7 Overnight Beauty Tips Using Honey
Not many would argue that honey tastes great and has incredible benefits to health. But did you know that honey is also beneficial when used outside of the body? Used on the hair, skin and nails, especially overnight, it can help to soothe, nourish, heal and more
Scars
Honey is now often used in wound dressings to help heal skin wounds and burns due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It’s now thought that honey could also help to reduce scarring from acne and minor skin injuries. Evidence suggests that honey could help as a ‘biological scaffold’ to help the skin reform, and although this is a new area of research, it’s healing properties are worth trying daily applied directly to scars.
Glowing Skin
Even non-problem skin can benefit from a honey mask. Honey contains alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) which have a natural exfoliating effect on the skin. This helps to remove skin dulling dead skin cells from the surface of the skin revealing soft, dewy, glowing skin. Which is much gentler than using a mechanical exfoliant.
Acne and Blackheads
The AHAs in honey also help to clear the pores of excess sebum (the natural oil produced by the skin) and dirt which contribute to blackheads. Not only that, honey is naturally antimicrobial which can help to manage the bacteria that naturally reside on our skin, an overgrowth of which is associated with acne breakouts.
Dry Lips
Since honey has wound healing properties, it can also help soothe dry, cracked lips. Apply using a cotton bud before bed and wake with super soft lips.
Brittle Nails
Honey contains elements that help to boost the skin plumping proteins, collagen and elastin. This helps to keep the cuticles healthy, which in turn will lead to healthy, nourished nails.
Split Ends
Honey is a humectant, which means that it helps preserve moisture. For this reason, it’s effective on dry hair and split ends, helping to retain moisture that might otherwise leave the hair leaving it parched and frazzled.
Hair Lightener
Honey contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase which releases hydrogen peroxide when it breaks down glucose. Hydrogen peroxide is present in hair lightening preparations, so it could technically help to lighten the hair. It would be a gradual process, but it’ll help to nourish the hair in the process!
How to Use Honey Overnight
Honey is great as a mask applied directly to the skin, but overnight, this might make things a little sticky. So mix it with equal parts water or your normal night time moisturiser and apply to dry, inflamed or stressed skin before bed.
For a nail treatment, apply neat honey to each nail and massage in. Put on a pair of cotton gloves to sleep in and rinse off in the morning.
As a hair mask, mix with equal parts water or with an intense conditioner, and apply to pre-shampooed hair. Make sure it reaches right to the ends and you’ve thoroughly massaged it in. Then apply a shower cap or secure hair towel to keep the warmth in and shower off in the morning.
All Necta & Hive honeys are natural, active healing honeys which are unique in their health benefits and are ideally suited to helping to treat unhappy skin, nails and hair. Enjoy! (We won’t tell anyone if you eat a spoonful at the same time as applying it to your hair or skin…)
