In November 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter and his team unearthed the tomb of one of ancient Egypt’s most controversial pharaohs: Tutankhamun.

King Tut’s tomb, like those of many other pharaohs, housed many things supposed to accompany the king to the afterlife. In fact, it contained a LOT of things. The tomb’s four chambers and corridor brimmed with over five thousand funerary goods.

Furniture, jewelry, golden shrines, weapons, clothing, and whatnot– everything the deceased pharaoh could need was in the tomb. But among these objects was the most unexpected thing you expect to be in a tomb: a jar of honey. Apparently, Tutankhamun liked honey a lot.

However, here’s something that might seem more unexpected. Some brave archeologists actually tasted the honey – they didn’t fear the curse – and found it in perfect condition! Yes, the over-three-thousand-year-old honey tasted perfect. 

It was not some magical funerary ritual that preserved the honey for thousands of years. The chemical composition of honey renders it unspoilable, making it a wonder food without an expiry date.

Well, honey can do much more than preserve itself for ages. The sweet syrupy liquid has a lot of health benefits for us as well, especially for our skin. Want to know more about how honey can make your skin healthier? Here are eight things honey can do to healthify your skin!

Honey is a great natural moisturizer. 

Dry skin needs no introduction. We all have it, and we all hate it. Dryness not only makes our skin rough and clumsy but also makes us look dull and unhealthy.

Many factors can make your skin dry. But you don’t need to worry if you have a jar of honey with you – just like King Tut. While we don’t know what King Tut was up to, you can definitely use honey to moisturize your skin.

Honey penetrates deep into the skin and moisturizes it from within. The high levels of fructose and glucose in honey make it a great humectant. In other words, honey promotes water retention in your skin, making it more hydrated and less dry.

Honey brightens your skin.

While dry skin feels awful, the dullness of skin just as severe a problem, if not worse. And yet again, honey can be your go-to solution for restoring the natural glow of your dull skin.

The enzymes and antioxidants present in honey make it an excellent exfoliating agent. Therefore, honey can go deep into the skin and remove impurities and dead skin cells. And your skin is left bright and glowing with its natural glow.

For best results, you can mix one tablespoon of honey with an equal amount of ground coffee. Apply the paste on your skin and leave it for ten minutes before washing it off with tap water. Repeat this process every day for naturally glowing skin.

Honey can help you eliminate acne.

Pimples are the greatest foes of beautiful skin. Besides making your skin spotted, unattractive, and scarred, acne-prone skin also makes you frustrated, underconfident, and embarrassed. And we know you don’t want that! No one does.

Well, your jar of sweet gold can help you with your pimples, as well. Honey is rich in anti-bacterial properties and can efficiently remove excess oil from your skin.

But due to its penetrating power, it can also clean clogged pores. Both of these benefits can directly improve your acne and help remove pimples.

To fight your pimples with honey, apply some honey on your face and leave it there for 15 minutes. Then, wash it off with tap water. You should see the results in a few days.

Honey helps with sunburns.

Scorching summer heat can not only leave you with sweat and discomfort but also with sunburns! And if your lifestyle makes you go out under the sun frequently, you would know how bad sunburns can be.

The beneficial anti-inflammatory properties of honey come to use in helping you with sunburns. And this is the reason we find honey in many aftersun creams and lotions. 

To treat your sunburnt regions, make a paste of honey and aloe vera gel in equal amounts. Then, apply the paste to the affected area and leave it on for 15-20 minutes.

In fact, you can also apply this paste on your hands, neck, and face each time you return from a long day under the sun.

Did you know? Besides honey, essential oils are also great natural remedies for sunburns!

Honey is a great healer.

We’ve already talked plenty about how honey can make your skin look brighter and healthier above. But did you know that it can also heal your wounds and scars? Yes, that’s right.

The ever-helpful honey has great healing properties. This is because honey is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. Since honey is acidic in nature and has low water content, it is very unfavorable for the growth of bacteria. Due to this property, honey never gets spoiled. Likewise, applying it to your wounds can prevent bacterial growth, speeding up the healing process.

You can apply honey on small cuts or wounds after cleaning the wound with cold water. Just use it as an ointment to heal your cuts and remove scars.

Honey can help treat skin cancer!

Even though we’re on the subject of discussing the benefits of honey for skin, this one might sound too far-fetched. But some studies have shown that honey can really improve the conditions of skin cancer. These studies have found that honey can disrupt and slow down the growth of cancerous tissues.

While the details on if and how honey does all that are unclear, we hope to find answers soon. However, you shouldn’t get too happy about it, as there hasn’t been enough research to arrive at a conclusion.

Nevertheless, there is hope. Fingers crossed!

Honey has anti-aging properties.

We all want to remain young and healthy for as long as possible. Nevertheless, old age is an inevitable predator that manages to find us sooner or later, no matter how much we try to elude it.

And while there is no secret nectar for perpetual youth, honey can help you remain young to some extent. If you’re wondering how, the answer is antioxidants. Honey’s antioxidizing and moisturizing properties can repair damaged skin and help retain moisture.

All of these actions help reverse signs of aging, making your skin look glowing and young.

Honey removes pigmentation.

Remember how honey can help you with sunburns due to extended sun exposure? This extreme exposure can also lead to hyperpigmentation over an extended period.

Tanned or pigmented skin looks anything but good. And if you wish to get rid of pigmentation with a DIY home remedy, honey mixed with lemon juice can do the trick. Honey’s exfoliating and anti-inflammatory properties can help remove dead skin cells. And lemon acts as a natural bleaching agent.

Add some drops of lemon juice to 1-2 tablespoons of honey. Apply it on your face as a face mask and keep it on for ten minutes. Then wash it off with tap water.

Should you use honey?

We have given you eight reasons to use honey on your skin. Now let us provide you with some reasons to avoid honey. There aren’t many.

There aren’t any big reasons why you should avoid this wonderful gift of honeybees. However, you must keep honey at bay if you are allergic to honey’s ingredients. Being allergic to pollen, bee venom, or some flowers might put you at risk. Therefore, applying honey on a small part of your hand is best to check for any possible allergic responses.

If reading about skincare and home remedies is your favorite thing to do, you’ll feel at home in our health & wellness space, where we have a treasury full of such nuggets of wisdom. Don’t forget to check it out today!