When my mother became a grandmother, she didn't want to be called grandma, she wanted to be called Honey. As I've gotten older, I understand why she chose Honey, she must have known that honey was the key to a young heart. Honey has been a part of the human existence for quite some time and has played a key role in our health as we've undergone many evolutions. According to Dr. Oz, honey can be used to calm coughs, aid wounds and burns, and even help with insomnia.
Commonly, honey is used to add sweetness to our tea or our oatmeal, but we should be using honey as face masks, hair masks, medicine and even detox shots. Start experimenting which parts of nature make you feel the healthiest, but first, let’s start with HONEY!
HAIR MASK
Whether you have short hair like me or long hair like SZA, you can use honey to add shine and moisture to your beautiful roots. In regards to hair, honey aids with dandruff, dryness and breakage. You will want to bring the following items to the mix: towels for the floor and your neck, a plastic shower cap, a bowl to mix in, a spoon or dye brush to apply the honey mask and a bottle of cleaner in case you have any spills.
Make sure your consistency isn't too runny, it should still have the thickness of honey. For this mask, you want the honey to be the dominant product. Leave in your hair for about 15-20 minutes and then wash out in the shower with apple cider vinegar and a natural shampoo. Measurements depend solely on the amount of hair you have, but if you have some left over, store it in the fridge for next time.
Oil of your choice (Olive oil, Avocado oil, Grapeseed Oil)
Water or Rose Water
Honey
Once it’s all washed out, maintaining the shine and moisture really depends on your after-care. Using a conditioning oil like coconut oil, shea butter oil or cocoa butter oil will really lock in that moisture. Don’t forget, you can always melt your shea butter and cocoa butter cubes to make a liquefied version for easier application. This is a once a week or bi-weekly process.
FACE MASK
Very similar to the hair mask, you want to get a good outfit to prepare for this mask. Using the same ingredients from the hair mask, you’ll add a couple more special ingredients to brighten up your face. I use a paintbrush for my face masks, but feel free to use your hands or anything else suitable for this. Leave on your skin for about 10-15 minutes and wash it off in the shower or with a very soft towelette dipped in witch hazel. This face mask is good to do after you exfoliate with a brown sugar face and lip scrub. After, put glycerin or a penny-sized dollop of coconut oil onto your face and you can finally start your day. This is safe to do every day or once a week.
Glycerin
Teaspoon of Rose Water
Honey
Oil of your choice (Olive, Avocado, Grapeseed)
Quarter size of Turmeric or Moringa
MAKEUP REMOVAL
Yes, you can remove your Fenty makeup with honey, don't worry. For those of you who don't enjoy the use of alcohol in your makeup wipes, there's a lot of ways to take off your foundation without it. Try to use soft towelettes. If necessary, cut up a piece of an old t-shirt.
Honey
Witch Hazel
Baking Soda
Few drops of Tea Tree Oil
SOOTHE INSECT BITES, SMALL WOUNDS & PAPER CUTS
Honey heals wounds by providing anti-inflammatory properties that cause the swelling to go down and the itching to cease. The sugar in the honey also kills micro-organisms. Another important ingredient is the lemon juice. Lemon juice is another staple to natural medicine as it prevents bacteria from spreading. Cover it up with a bandage so it doesn't get on your clothes.
Honey
Lemon Juice
Gauze & Tape or A Band-Aid
HONEY SHOT
Not only is honey good for tea, but it’s also good to use on small wounds like paper cuts and quick oven burns. Our bodies are designed to be healed by the Earth and honey is a good way to start appreciating God’s golden creation. Honey is good for digestion, weight loss and energy boosting. To make this easier, use a shot glass for accuracy. This is safe to do once a day.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Spoonful of Honey or ½ to ¾ of the shot glass
Quarter Size of Turmeric
Apple Cider Vinegar
EXTRA INGREDIENTS FOR FLAVOR:
Mint
Lemon Juice
Cinnamon
Moringa Powder
Neem Powder
NATURAL COUGH SYRUP
Cough syrup is a must-have for anyone affected by a common cold, especially in the winter. Adding honey to your ginger tea or taking honey shots will heal your cold cough, too. Here are the necessities for your new bottle of natural cough syrup:
1/4 of Ginger (peeled & cut)
1/4 of Mint
Spoonful of Cinnamon
1 cup of Honey
Lemon Juice
1/4 of Marshmallow Root
Things to Remember
– Honey is anti-inflammatory, full of prebiotic minerals and also good for eczema.
– Make sure your honey is low-processed and as natural as possible. Usually reads RAW.
– Might want to buy a bigger bottle of honey than usual.
– Check your allergies, because honey can contain pollen.
– There are different types of honey: neem honey, manuka, acacia and buckwheat.