Bee Thankful for Honey
Honey has long been looked at, as extremely valuable. Pharaohs had jars of it buried with them, the Greeks believed it was truly the nectar of the gods and the ancient traditions of Ayurveda used it for healing. It is literally the only food known not to spoil because it is so potently antibacterial and anti-fungal.
While most of us can agree that honey is delicious, it also has many medicinal powers. I can attest, from firsthand experience, that taking raw local honey multiple times a day for a few months, alleviated my son’s allergies and 9 years later he’s living allergy free. Even my beekeeping grandpa, who couldn’t eat honey, was healed from rheumatoid arthritis after being stung on a regular basis with bee venom——but that’s another story for a different time.
Ancient cultures didn’t just consume it as food, they also used it to heal wounds and keep the skin healthy. There have been recent studies done, showing that raw honey has stopped MRSA and Manuka honey, specifically, helping with major skin issues.
There are many products out there that are advertised as “good for your skin” because it has honey as an ingredient. The thing is, once honey has been heated, it’s healing properties have been compromised. If you can, try and find a local skin care company that makes their products in small batches. It's also important to use raw local honey as many brands found in stores are either not raw, therefore no longer having any healing properties, or they are not pure honey and have fillers like high fructose corn syrup.
Honey can be especially good as a face wash or a mask. It is so gentle you can use it daily- I do! I rub coconut oil(you could use jojoba too) and some honey together to wash my face. I am prone to breakouts and it`s soothing for my sensitive skin. Below are some simple masks that you can try and play with. Most ingredients are already in your pantry or refrigerator and all are safe to consume- which is an ideal standard for anything going on your skin.
HYDRATING MASK
1 teaspoon plain whole fat yogurt
1 teaspoon raw honey
1 teaspoon mashed avocados
Mix together. Spread on face and leave for 20-30 min and then rinse off. All 3 ingredients are packed with nutrients to hydrate your face!
DETOXING MASK
1/2 teaspoon of honey
2 opened capsules of activated charcoal
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of bentonite clay
Mix together and apply to face. Let mask dry 5-10 min before removing. Keep away from the eyes, the apple cider vinegar can be a bit strong.
EASY BODY SCRUB
2 parts honey
1 part baking soda
Mix together and scrub all over. It’s even safe enough to gently scrub your face. Rinse well.
I couldn’t end this without talking about the magical little creatures that make our beautiful honey. Most of us know that our bees are in trouble and declining at an alarming rate! They say that one in three bites of food comes from our precious pollinators. A few ways to support them is to :
Support your local beekeeper! They need all the support they can get to keep their hives healthy.
When planting new flowers for spring, be aware of flowers that are sprayed with pesticides.
Don`t pick those dandelions! Besides them being medicinal and wonderful for supporting liver health, they are some of the first food for bees as they come out for spring to pollinate.
Lastly, next time you see them, point a little gratitude towards them for all their hard work.
