Honey face wash may sound sticky, but it’s one of the best things to ever happen to my skin. While I like using this thyme honey face mask on occasion, cleansing with a honey DIY face wash has been a game-changer for my skincare routine.
DIY Honey Face Wash
I have a love/hate relationship with soap. Even the purest natural soap makes my skin feel like it’s been attacked with a bristly scrub brush and then doused in lemon juice. Unless it’s hand soap, like this lemon thyme foaming soap, the rest of me doesn’t get along with soap too well. When I discovered DIY honey face wash I decided to give it a whirl.
So I stopped using soap on my face.
I’ve tried a lot of different face washes, but I wanted to create a homemade honey face wash recipe without any drying ingredients. Something that would be gentle, yet effective for clear skin.
Soap and I are Frenemies
In middle school my face was riddled with acne, so my dad insisted I try Ivory soap. It was pure. It was great for skin. What could happen?
My face was so red, blotchy, and inflamed afterward, that I looked like I’d been stung by an angry beehive. And it felt like it too. No more Ivory soap for this girl.
A few years ago I used a natural cleanser on my face whenever I’d remember to. It was still drying though. Soap may remove dirt, but it can irritate more sensitive skin, especially for those with acne or eczema.
DIY Face Wash Without Castile Soap
Castile soap is popular in the natural health world, but it can be harsh on the skin. Our skin’s pH is naturally acidic at about 4.5, while castile soap has a high pH closer to 9. A skincare routine that overuses soap cleansers can harm the skin’s protective acid mantle.
Recently I switched to a DIY honey face wash. Since there’s no soap in this, my skin feels soft, moisturized, and yes, even clean! Washing your face with a jar of sweetener may sound nuts, but raw honey has amazing properties. This makes it the perfect choice for delicate facial skin.
Honey Face Wash Benefits
There’s a long history of use when it comes to honey in skincare. Before Gen Z was even born and TikTok wasn’t even a sparkle in a web developer’s eye, Cleopatra and the ancients were slathering on the honey. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used it on skin burns and wounds. Indigenous tribes used it to clean their skin. Honey helps the skin repair itself and modulates the skin’s immune system.
According to a 2013 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, “Honey in dermatology and skincare”, raw honey is:
- clarifying to help give skin that dewy look
- full of anti-oxidants
- calming to skin
- nourishing
- softens skin
- antibacterial
- reduces acne and breakouts
- helps lock in moisture
- emollient and humectant
- anti-aging and reduces the appearance of wrinkles
- full of vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and amino acids
- restores damaged skin
- regulates skin pH
- anti-inflammatory
What is the Best Honey to Wash Your Face With?
Unfortunately, a lot of the cheapo grocery store honey is laced with corn syrup. I prefer supporting small businesses and getting raw honey from local farmers. Raw honey hasn’t been processed so it has more beneficial properties for smoother, healthier skin.
Manuka honey is even better, but it can be on the pricey side. This honey has all of the same benefits as raw honey but in a higher concentration. My top pick for face wash with honey is manuka, with raw honey (even better if it’s local), coming in at a close second.
DIY Face Wash with Essential Oils
I had to add essential oils to this recipe as well. Because different oils have different properties, certain ones work better with different skin types, though many are all-purpose.
The Best Essential Oils for Homemade Face Wash
- Lavender– soothing and calming to the skin, and supports healthy cellular regeneration.
- Lemon– reduces the appearance of spots and discoloration.
- Frankincense – reduces the appearance of scars and wrinkles, soothing and evens skin tone.
- Geranium – reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and promotes healthy circulation.
- Cedarwood – helps clarify skin, soothes red and irritated skin, good for oily skin.
- Tea Tree – helps regulate oil production and reduces the appearance of acne.
The Best Carrier Oils for a Homemade Honey Face Wash
There’s a lot to be said about what carrier oil to use for what skin type. Sweet almond oil works great with my normal skin type. My husband has irritated, acne-prone, and dry skin, so I used rosehip seed and evening primrose oil in his honey face wash. Avocado and olive oil are great for more mature or drier skin.
