10 Ways to Use Honey (in your food and on your skin)
God gave us a wonderful gift in honey! Full of antioxidants, honey provides energy and healing power! In fact, one study showed that daily consumption of honey led to improved blood antioxidant levels (as noted in Healing Food by Micheal Murray, N.D., page 650).
Honey is a great natural sweetener and also beneficial when applied to the skin topically.
Once I started researching honey, I was astounded by how many uses it has!
The best honey is raw honey. In her book, 10 Essential Herbs, Lalitha Thomas states that pure raw honey is:
- an antiseptic
- an emollient
- a preservative
- soothing
- encourages the growth of new skin when used externally
- and more!
Honey is good for you!
The following are 10 simple ways to use honey in your food and on your skin:
1. Toast spread with ricotta and drizzled with honey makes a delicious breakfast or snack.
2. Whip up homemade salad dressing in minutes by pouring equal parts honey, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil into a jar, closing tightly with a lid and shaking to mix. Add herbs and salt to taste if desired.
3. Make my favorite peanut butter! (Seriously, the addition of a few tablespoons of honey to the mix makes this peanut butter the best I've ever tasted!)
4. Make Chocolate Coconut Oat Bars. Mmmm chocolate! Need I say more?
5. Use as a subtitle for sugar in herbal tea. I have also read that honey's enzymes and trace minerals boost the effectiveness of the herbs it is mixed with.
6. Give yourself a honey facial.
With your fingers, gently rub honey into dry skin (make sure your hair is out of the way). Continue to rub in a circular motion (or any which way, it doesn't really matter). Wash off with warm water and a clean wash cloth. You'll be glowing!
7. Apply honey to burns to relieve pain and promote healing. Honey's anti-microbial properties heal keep infection at bay.
8. When sick, add raw minced garlic to a teaspoon of honey and swallow it down! Sounds horrible, I know. But is a good way to get the healing power of garlic and honey into the body quickly.
9. Give yourself a hair treatment: Massage 1/2 cup of honey into your hair and let sit for 20 minutes (put on a shower cap, plastic bag or wrap with saran wrap, if desired). Shampoo and condition as usual.
(Just a little secret side note – I have honey on my hair as I write this! hee!)
10. Mix powdered herbs with honey to make a quick paste that can be applied topically or taken internally by the spoonful (or mixed with warm water).
Honey works for me!
What did I miss? What have you heard about honey? How do you like to use honey?
Don't give honey to children under 12 months of age.
I learned about honey about a year ago and now I always have some on hand, of the raw, organic variety. When my little one was about 11 months, he developed a rash on the back of his leg. I knew I could go to the store and get some cream of some sort, but I decided to try honey. In a few days the rash was gone and it never came back. Honey is a must, not only for the kitchen but the medicine cabinet as well. Good article!
That’s great Tenaya. I love it when you can get something out of the kitchen cabinet and use it medicinally!
This is a great list Stacy. I LOVE raw honey and use it for everything! I’m curious to know how the hair treatment worked for you. Is the point of it to condition?
Another thing that’s great to do with honey is to make a simple infused honey. I actually have a post scheduled for tomorrow about making vanilla infused honey – it is divine!
The point of the hair treatment is to add moisture and shine. My hair feels good after using it 🙂 It was VERY sticky going on though. Kind of hard to work with. But fun none the less.
You can also use molasses in the same way. (I got the idea from Natural Beauty at Home by Janice Cox – She recommends Molasses for dark hair. Which I have, so I might try that next).
It’s funny that you mentioned infused honey. I have a post on making herb-infused honey going up on Frugal Granola next Monday! Great minds think alike 🙂 I’ve never made vanilla infused honey, so I look forward to reading your post tomorrow.
Great tips! I have Manuka honey on my face as we speak. My daughter scratched up my face pretty bad when we were playing and i’m using the honey to help it heal up 🙂
Good idea! I’ve got some on my neck, seeing if it will work on an small itchy patch. My toddler gave me a hug and now has honey on her ear!
