Benefits of Honey and Beeswax in Beauty Products

August 15 is National Honey Bee Day, so we're highlighting two popular beauty ingredients: honey and beeswax! What are the benefits of honey and beeswax in your beauty products?

Honey in skincare:

• Hydration: Honey, particularly raw honey, is deeply hydrating and acts as a natural humectant that draws moisture into the skin.

• Acne relief: Honey has natural antibacterial properties, so it fights acne and reduces inflammation from breakouts.

• Gentle exfoliation: Honey's lactic acid and natural enzymes gently exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells for a brighter glow.

• Antioxidants: Honey has natural antioxidants that protect against and reverse the signs of aging.

• Wound healing: Honey supports natural skin repair and reduces the appearance of scars.

Incorporate honey into your skincare routine by using products that have raw or Manuka honey in them, such as cleansers, serums, or masks. You can also use raw honey as a spot treatment for blemishes and put it directly on your skin as a mask. Leave it on for 10-15 minutes and rinse with warm water, then follow with your regular skincare routine.

Honey in hair care:

• Hydration: Like skincare, honey works to draw moisture into the hair and lock it in.

• Shine: Honey's emollient properties smooth the hair shaft to better reflect light and make the hair shiny.

• Reduce breakage: Honey improves hair's elasticity to reduce breakage.

• Scalp health: Honey provides anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties to fight dandruff and irritation.

• Frizz control: Honey seals the cuticle to tame flyaways and sleek textured or curly hair.

How to use honey in your hair care routine? Honey is great for dry, damaged, curly, coily, or porous color-treated hair. Find shampoos, conditioners, leave-ins, or hair serums with raw or Manuka honey, or make a hair mask with raw honey. Mix raw honey with water or other carrier oils (jojoba, argan, or coconut), and essential oils like rosemary (rosemary is great for the hair!) for a deeply hydrating hair mask. Apply it once or twice a week, depending on your hair's needs.

Honey in nail care:

• Hydration: Not surprisingly, honey will moisturize your nails and cuticles just as well as your skin and hair.

• Cuticle care: Honey moisturizes cuticles, softens rough skin, and helps to prevent hangnails.

• Infection prevention: Honey's antibacterial and antifungal properties help fight infections around the nail bed and edges.

• Brightening: Mix a little honey with lemon juice to clean up stains on the nail and add natural shine. (This works great as a mask: simply massage a teaspoon of honey mixed with a couple of drops of lemon juice into your cuticles and let it sit for 15-20 minutes and rinse.)

Look for lotions and cuticle oils with honey, or try the mask above. For a relaxing nail soak that will help soften dry skin, stir a tablespoon of raw honey into a small bowl of warm water and soak your fingers for 10-15 minutes. Mix some raw honey in with a carrier oil (argan, jojoba, coconut) for a deeply hydrating cuticle oil.

Benefits of beeswax:

• Moisturizing: Beeswax creates a protective, breathable shield against environmental elements, and is non-comedogenic, which hydrates the skin safely without blocking pores.

• Anti-inflammatory: Honey contains natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial traits that help calm minor irritations.

• Anti-aging: Beeswax is rich in Vitamin A (learn more about antioxidants here), which supports skin cell reconstruction and long-term elasticity.

You can find beeswax in lip balms, hand salves, lotion bars and body butters, and eyebrow pomades.

For hydrating facials or guidance on skincare products, call Salon Patrice at (815) 223-8643 or stop by our Peru, IL salon. You can also find our list of services here.