Preserving the Honey Facial Cleanser
Because this DIY face wash uses water, be sure to use clean, sterilized utensils and containers. Filtered, preferably distilled water, is another must. I use filtered water from our Berkey filter that I also boiled. You don’t want any bacteria enjoying your honey face wash!
The honey helps act as a natural preservative too. That being said, this will keep best in the fridge, or should be used within a few weeks.
Using Hydrosols in Your DIY Face Wash
Another option is floral hydrosols. These are the byproducts of essential oil distillation and are infused with the health benefits of the plant. Hydrosols come preserved and usually last about a year, depending on the brand. Rose hydrosol is my favorite because it smells amazing while it soothes and calms skin. You can find hydrosols from Plant Therapy here.
How To Make Honey Face Wash
If you don’t want to bother with either distilled water or hydrosols, you can nix them and just use the honey and oils. This version of homemade face wash with honey is a little thicker and will need to be stored in a jar. To apply the honey and oils to your face, simply scoop up a little and massage into damp skin.
Lately, I’ve been using pure, raw manuka honey on my face as a mask. When I wash it off my skin feel’s full, nourished, and moisturized. I’ll follow it up with a little skin cream with essential oils.
DIY Honey Face Wash for Blemish Free Skin
Ingredients
Honey face wash for irritated skin:
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 2 tsp evening primrose oil OR rosehip seed oil
- 1 tsp jojoba oil
- 2 TBSP distilled water or hydrosol
- 10 drops each cedarwood, tea tree, lavender and geranium essential oils
Honey face wash for normal skin:
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 2 TBSP water or hydrosol
- 1 TBSP sweet almond oil
- 15 drops lavender and geranium essential oil
- 10 drops each lemon and frankincenseessential oil
- 5 drops geranium essential oil
Honey face wash for mature or dry skin:
- 1/3 cup raw honey
- 2 Tbsps water or hydrosol
- 1 tsp each avocado oil (or olive oil), rosehip seed oil and sweet almond oil
- 10 drops each lemon, frankincense and lavender and geranium essential oil
- 5 drops each geranium and ylang ylang essential oil
Instructions
- If your raw honey is very thick, pour it into a very clean saucepan, add the water and gently heat, stirring constantly. You want to heat this just enough to soften the honey and combine it with the water.
- Pour all of the ingredients into a clean soap dispenser and shake thoroughly to combine.
- Shake the honey face wash well before each use since the honey tends to sink to the bottom.
- To apply honey to your face, rub a nickel size amount onto the face using upward brushing circles. I like to leave mine on for 5-10 minutes as a honey face mask before rinsing off, though it isn't entirely necessary.
Are all of These Oils Necessary?
No, but you’ll likely see better results. You can customize the essential oils used to your preference and exact skin type. If you don’t have one called for in a recipe, then just add some more of what you do have. The nice thing about a homemade face wash is you can customize it!
Honey Face Wash For Mature or Dry Skin
- Avocado oil is very moisturizing and penetrates deep into the skin.
- Rosehip seed oil is great for wrinkles and blemishes but is too drying on its own.
- Sweet almond oil is less greasy than avocado and combines everything together nicely.
- If you want to keep it simple, just use 2 tsps olive or avocado oil and skip the other carrier oils.
Honey Face Wash Q&A
Can I leave Honey on My Face Overnight?
Probably, but it would be really sticky. I’m imagining hair stuck to my face and raw honey slathered on my pillowcase. A face wash with honey works just as well and doesn’t make sleeping uncomfortable.
Is Honey Good for Your Face Every Day?
Although I don’t use this face wash every day, I would imagine that it would be fine. It’s soothing and moisturizing so it’s not going to dry out or irritate skin with lots of use. You may find that your skin is so dewy and moisturized though, that you don’t need to use it every day.
Does Honey Make Skin Glow?
