3 DIY Honey Face Wash Recipes For Your Constitution

I once heard that you should never put anything on your skin that you wouldn’t eat. Truly, caring for your skin is as important as caring for any other organ. After all, our skin is our shield, our protection, and our presentation to the outside world. 

If you are looking for simple, wholesome DIY face wash recipes, look no further! During the holiday season, I got crafty in the kitchen and experimented with several DIY honey face washes, and I’m here to share my top three picks with you. I chose these recipes for simplicity, purity of ingredients, aroma, and texture. After trying these DIY honey face wash recipes for yourself, you may never again need to buy a pre-made face cleanser!

Why Honey?

I have to admit that before doing my field research for this article, honey face washes were a bit of a foreign concept to me. I had made a few DIY face washes in the past, but never landed on anything that I loved, so I continued to use store-bought face cleansers. Though there are many lovely, botanical beauty products on the market, making your own honey face wash is incredibly easy and economical. Plus, you will know exactly what’s going into it! 

There are a number of great reasons to use honey as a principle ingredient in your DIY face wash. For one, it has a beautiful color and smells great. Yet, beyond aesthetic appeal, it turns out that honey has a plethora of wellness benefits for the skin. Much in the same way that honey is used to soothe a dry throat and cough, honey is also soothing and moisturizing for irritated skin tissue (Pitchford, 2002). In addition, honey has a relatively low pH and has strong antibacterial and immunomodulating properties. In fact, there are enzymes in honey that produce hydrogen peroxide (which is why honey can also be used as a hair lightener)! The low pH in honey is partially responsible for its ability to inhibit the growth of microbes (Mandal & Mandal, 2011). Microbes of the wrong kind can contribute to acne, rashes, and other skin blemishes. In addition, honey is also viscous and moistening and naturally attracts water by way of osmosis, giving it a demulcent quality. 

DIY Honey Face Wash: 3 Ways!

This honey facial scrub has an overall warming energy thanks to the almonds and honey. However, peppermint essential oil adds a cooling, refreshing touch. Ayurveda considers lavender to be tridoshic, meaning that it is suitable for vata, pitta, and kapha doshas and that it strikes a sweet energetic balance between warm and cool. 

On the whole, this aromatic recipe is particularly balancing for people with vata and kapha doshas who benefit from the warming energetics in honey and almonds. Vata-type skin, which tends to be dry and sensitive, will benefit from the moistening qualities of the honey and oil. Also, kapha types, who tend to have thicker, moister skin and who are somewhat prone to water retention, will appreciate the stimulating aspects of the almond meal and honey.

If you’re interested in best matching this honey face wash to your dosha, the type of oil makes a difference. For vata dosha, sesame oil is a great choice as it is particularly warming, heavy, and nourishing. For kapha dosha, opt for jojoba or almond oil as those oils are a bit lighter than sesame.

Manjista (Rubia cordifolia-radix) is an alterative, hemostatic, and anti-inflammatory herb that is used in Ayurveda to soothe skin disorders, menstrual irregularities, chronic wounds, and fungal infections. Therefore, this DIY honey face wash is perfect for inflamed, acne-prone skin (think pitta imbalance). Manjista has a beautiful, deep red-clay color, but luckily it won’t stain your skin if applied for just several seconds as a face wash. Reach for this honey face wash when your skin is looking red or feeling irritated and in need of a cool down. 

This DIY honey face wash is gentle and therefore favorable for most skin types. Honey is slightly warming and moist, and matcha green tea is cool and mildly astringent. Choose almond oil for a slightly warming, stimulating effect and jojoba oil for richness and a deep moisturizing effect. This face wash foams when combined with water, yet is also silky and moistening. Use tea tree essential oil for acne-prone skin and lavender for more sensitive skin. You can also opt to omit the essential oils completely. 

Finally

As I alluded to earlier, I really wasn’t much of a DIY bath and beauty product maker until very recently. But, when you experience how easy, fun, and effective DIY face washes are, you too may become a true believer, or at least an enthusiastic experimenter! These DIY honey washes also make wonderful simple gifts. So, whether you are looking for a scrub, foaming face wash, or cool herbal concoction—honey makes a nourishing, purifying, and versatile base for your DIY face washes. 

REFERENCES

Larrison, J. (2015). Honey homemade face wash for blemish free skin. Retrieved from https://www.theherbalspoon.com/2015/09/honey-homemade-face-wash-for-blemish-free-skin/

Mandal, D., & Mandal, M. (2011). Honey: Its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, 1(2), 154–160. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2FS2221-1691(11)60016-6

Pitchford, P. (2002). Healing with whole foods: Asian traditions and modern nutrition. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books. 

Rubies and Radishes. (2013). Honey almond facial scrub. Retrieved from http://www.rubiesandradishes.com/2013/09/30/honey-almond-facial-scrub/

Sweet Nature’s Beauty. (n.d.). All natural honey matcha face wash—great for sensitive skin! Retrieved from https://sweetnaturesbeauty.com/honey-matcha-face-wash-sensitive-skin