Great list! We have 4 hives in our yard and just love the raw honey we get (most years). My kids like to dip it in apples too. Also, eating local honey is helpful for allergies.
How wonderful that you can get raw honey in your own yard! I’d love that. Although my hubby is allergic to bees, so probably not the best idea 🙂
I haven’t tried dipping honey in apples! Will have to do that next time we have an apples for a snack.
Off to try the honey facial now! 🙂
Fun! Would love to know what you thought of it. My daughter thought I was crazy, but is now going to try a honey facial of her own tomorrow 🙂
So, can honey be used in place of sugar for homemade jams (since it’s a preservative)?
As far as I know you can. I have only used it in one jam recipe so far. It had a lot of honey and ended up having a very strong honey flavor. I’d like to try it again with less honey and see how it works.
This is the recipe I made: http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2010/06/raw-naturally-sweetened-berry-freezer-jam.html
Love all these ideas! I actually just use honey to wash my face every day. And I have also done the honey with garlic when sick…although I spread it on toast and it actually didn’t taste too bad! I love substituting honey for sugar in baking too.
I love the idea of spreading the garlic and honey on toast! Will definitely do that next time.
I’ve just started washing my face with honey too. I like it a lot. It’s fun to hear that someone else does crazy things like this too 🙂
There is nothing crazy about what you’re doing at all. THIS IS WHAT SHOULD BE “NORMAL” AND EVERYDAY LIFE! CRAZY IS WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS DOING INSTEAD! My oldest daughter has struggled with acne issues for several years. Most of it is due to chronic systemic fungal infection ever since we lived in a toxic moldy house in 2002. The result of that year’s living in that type of environment is that none of us have had a really good “well” day since then! Since she started using raw honey for daily facial cleansing when mixed with oatmeal, her acne problem is so greatly reduced that she is no longer overly self-conscious about her appearance. Thank God for honey and its wonderful antifungal properties! I use it on yeast outbreaks topically on my skin and in my mouth. I mix it with fresh, raw lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar and garlic juice from a clove or 2 first. It usually clears up the outbreaks in a day or two when changed 3-4 times per day.
I agree, indeed. I’ve been using honey for almost a month now. Only honey on my face, i get rid of using soaps..dont forget to add some moisturizers since its dries up skin at some point.
my question is how do u make use of honey on ur face?
I am just now learning the benefits of honey. My son has acne and wants to try the expensive commercial brands to get rid of it. How exactly does the honey work? How long do you leave it on your face? Thank you for helping.
Love the list….especially the first one as I make an awesome ricotta if I do say so, lol.
We were about to put bees on the farm in the spring but we bulked at the last second.
We have our order in for next year…no wimping out!
good post!
T
Wow this is interesting stuff! Who knew!?? I pinned this and look forward to experimenting!
Thanks Katie. I hope you enjoy trying some of this stuff out.
I can’t wait to try some of this out. I’ve had dry skin for years and used honey all over. I never knew of all the other things that it could be used for. Thanks for the ideas.
I heard that raw honey is also a great way to get over allergies. Digesting the pollen found in it acts sort of as a natural vaccine.
wonderful, I read the Qur’an and in it I was told that it was Allah who created the bee and in its stomach comes the honey which in it there is a healing for us, I there decided to used it as my medicine for all disease and it works for me. try it.
Honey with figs and Ricotta is one of my favorites. Alsp to stop ppork chops or pork loins for drying out when grilling try smearing them with a mix of honey and dijon mustard. Lovely on the barbi!
natural honey really works on burns
Woww! I’m so glad to learned all this about honey, I’m really going to try the face mask and hair treatment right now
Do you know if I can still use honey as a hair treatment when I don’t use shampoo/conditioner? I’d think it might be difficult to get all of it out again without shampoo, but I’ve been off the stuff for about a month and don’t want to ruin the progress my hair has made… 🙂
Johanne,
I’ve never tried it without shampoo. But I would think a good vinegar rinse could help you get it out. I understand being concerned. No one wants honey stuck in their hair!
