Honey honey!

No, this post is not about my personal honey (Jake), nor is it about the deliciousness of honey, although certainly I would never dispute this fact.  This post is instead on the wonders of "honey honey" for the body.

The health benefits of honey: honey is a rich anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, and has been used for centuries as a natural first-aid treatment.  People who eat local honey are less likely to develop allergies as their body ingests local pollen, thus building a tolerance for local plants.  Honey acts as a natural diuretic, is easy for the body to digest as it contains an equal amount of fructose and glucose in it, and is often used to treat throat and chest ailments in combination with other herbs.  Honey is also a great skin softener when used in conjunction with milk.  (*caution: while honey is great for children and adults alike, it should not be given to infants under the age of 1 due to the potential for infant botulism, while rare and can also be found in dirt and dust spores, can be debilitating*).

For these many reasons, I have tried to incorporate more honey into my life.  For over a year now, I've been making my own face wash made from honey.

3 simple ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup vegetable-based glycerin (a natural humectant and skin softener)
• 1/8 cup castille soap (I use Dr. Bronner's unscented "baby" soap)

Honey, Castille Soap (in a reusable bottle), and Vegetable Glycerin

With 3 simple materials:

• Measuring cup
• Small rubber spatula
• Pump container (I used an old Neutrogena face wash bottle)
• funnel (optional)

Pump container, funnel (optional) measuring cup, and rubber spatula.

Combine all ingredients in measuring cup, stir well with spatula, pour into pump container, and that's a wrap.

The gunk on the outside is from the old label.  Boo for glues that won't come off!

Another use of honey that I just recently tried was as a first-aid treatment.  On Thursday night, I burnt my hand.  Sheer stupidity on my part--I reached for a plate that was sitting on the stove, next to a hot burner, thinking that there couldn't possibly be that much residual heat.  Wrong!  It stung and hurt like a you know what!  I immediately ran it under cold water, and for 10 minutes held an ice cube wrapped in a washcloth in my hand--all the while trying to complete dinner!  Then, I put on 3 drops of lavender essential oil.  Lavender has been used for centuries to treat burns and in general it is very soothing to all skin types.  It is one of only two essential oils (the other is tea tree) that can be used undiluted on the skin without trouble for most people; otherwise, essential oils should also be diluted in "carrier oils" or in a water-based solution.

After the lavender, what did I put on next?  You guessed it--honey!  I slathered it on, licked the stuff of my fingers that ran away from my palm (an added bonus amidst the pain) and then wrapped it in gauze.  Perhaps my burn wasn't as bad as I thought it was, but this burn healed almost overnight with no problem.  I also believe that the honey helped to soften the skin that had been burned, making it more pliable and not so stiff.  If you've ever burned your hand before you'll know it's not always easy to move your fingers and such with a burn!  I will definitely be using this again for the next time I get burned, which is ultimately more often than I would like to admit.  You think I would learn :-)