Define glow. If we’re talking about a dewy, vibrant look where the skin is plump and moisturized, then yes. This honey face wash is nourishing skin from the outside in because of all of its nutrients.
Can Honey Remove Dark Spots?
While a lot of people report using honey for dark spots, that’s not exactly how it works. Honey won’t lighten skin like a bleaching cream will, but it can improve it. Scars, acne marks, and damaged skin will all improve with a honey face wash. So if the darker discoloration is from skin blemishes, then honey can address those blemishes.
Is it Good to Wash Your Face With Honey?
Is honey good for your skin? Oh let me count the ways. It’s so much better than conventional face wash with toxic chemicals, but I’d argue it can even trump many natural face washes. It can be hard to find a soap based face wash that’s perfect for your skin type, which is why I love honey. It’s good for acne-prone skin, dry skin, oily skin, and mature skin.
Is Honey Safe to Use For Face Wash?
In general yes. However, if you’re allergic to bees or pollen you might want to do a small patch test on your skin or skip it altogether. If someone eats honey all of the time with no problem it probably won’t hurt their skin though.
Prefer to Buy Honey Face Wash?
If you don’t want to mess with making your own DIY honey face wash, then there are a few options. Use plain, raw manuka honey. Apply it to a wet face, massage it in, and then wash it off. Easy peasy.
If you want to purchase a ready-made product, here are some natural honey face washes that nourish the skin without harsh chemicals:
- Vitamin C and Manuka Honey Gel Cleanser – Now Solutions
- Clean Bee Gentle Facial Cleanser – Farmacy
- Honey Cleanse Face Calming Wash – Beloved Beauty
Have you ever used honey on your face? Are you up for trying it? Leave a comment and let me know!
Sources:
- Burlando, B., & Cornara, L. (2013). Honey in dermatology and skin care: a review. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 12(4), 306–313.
- McLoone P, Oluwadun A, Warnock M, Fyfe L. Honey: A Therapeutic Agent for Disorders of the Skin. Cent Asian J Glob Health. 2016 Aug 4;5(1):241. doi: 10.5195/cajgh.2016.241. PMID: 29138732; PMCID: PMC5661189.
- Parker, S. (2015). Power of the Seed: Your Guide to Oils for Health & Beauty.
How long does this face wash last? What do you recommend adding for preservatives that are all natural, and how much?
Mine has lasted for 3 weeks so far. Essential oils have antimicrobrial properties, so they help preserve the product, as does the honey. If you wanted to add another natural preservative you could use rosemary extract from Mountain Rose Herbs, but I don’t use preservatives so I can’t advise how much to use. You could also cut the water from the recipe and store it in a jar, just make sure your face is very wet before applying. Hope that helps! https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/products/rosemary-antioxidant/profile/#AID=132675&BID=8039%252F
We too have been recommending honey face wash regimes for a simple reason. It works, its relatively cheap and it keeps people away from commercial products (i think).
The thought of adding our own preservative intrigues me a little too and the thought of it being rosemary extract is very exciting.
Another point I have to mention. The way you provided 3 recipes for different skin types. Each recipe in its own right looks fantastic. A very informative and beneficial post.
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I did take a look at your site and you have a lot of really good information on there, unfortunately the recipes I saw on your honey face wash post were taken from other websites. Unless these sites are personally giving you permission to republish, they have the right to issue a dcms takedown notice with your host for taking copyrighted content. It’s always a nice gesture to mention their article/recipe and then provide a link to their page where it was originally published though!
Hey.. this thing luks good.. I saw various honey cleansers. Some included just honey but some included castile soaps.. I dint want to use any soap with honey so was using just honey as my night face wash..I do double cleansing in evening, so soapy face wash only once daily, unless at the tym of hair wash. Bt I am thinking to try this.. cz I hv al ingredients but not ur brand of essential oils cz I stay in India.. thanx for d honey cleanser without castile soap.. wanted to ask that as it contains oils, CAN IT BE USED TO REMOVE BB CREAMS N ALL (as makeup remover during double cleansing)?????
