Raw Honey for Acne

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions that affects millions of people and also helps many cosmetic companies get rich. There are many over-the-counter products that promise instant relief from acne but not one product seems to work for everyone. Also, there are many misconceptions about the causes of acne, which lead to people opting for the wrong treatment options. Some of the misconceptions are that acne is hereditary, it is caused by eating junk food or by using certain cosmetic products.

Causes of Acne

Before we get into how honey helps in curing acne, let's take a look at what causes acne. Puberty is one of the times when most of us have an outbreak of acne, ever wondered why? Well, when we hit puberty the pituitary gland releases luteinizing hormones which triggers testosterone production. Testosterone is a growth hormone which stimulates the sebaceous glands which are responsible for releasing an oil known as sebum to moisturize the skin. Excess release of sebum may cause the pores in the skin to get blocked and this condition leads to acne.

The skin pores known as follicles are used to rid the dead skin cells, directly below the follicles you can find the sebaceous glands which are responsible for the production of sebum. When the follicles get blocked sebum and dead cells get trapped and this becomes a great place for the bacteria to thrive. This then leads to people getting pimples, blackheads, zits and lesions on the face and body. Bodybuilders who take steroids are also susceptible to acne outbreaks, because steroids cause hormonal changes which lead to acne.

One of the oldest remedies to treat acne is the use of raw honey. Most honey found in supermarkets is processed and therefore isn't effective for treating acne. You need to get raw honey if you want to effectively treat your acne outbreak.

There have been studies which have indicated that raw honey kills bacteria which is resistant to most modern medicines. Honey has anti-bacterial qualities which work against the acne causing bacteria in our skin. Some of the other health benefits of raw honey are that it has humectants that help moisturize the skin and give it a natural glow.

Other benefits are that it has anti-inflammatory qualities and helps soothe the skin. Raw honey is also useful in healing wounds and there have been enough studies to prove this. It has vitamins and enzymes that help the wounds to heal faster when applied topically.

If you are planning to use raw honey, wash the area with an anti-bacterial soap and then apply raw honey. Acne can be effectively treated by keeping it on for 10-12 minutes then washing it off with lukewarm water.

You can also apply a combination of cinnamon and honey for acne on your skin for 10-15 minutes to help rid your skin of acne. Another way is to add a couple of drops of lemon juice to raw honey and using the solution as a face wash to rid acne.

Localized use of raw honey is also quite effective in getting rid of the lone pimple that threatens to spread. You can dab the pimple or pimples with honey and let the skin soak it in, you can even let it on throughout the night and wash it of the next day for acne prevention.

Raw honey is one of the oldest surviving natural acne cures that still finds a place in modern science today. If you can't get your hands on raw honey go for products that use honey as one of their ingredients for acne treatment.