Honey's Benefits for Skin & Hair

 

Honey provides many benefits as a chemical-free skin care product. Honey's benefits for skin care work in a few different ways. It is a natural antiseptic, speeding up the healing process and helping to prevent infection. The smooth, thick texture also keeps moisture close to the skin, which can help your complexion become supple and glowing.

 Honey is a natural, chemical-free humectant. A humectant is an item or substance that attracts moisture and keeps in locked inside. It helps your skin retain moisture and elasticity without drying it out. 

Acne is caused by the build-up of oil and dirt on skin. Since honey absorbs impurities from the pores on the skin, it acts as an ideal cleansing agent.

Honey is a natural antioxidant, which proves beneficial when taken internally, but it also provides protective benefits when used topically on the skin. Antioxidants can protect internal organs from a type of damage called oxidative stress, which can lead to better overall health in some cases. The Skin Care Resource Center reports that current research has determined the effectiveness of honey as a natural form of suncreen, to protect the skin from sun damage such as premature wrinkling, a condition that in some people can lead to skin cancer.

Honey can help promote healing and prevent infection due to its natural antimicrobial properties. The chemical makeup of honey has what is described as "high osmolality." High osmolality when referring to honey means that the sugars interact with water in such a way that microorganisms cannot develop. In addition to the osmolality of honey, when the sweetener comes in contact with wound exudates--fluids that weep from sores or ulcers--hydrogen peroxide is produced. The creation of the hydrogen peroxide can provide antibacterial benefits to ulcerated areas, which speeds healing.

Honey can also be tremendously beneficial for your hair. It serves as an excellent hair conditioner : One of the interesting benefits of honey for hair is it serves as a conditioner to the hair. Mix honey and olive oil in the ratio of 1:2 and apply the mixture to hair thirty minutes before washing the hair. Adjust the quantity of the olive oil in the mixture depending on whether you have oily hair or dry hair. 

Makes the hair shiny and lustrous : Increased exposure to sun makes the hair dry and lusterless. This lost shine can be brought back with honey. Mix about 2 tablespoons of honey to two cups of warm water and spray the solution on the hair.
 Honey acts in two different ways to prevent hair loss.

• Acts as a humectant and prevents hair loss by preventing loss of moisture. The high sugar content of honey helps to retain water and thereby maintains moisture content of hair. In fact this moisture content helps to keep the cuticle soft.
• Anti-bacterial property : The anti-bacterial property of honey helps to have a healthy scalp. This in turn reduces the risk of dandruff and thus, hair fall.