In a skincare market that always wants us to try new and improved formulas, it’s comforting to lean on dependable ingredients. Raw honey is one of our favorite never-changing skincare nourishment staples.

For centuries, raw honey has been considered a skincare novelty (as well as a delicious snack). Practically speaking, ancient cultures used it for its soothing and antibacterial properties—a primal form of first-aid. In skincare, raw honey can help to reduce acne, scarring, and redness while restoring the natural skin barrier and microbiome.

Even Cleopatra was said to use a mixture of honey and raw milk as a beauty secret for moisturizing and nourishing her skin.

Let’s explore the raw honey benefits for skin. You’ll learn how this ancient skincare secret can act as your favorite modern-day staple.

Raw Honey vs. Pasteurized Honey

Pasteurized (boiled at high temperatures) is just another way of saying processed. This doesn’t necessarily mean pasteurization is bad. It’s often done with the best intentions in mind. But we do need to understand that processing has consequences and often impacts the nutrient profile of a food group.

Honey is pasteurized for a longer shelf life and smoother appearance in the bottle. Unlike dairy products, we really don’t need to pasteurize honey to remove bacteria, since it’s naturally antibacterial. Honey is pasteurized mainly for cosmetic reasons. This is why consuming or using raw honey (honey that hasn’t been processed at all) is considered totally safe.

The Powerful Benefits of Raw Honey

Raw honey contains a diverse profile of nutrients—significantly more than pasteurized honey. It's full of enzymes, royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen, beeswax, and higher levels of natural vitamins and minerals.

Recently, bee propolis and bee pollen have both become popular ingredients for their antibacterial and anti-allergy properties. They’re often marketed as individual products that you buy separately from honey and mix into smoothies and other foods. But, if you source raw honey, both of these ingredients should naturally remain intact.

We use raw honey for skin in our products because the nutritional benefits are unbeatable. Why choose a highly processed version of honey when you can have the natural thing? Bee propolis, beeswax (wonderful for your skin), vitamins, antioxidants, and all.

Raw Honey Benefits for Skin

It’s incredibly easy to source and one of the most potent nutrients for the face and body. Let’s explore the powerful raw honey benefits for skin:

• It’s Naturally Antibacterial

In primal cultures, honey was used medicinally to prevent infections due to its restorative antibacterial properties. Raw honey has a high viscosity, meaning it lands somewhere between a liquid and a solid. This provides an extra protective barrier against bacteria, infection, and further injury.

Today, we can use raw honey for acne, cuts, scrapes, and other general first-aid needs. It’s especially effective for acne caused by bacteria imbalance. If you often break out from touching your face, overusing a pillow case, or leaving your makeup on overnight, raw honey may be just what you need to eliminate bad bacteria and restore good bacteria on your skin (no antibiotics needed).

• It’s Incredibly Moisturizing

Raw honey adds moisture to the skin and then locks it in—a powerful two-in-one resource. This occurs because raw honey is a natural humectant. Essentially, it works like hyaluronic acid or glycerin to draw moisture from the air into your skin cells. Take your raw honey application to the next level by combining it with other moisturizing ingredients you want to lock in. We love grass-fed beef tallow, jojoba oil, and olive oil.

• It Contains Antioxidants

As we know, antioxidants are powerful tools for restoring skin health. They’re known to delay or entirely reverse damage from free radicals, promoting cellular turnover. Antioxidant serums and creams are expensive and not always effective (especially if they contain chemical fillers). Plus, there are a lot of natural resources that give us the same benefits as those products. Raw honey is extremely effective and a gift from Mother Nature.

• Raw Honey Doesn’t Go Bad

Modern skincare products are packed full of chemical preservatives meant to increase their lifespan. But honey preserves itself naturally—without the chemicals or the lab-made ingredients. It’s so powerful that raw honey has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs—totally intact and edible. We like to use it to naturally preserve other skincare ingredients, like jojoba oil or blue algae.

Another incredible fact about honey is that it’s completely water-soluble. Essentially, it lasts forever in storage but easily decomposes in a natural environment. The best of both worlds for our skin and the earth.

Our Favorite Raw Honey Based Face Mask

As a nontoxic skincare brand, it’s only natural that we create products using raw honey. There are just so many potent nutrients in honey—many of which your skin craves. Bee propolis, beeswax, natural enzymes, and other nutrients found exclusively in raw honey help to lock in moisture and anti-inflammatory properties—keeping your skin supple, plump, and rejuvenated, long-term. Cleopatra was onto something.

One of our favorite products is the Resurfacing Mask. We use raw honey as the base ingredient (instead of water or fillers, which are more common in modern products). Then we add things like blue C-phycocyanin algae, jojoba oil, arnica, and AHA fruit acids—all powerful ingredients locked in by the high viscosity of raw honey.

The raw honey face mask is perfect for restoring your skin barrier or taking a gentle yet effective approach to acne and redness. Or, if you’re like us, it may be used simply for a moment of self-care. We created it for people who believe in the nourishing benefits of skincare but are unwilling to compromise on ingredients.

Enjoy the Benefits of Our Resurfacing Mask