A few weeks ago, I was scrolling through my Instagram when I saw a photo from E at District of Chic touting the benefits of a “raw honey mask.”  I’d never heard of such a thing, but I was immediately curious.

Since the Egyptians, and probably before, honey’s anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties have been used to treat skin problems.  Some health and beauty blogs believe that raw honey can be used to treat everything from acne to rosacea to eczema by gently cleansing and treating the skin while maintaining a health pH balance.

The most prevalent use raw honey masks is to treat acne.  You can apply raw honey as a spot treatment if you feel a blemish development.  You can also mix it with cinnamon to create a potent bacteria-killing mask.  I was amazed how bright my skin looked after I applied a honey mask.  My skin was much less red, and a few small blemishes around my nose shrunk considerably after the mask.

Don’t have acne?  (Lucky you.)  You can also use raw honey to treat dry skin, dark marks or to exfoliate and decongest sensitive skin.  I also found this post that discusses cleansing your face with raw honey.  Which, given the dry conditions, might be kinder to skin than soap.

So where to buy raw honey, I picked up a jar at Trader Joe’s, but you can order it from Amazon as well.  Most varieties clearly mark that they are raw honey, but you can see the difference because raw honey is cloudy and waxy, not clear and viscous like filtered honey.

I’m always glad to find a natural alternative to a beauty product that costs me a lot of money.  I’ve alternated my Origins charcoal mask with a raw honey mask, and after four weeks, my skin has never looked better.  Of course, the honey’s not entirely responsible, but I think it’s helping.