended up with a less than comfortable red face after my first oatmeal face mask. I use rice hot cereal instead. It not a name brand, but some stores sell it under the specialty foods section. It works great as a face mask base.

For the most part, I stick to the avocado and honey by themselves. The avocado makes a smooth base so I really don't need to add oatmeal or rice.

w00dchuck41

@Jacques6 - I use avocado and honey too. It's the best mix for smooth skin, in my opinion. I used to use a sugar and honey face scrub -- but the sugar was brutal on my skin. I had more acne than my teen years – and that's saying something. I'm never using that stuff again.

My mix it similar to yours, but I add in oatmeal and cinnamon. I don't really care for how avocados smell, so the cinnamon is a great disguise for it. The oatmeal and cinnamon smell really nice together – and are pretty easy on your skin. Just don't get it in your eyes or ouch.

Jacques6

Honey is a natural antibiotic and is great for treating irritated or burnt skin. I make my own honey face mask mix.

Take a large avocado and mash it up with a wooden spoon in a bowl without the skin. Pour in a half cup of warm honey and mix it really well.

Pat it gently onto your face and keep it on for about 15 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water and pat your face dry.

The oils in the avocado and the antibacterial properties of the honey will prevent pimples and dry skin. Just refrigerate the mix and use it daily. You can also add a little coconut oil to increase healing, but you need to add it to the mix when its warm.

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    • Regular face washing with proper products helps keep skin smooth and healthy.
      By: WavebreakmediaMicro
      Regular face washing with proper products helps keep skin smooth and healthy.
    • Face scrubs made with honey can moisturize, nourish, and soothe the skin.
      By: monticellllo
      Face scrubs made with honey can moisturize, nourish, and soothe the skin.
    • A honey face scrub may help reduce acne.
      By: phasinphoto
      A honey face scrub may help reduce acne.
    • Honey face scrub may be used to exfoliate the face and reveal younger, healthier skin.
      By: Piotr Marcinski
      Honey face scrub may be used to exfoliate the face and reveal younger, healthier skin.
    • Using an exfoliant can help clean out pores.
      By: belahoche
      Using an exfoliant can help clean out pores.
    • Facial moisturizer may be used following a face scrub.
      By: Konstantin Yuganov
      Facial moisturizer may be used following a face scrub.