What is a Honey Mask?

A honey mask is a facial mask made from honey. These masks are used for beauty and skincare purposes. They help eliminate impurities and remedy skin infections such as acne. They also can be used to combat the effects of premature aging. Regardless of the user's motivation for using a honey mask, using masks with honey in them can have the effect of moisturizing, nourishing and soothing skin.

A honey mask can open and cleanse the pores. Honey also can moisturize the skin effectively because of the humectants in it. These qualities are especially beneficial to those who choose to use a honey mask for an acne problem.

Honey masks are a popular tool to combat acne. Many people who use honey masks find that they reduce instances of acne because of the honey's antibacterial properties. The manuka variety of honey is reported to have high concentrations of antimicrobial ingredients. Honey also can help eliminate the signs of old cases of acne, such as scarring or inflammation.

There are several recipes for making honey masks. Many recipes will call for the use of dark-colored honey over light-colored honey because of its higher antioxidant properties. Medical-grade, filtered honey generally is thought to be the best type of honey to use in a honey mask, because it has been cleaned of impurities typically found in raw honey. Ingredients can vary between recipes, but there are some ingredients that have good track records for working well in a honey mask. These include lemon, cinnamon, oatmeal, apple, tea tree oil, kelp, milk and even aspirin.

Anyone who wants to use an easy honey mask can simply apply honey directly to his or her face. The natural antioxidants and antimicrobial properties will work on the user's skin without potential interruption from other ingredients. Honey's stickiness lifts dead skin cells and dust off the skin. Its waxiness can leave the skin soft, smooth and shiny.

Honey has such beneficial effects on the skin that it also has been said to slow down skin's aging. To fully experience the benefits of honey masks, however, users need to make sure to use honey masks properly. Individuals who choose to use honey masks should always use masks that have been freshly prepared. They also should insist on using honey from organic sources. Those interested in using honey masks should test a patch of skin with honey before applying it all over the face, in order to verify that no allergy to honey exists.