If you try it, let us know who it turns out.
When someone writes an post he/she maintains the idea of a
user in his/her mind that how a user can understand it.
Thus that’s why this post is amazing. Thanks!
Hellllllo:)
Good article, I am going to spend more time learning about this topic.
We love honey too and appreciate these great tips. I’ve pinned this and am sharing it on my FB fan page as well. Hope it brings some new friends your way! Looking forward to getting to know you better through our FB group. Blessings, Kelly
Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
My Grandfather started me on raw local honey as a little girl over 50 years ago. His folk wisdom was you always eat some everyday to prevent allergies and keep you healthy. As a child I just enjoyed it on my Grannies biscuits. Now I look back on many allergy free decades, number of GI illnesses ever can count on 1 hand even as a RN for a couple decades, last call in to work over 9 years ago. I love the healthy power of honey, thanks Grandpa.
My granddaughter came running and crying into the house just 2 days ago, she said she was stung by a hornet, so I immediately grabbed the raw honey and put it on her stings, within about a minute the pain and burning was totally gone, normally when you get stung it is the worst, burning pain you have ever experienced and no matter what I tried in the past on hornet or wasp stings the pain would last for at least an hour or more, but, with the raw honey the pain was gone in minutes, !
You actually make it seem really easy along with your presentation but I
find this topic to be really something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complicated and very vast for me. I’m looking ahead to your subsequent post, I’ll attempt to
get the hang of it!
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Hi, to every one iam shankar ,iam a Honey Bee keeper ,and iam frm hyderabad ,guys if anyone wants raw honey 100% pure without any mixing please contact me , cell ; 09912111141 …. by using raw honey you can reduce ur weight , you can use for your facial treatment , in behalf of sugar you may use honey in ur daily
life.
Here is a very helpful chart that I use often:
Cinnamon and Honey
Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It will do
what some call turning to sugar. In reality honey is always honey..
However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will do what I
rather call “crystallizing”. When this happens I loosen the lid, boil
some water, and sit the honey container in the hot water, turn off the heat
and let it liquefy. It is then as good as it ever was.
Never boil honey or put it in a microwave.
To do so will kill the enzymes in the honey.
Cinnamon and Honey
Bet the drug companies won’t like this one getting around. Facts on Honey
and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most
diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world.
Scientists of today also accept honey as a ‘Ram Ban’ (very effective)
medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side
effects for any kind of diseases.
Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the
right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly
World News, a magazine in Canada , in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has
given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon
as researched by western scientists:
HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly
and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in
the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have
already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles
away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of
breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various
nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you
age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey
and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.
ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water
with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken
regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research
conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors
treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half
teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week,
out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally
relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not
walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.
BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass
of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.
CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in
16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce
the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two
hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day,
any chronic cholesterol is cured.. According to information received in the
said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of
cholesterol.
COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon
lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This
process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.
UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach
ulcers from the root.
GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that
if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.
IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and
protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found
that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of
Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral
diseases.
INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food
relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.
INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ‘
Ingredient’ which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu..
LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the
ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder,
and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to
four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life
spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of
a 20-year-old.
PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste.
Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning
with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the
root.
SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts
cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.
WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, and
at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup
of water… If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese
person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to
accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.
CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer
of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering
from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with
one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.
FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful
rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens,
who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and
flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of
honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken
daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M.
when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of
the body within a week.
BAD BREATH:
People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one
teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath
stays fresh throughout the day.
HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts
restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter
and cinnamon sprinkled on it!
You might want to share this information with a friend, kinfolks and loved
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can i order the book or information ?
Can honey be mixed with cream to rub on the body
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