Most of us know honey as a food first and foremost, but the cosmetic and personal care industry is beginning to take advantage of this ingredient for its unique health and nutritional benefits. Most of us probably use cosmetic products that contain honey and we don’t even know it.
Honey is currently being used in a wide range of non-food products, although its role in sweetening foods and beverages remains its most popular market.
More and more people are looking for natural resources as alternatives to cosmetic products that use ingredients that most of us do not know or pronounce. Having some security about what we are using in our body, and knowing that it is not hurting us or the planet, is a path that many are taking.
Honey in the personal care industry
Honey can be used in cosmetic products as a humectant, to slow the loss of moisture from a product, as well as used as a fragrance and as a skin conditioning agent.
The cosmetics industry has undergone a huge shift in consumer behavior in recent years, and consumers have become much more aware of the ingredients used in their beauty products.
Ingredients that are derived from superfoods are becoming increasingly popular. Consumers want to ensure that the ingredients are sourced responsibly and that the products are good for the skin.
Benefits of honey in cosmetics
Although honey has been harvested for at least 8000 years, the myriad of health benefits are still being discovered today.
- Antibacterial. Nectar collected from flowers is rich in natural sugars such as fructose and glucose, the reaction of these sugars with the enzymes of bees gives honey an acidic pH of around 3.9. With this acidity, bacteria will not survive and the stickiness of honey helps to destroy other unwanted microorganisms on the skin. Honey-containing facial cleansers are used to help treat people with acne.
- Moisturizing. Honey extracts and absorbs moisture from the air. This means that having honey as an ingredient in a personal care product will help keep your skin or hair hydrated. Furthermore, honey is also used to treat many dermatological conditions. It is common to be found in cosmetic soaps and creams.
- Anti-aging. Rich in antioxidants, honey has unique properties that make it an ideal ingredient to be used in anti-wrinkle and anti-aging products. Thanks to antioxidants, honey can help skin cells repair and renew themselves.
Honey is definitely a desired ingredient in the cosmetics industry, and this will intensify as consumers become more and more aware of the ingredients in their cosmetics.
The true extent of honey’s health benefits is still being discovered, and scientific and pharmaceutical research is still in relatively early stages.
