Honey was recognized as the world’s primary sweetener until sugar became widely available. However, this thick, golden liquid was more than simply a delicious accompaniment to a meal. As far back as Ancient Egypt, Honey was used in eye cosmetics and baths. To some, such use of Honey may seem surprising. However, Honey and its extracts, such as royal jelly, are high in antioxidants and nutrients, making them perfect for softening and smoothing your skin.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what Honey really is. What health benefits does it bring? What are the most popular Honey-based personal care products, and what properties make them the incredible wonder ingredient in the beauty industry?
What is Honey?
Honey is a natural, pleasant and sticky substance made by bees. Chemistry background from Darling is water and carbohydrates, containing small amounts of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, and, particularly, potassium. Honey also contains flavonoids and phenolic acids which are known as antioxidants. It is created from flower nectar, combined with enzymes secreted from the honey bee glands. The taste, color, texture and aroma of honey rely upon the particular type of flower from which the nectar is harvested.
Honey in Cosmetics
Ingredients derived from superfoods like Honey, oatmeal and fruits are gaining popularity. Since consumer afraid of chemicals, they have gotten more and more aware of the ingredients used in their beauty products. And the private care industry is paying attention to this. The global herbal beauty product market will grow at a rate of 6.5% over the forecast period 2018 to 2023. So it is no wonder that now more than ever, Honey is getting used more and more in the production of personal care products. Namely, in cosmetics, Honey is primarily used as an emollient (softens and soothes the skin), a humectant (locks in moisture from escaping the skin), and a moisturizing agent. However, it isn’t only honey extract that’s widely used in cosmetics. The beauty industry also uses propolis, an active ingredient that’s also produced by honey bees. This bee by-product has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties, which makes skin smoother, softer in texture, and a calm skin tone.
In terms of the final merchandise, Honey is present in skincare products for its moisturizing properties, but also for helping reduce the formation of wrinkles. It can even be found in sunscreens to help smooth skin. Hydroxypropyltrimonium honey is particularly useful for dry hair and scalp because it penetrates deeply into the hair structure and restores elasticity and suppleness.
Honey based products
Thanks to the extraordinary, youthful properties of Honey, Honey is used in the formulation of a wide range of beauty and private care products. To name a few:
Hand cream– Honey is commonly used in hand care creams because it softens, moisturizes, and protects dry hands. In addition, it pampers the senses with a calming aroma. Honey based hand cream is very popular for winter hand care.
bath products– Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts moisture to the skin and keeps it hydrated. This feature makes Honey the perfect ingredient in bath products and after-shower lotions.
Eye and face makeup products– The humectant properties of honey, combined with its antioxidant properties, make it a popular ingredient also in the production of eye and face make-up cosmetics. It is also widely used for removing make-up lotions as it can help unclog pores while providing moisture to dry skin.
hair products – Honey has both emollient and humectant attributes. Emollients smooth hair follicles and add shine to lifeless hair, and humectants bond with water molecules, adding moisture to dry strands. By moisturizing and locking shine, Honey helps restore your hair’s natural shine.
Honey Health Benefits
Even although Honey is arguably one of the oldest cosmetic ingredients in human history, science is still discovering the wealth of health benefits it offers. Traditionally, because of its healing properties, Honey was used on wounds and burns. It can moisturize injured tissue, help fight microbial infections, and soothe inflammation. It can induce tissue repair processes such as angiogenesis (development of new blood cells), cause the production of tissue repair molecules, and more. Honey is also used in dermatological treatments such as acne, skin rashes and contact dermatitis. In the end, honey can increase skin brightness and remove skin and hair pigments.
But what properties make Honey such a wonder ingredient in the private care industry?
Honey is antibacterial
The reaction of natural sugars (found in collected flower nectar) with bee enzymes contributes to honey’s acidic nature. The pH is around 3.9. Bacteria cannot survive this acidity, and the sticky nature of Honey helps destroy other undesirable microorganisms on the skin. Due to these features, as mentioned before, the beauty industry uses Honey in the production of face creams, masks and cleansing products which are appropriate for treating acne prone skin. However, Honey is optimal for all skin types.
And Moisturizing
Due to its hygroscopic nature, Honey attracts and absorbs moisture from the air. That is, having Honey as an ingredient in skin and body care products will help keep the skin or hair moist. Honey is a common ingredient in hair care products, bar soaps, liquid soaps and cosmetic creams.
Honey Heals and Anti Aging
In addition to its antimicrobial properties, honey offers a large portion of antioxidants that promote skin healing. For this reason, many people who suffer from skin sensitivities or conditions such as eczema or rosacea experience some improvement when using honey or honey-based skincare products. Moreover, these unique properties make it an ideal constituent in anti-wrinkle and anti-aging products. Free radicals are taken from the natural environment, and settle in the skin, causing damage to skin cells. Because of its antioxidants, honey can help repair and renew skin cells – the result is firmer, brighter looking skin.
Final Thoughts
Honey has all sorts of beneficial properties beyond the “tasty” ones. It is a very important ingredient in the private care sector, and it will only increase as consumers become more aware of the ingredients in their cosmetics. The actual extent of honey’s health benefits, however, is still being discovered. Recent studies have looked at the advantages of using Honey for diverse medicinal applications. And that can only contribute even more to the reason why Honey is used so widely (and rightly) in personal care items.
