Honey is one of the most wonderful foods in nature and there are many great ways to use it. I’m a huge honey lover. I enjoy honey in my tea, smoothies, and drizzled on top of peanut butter on toast. Recently I’ve decided to learn more about different uses of honey.
I was surprised to find out that there are so many unusual ways to use this healthy food. Without further ado, here are a few surprising ways to use honey.
Take a look, see what you think and be sure to try a few of these ways to use honey.
1. An ideal moisturizer
Natural moisturizers are healthy for our skin, and honey turned out to be one of the best choices. Just warm a little bit of honey in a pan until it gets liquid and add some herbs such as lavender. The proportion is one tablespoon of herbs per 8 ounces of honey.
After you do that, it should stay closed for a week. Then add 1 teaspoon of already made substance into an 8 ounce bottle of unscented lotion. Enjoy it!
2. A perfect conditioner
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that honey makes an effective conditioner as well. It may be used instead of your regular conditioner but also as an additional element to intensify its properties. There are many options.
Add 1 tablespoon of honey to your shampoo or make a hair mask. Mix some honey with olive oil and apply the substance on already washed hair, leave for 20 minutes and rinse off.
By capturing moisture a honey hair-conditioning mask will leave your locks shining and vibrant. The way I do it is by mixing 1tsp honey, 2 tbsp olive oil and one egg yolk. Taking this mixture massage into hair and put a shower cap or wrap it with smthg to let it set for about 20-30 minutes. This gets the honey working and after washing thoroughly you will be amazed. I find this being my go-to hair remedy when my hair is feeling dull and I’m low on the cash.
3. A remedy for hangover
It is very surprising, I could never think about it! But still it is so. Honey is a natural tonic which helps to get rid of the unpleasant consequences of a good party.
The recipe is quite simple: add two tablespoons of honey to a glass of water. Drink it in the morning and it will speed up your metabolism, and you`ll feel much better. Honey helps to flush out the toxins from your body.
More: 10 Best Beauty Tricks to Hide a Hangover
4. Healing balm for burns, cuts and bruises
Since honey contains various sugars, minerals and vitamins all present in the body they can serve as a substitute to commercialized medical products for cleaning cuts and minor wounds. You simply apply it to the cut or wound directly and it begins to sterilize it immediately because it contains antimicrobial agents. So if you are heading for a hike or to other activities where cuts and scrapes can happen, bringing honey could really make a difference!
Could you ever imagine that honey has healing qualities? I tried its effect on myself and the result is amazing. Try to apply it on the affected areas like an ordinary balm, in a thin layer. Honey acts as a natural antiseptic so the effect won`t keep you waiting. It works, believe me!
So you’re cooking and accidently burn yourself on the pot of boiling pasta… it happens. Now don’t go running to your first aid kit, stay in the kitchen, run it under cold water and apply some HONEY! Yes it can help heal this too. With its sugar content it not only disinfects the wound but plays a role in the healing process of the burn. It will speed up the process as well since it traps the moisture around the wound.
More: 7 Great Uses for Aloe Vera You Should Know about
5. Gentle face scrub
Due to its hydrating qualities, honey is not only a perfect moisturizer, but is a perfect scrub as well. It is unbelievably simple to make an ideal face or body scrub at home out of natural ingredients.
Ground almonds, honey and lemon juice mixed together will make a fantastic face scrub. After you get convinced that the result you get can`t be provided by any other scrub, it will become your favorite face scrub.
More: 7 Incredible Homemade Face Masks You May Want to Try Tonight
6. Sweet lip balm
What can be better than a lip balm made by yourself? Mix together almond oil, some honey and beeswax. Your lips will never be dry anymore. Lip balm is especially necessary in winter. Enjoy all the advantages of natural ingredients, they are surely more effective than any other balm of any popular cosmetic brand. I`ve already made one for myself. What about you?
7. Better athletic performance
Who could have guessed that honey can help improve your sport results? It is definitely not me. But I`m happy to find out and share this fact with you. Eat a tablespoon of honey before every workout and it will give you additional strength to run that extra mile or do 10 press-ups or more. It is fantastic that there is a natural and affordable stimulant to improve your athletic performance.
8. Remove intestinal parasites
Unexpected but very effective. I`ve checked it already on myself. Add some honey and vinegar to a glass of water and say goodbye to intestinal parasites. It is also useful as a stimulator for blood flow through the area and growth of the epithelial cells. Honey has protecting and anti-inflammatory effect to gastric mucosa, and it also helps to absorb water and sodium.
9. Lose weight
Add honey to your diet and see those extra pounds disappearing. Firstly, it has beneficial effect on your digestion. And secondly, it may replace the sugar which is much healthier and is not rich in calories. Honey speeds up metabolism so that your body will burn fat faster. Sure, you should stick to the golden medium.
More: 7 Healthy Habits That Will Speed Up Your Metabolism
10. Use honey as a sweetener in herbal teas
Honey is an excellent substitute for sugar, though it still contains calories. Add a little bit of honey to your herbal tea and you will have a tasty and healthy drink in a jiff. Honey’s enzymes and trace minerals improve the effectiveness of the herbs it’s mixed with. For instance, a cup of chamomile tea with honey will help calm your mind and body and help you sleep better.
More: 10 Great Teas for Any Occasion
11. Face mask
With the components to attract water, honey can be used to moisturize the skin as well. Honey also contains an acid, such as those present in alpha hydroxy masks, which caters to sensitive skin. Making it skin friendly for all skin types as well as a natural alternative to facial masks. And along with moisturizing it’s also cheaper, as you’re bound to use it in the kitchen. Making it worth the purchase!
12. Quick Ulcer Fix
Don’t you just hate it when you get an ulcer in your mouth and need to go to work or school and do a bunch of talking.. yes I certainly do. A remedy for this that’s been used in my family for a long time has been something I recommended to all my friends. Take a tablespoon of honey or less, and place it on the ulcer.
It will immediately begin to serilize it and you will soon feel it going away. Reapply the honey as needed but don’t eat it!! The longer you let it rest on the ulcer the more effective it will be.
Honey boasts amazing benefits and can be used for various purposes you didn`t even think about. Do you know some other uses of honey? Share your ideas in the comments section, please.