Honey For Dummies. Howland Blackiston

to return it to a healthy and shiny mane.

      Honey also has varying amounts of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that help protect your body from cell damage, are anti-aging and are known to fight against heart disease and cancer. As we find out more about the benefits of honey inside and out, it begins to make sense that honey has a place in your medicine cabinet as well as your kitchen.

      

Be sure to see Chapter 5 for honey-inspired health and beauty recipes you can make at home.

      AVOIDING HONEY NO-NO’S

      Honey is safe for adults to consume; however, infants and children under two years of age risk exposure to a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. These spores are often found in soil, air, dust, and agricultural products. Infantile botulism is a bacterial infection that occurs in the large intestine of young children who ingest raw or uncooked foods, including honey. A toxin found in this bacterium can make children sick and even cause them to become paralyzed. In the United States, all honey sold is required to include a warning on the label about feeding honey to children under two years of age.

Chapter 5

      Making Honey Remedies at Home

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Creating your own honey-based personal care products

      

Whipping up some honey decoctions for your health

      RECIPES IN THIS CHAPTER

       Honey Sugar Body Scrub

       Honey Facial Cleanse

       Honey Facial Wash/Mask

       Honey Body Wash

       Honey Mineral Bath

       Honey Bath Bomb

       Hair Rinse

       Shaving Lotion

       Honey Whipped Hand and Body Cream

       Sunburn Skin Soother

       Honey Lemon Ginger Cough Drops

       Honey & Propolis Throat Spray

       Honey & Lemon Throat Gargle

       Honey Lemon Water

       Oxymel: Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar Shot

       Golden Milk: Honey and Turmeric

       Honey and Ginger Tea

      Special thanks to my friend and fellow beekeeper Patty Pulliam for her help in preparing this chapter.

      Honey is nice on toast. But did you know it can also relieve a multitude of medical issues — from taming a cough and alleviating allergies to healing cuts or burns? Because of honey’s low pH and hygroscopic properties, bacteria cannot survive in it. The pollen in the honey contains various minerals as well as enzymes and B vitamins, which impart immune-boosting properties that help the body fight infection. This is all good stuff.

Generally speaking, the darker the honey, the greater the minerals and antibacterial qualities.

      

The recipes that follow are all natural and contain no preservatives. That’s great, of course. But it also means these products have a limited shelf life, so be sure to keep unused product in the fridge to extend its useful life. Or just make what you need in the short term.

      Although most of the ingredients are easy to find and you may already have them, I include some resources in Appendix B for obtaining the harder-to-find ingredients.

      When selecting a honey to use in these recipes, be sure to use a honey that’s just as it came from the hive. That is, not having been heated nor pasteurized, nor ultra-filtered. These processes remove many of honey’s nutritional and health benefits. Unfortunately, product labelling will not reliably tell you this information. So I recommend avoiding the national brands found in supermarkets. Get your honey from local farmers’ markets or a neighboring beekeeper. See Chapter 13 for how and where to shop for the good stuff.

Mixing Up Some Honey-Based Hair and Skincare Products

      In this section you’ll find some of my favorite recipes for honey-inspired personal care products. They are all natural, healthy, and work great. I know, when you think of honey, sticky is probably one of the first adjectives that comes to mind. But for many of the honey remedies in this section, the honey is not at all sticky. It’s silky smooth.

      Honey’s hygroscopic quality means it absorbs moisture from the air. This is one of the many reasons why honey is such a desirable ingredient in cosmetics. It’s a star at moisturizing and preventing dryness. This is why honey is considered a natural humectant — it retains moisture.

      

The simplest and most effective use of honey is to directly apply it! Rub a drop or two of honey on chapped lips before bed. For super-dry skin, add a tablespoon or two of honey to your warm bathwater.

Honey Sugar Body Scrub

      A basic, invigorating body scrub to gently exfoliate the skin.

      PREP TIME: 5 MIN | YIELD: 1½ CUPS

INGREDIENTS

       1 cup white granulated sugar

       1 lemon, juiced

       ½ cup honey

      DIRECTIONS