The Beauty Guinea Pig

Theory tested: Smoother, pore-free skin can be yours with a little help from the beehive.

I know that honey, which is extolled by many for its anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and all around good for your skin properties, is an excellent ingredient for homemade mask but I always thought it needed a catalyst like lemon juice to do its work. According to the chef’s from The Beauty Cookbook, however, all you need to get your pores tighter is 10 minutes with honey on your face.

Products used: Organic honey from my local grocery store.

Duration of test: Two Days

Day 1: Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman (of the aforementioned “cookbook”) suggest putting organic honey on freshly washed skin. The thought of putting the sticky, thick amber on my just cleaned face pretty much sketched me out (I’m the girl who is convinced she’ll break out when her boyfriend touches her face because of his “fingertip oils”…neurotic, I know). The possibility of minuscule pores called to me, so I relented. I poured the honey into my hand and spread it across my face, avoiding the eye area. The honey felt, well, as I expected it would, viscous and tacky. After about 8 minutes, my skin started to feel a little tighter, like I’d spent 20 minutes with a mud mask on. When it was time to wash the mask off, it wasn’t hard like over the counter face masks would be, which made the process of washing it off much easier. My skin felt refreshed, smoother and while my pores weren’t invisible, they were visibly smaller.

Day 2: When I woke up the next day, my skin still felt smooth, like I’d just used a sugar scrub or sprung for a facial recently. It still looked pretty great too. I hated that I had to put makeup on my gunk-free face, but I sort of had to (that whole work thing). Midday, when I usually reapply makeup, all I needed to do was blot. It seemed the honey mask cured me of my usual afternoon oil slick. 

Conclusion: The effects of Mother Nature’s miracle cure-all only lasted for about two days. My skin looked and felt like I’d just used a really fantastic (read expensive) clay mask. My skin didn’t look as rejuvenated as it does after a spa facial but using two tablespoons of honey cost me pennies (when is the last time you got a facial for less than $50?). This non-messy, 10 minute skin process is something I can do weekly, without feeling guilty about the cost.

Tip: Be sure to use a slightly damp, warm washcloth to help wipe the honey off your face and neck. Otherwise, you may be left with bit of the sticky stuff on your neck the next day (this can attract pest or pets, neither of which you want hanging around your neck).