Hi Shruti, I don’t wear liquid makeup or BB cream, so I can’t say for sure, but I’m assuming this would work well to take any makeup off your face. I use a powder foundation on occasion and it removes that nicely. I like that this cleanses the skin well but it’s not drying and it also clears up blemishes so I don’t feel the need to wear heavy makeup anymore!
Thanx for ur tym to reply…1 more question plz… I use only honey to wash my face at night before applying face serum made wid carrier n essential oils..(basic recepie frm pinterest only) Bt now have a question that do we hv to use a soapy face wash after ur honey wid oil wash to remove d oils.. I mean if you say no, den dere will b oil on face & putting a serum wid oils again will make no sense.. plz help.. I m highly confused.. plz tell.. how to use if Ds s d routine?????
Like dissolves like and so using oil with no soap to cleanse the face is perfectly fine. The oil in the products you use will help dissolve the excess oils on your face. The honey facewash is designed to be used as a cleanser and moisturizer in one, so you wouldn’t need to apply a serum afterward. If the essential oils you’re using in the serum work well for you, then you could just combine those with the honey and carrier oil for a one step deal. Hope that helps!
Thanku so Mch… I’ll do try mixing my serum wid honey… N will tell u Abt d results…
Love these recipes 🙂 thank you for much!!
I use only at night cleansing milk and almond oil for make up removing then finish with honey wash to bring life back to my skin 🙂
What about a toner? Would you use one before or after washing your face?
Hi Robyn, a toner is used to tighten pores after cleansing and before moisturizing, but since this is a face wash and moisturizer combined, I’m not sure if a toner would be effective or needed. You could try using one afterward, but it may dry the skin out.
Hi Jamie,
I am interesting to make a honey face soap, i think it would be better for my sensitive and acne prone face.
But, I am interesting to add castile soap and aloe vera gel. and if i add aloe vera gel, should I add water also? and what do you the best combination between castile soap, aloe vera gel and raw honey.
Thank you
I’ve found that castile can be harsh and too drying for acne prone and sensitive skin. And aloe can be tricky to work with because it spoils fairly quickly without a preservative. If you were to combine aloe, castile soap and honey I wouldn’t put water in it since the consistency should work well and you wouldn’t really need it, unless your soap is really thick- mine is thin. I think you would have to experiment a bit with the proportions to figure out what will work best for your skin as I haven’t personally tried this exact combo. And be sure to keep an eye out for molding or any “off” smells! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Hi Jamie,
Thank you for your thought…
It will be my first DIY Project, yes, I think I have to figure out my best proportion, but I think I will leave aloe for my first attempt and add something useful for my face
Thank you and wish me luck 🙂
Hi Fitri
I use the castille soap with my recipe. 1/4 cup soap, 1/4 cup raw honey, 1/3 cup good olive oil, 6 vitamin E capsules (squeeze contents out of capsules), about 20 drops essential oil (I use eucalyptus or patchouli). Warm honey so it is of a runny consistency then mix in all other ingredients and pour into a squeeze bottle, top up with about 1/3 cup distilled water or less. This needs to be shaken before each use and you only need about the size of a 1 cent coin, not much at all. I have sensitive skin and I find this leaves your skin feel soft and beautiful. Hope this is helpful for you.
Hi Jamie, I loved this article, (and the linked post on carrier oils!) I do have a question though: is there anything you would add/replace in this honey face wash for skin that is oily / has open pores that tend to clog? I normally wash with grapeseed oil but I feel it dosn’t do enough to clean my pores… Thank you!
An herbal facial steam is a great way to really open up and cleanse pores, you can see which herbs are great for different skin types and how to do one here! https://www.theherbalspoon.com/2015/11/herbal-face-steam-for-clear-skin.html
I would also recommend using the first recipe listed for red, irritated skin. Even if your skin isn’t red and irritated, this combo is really great for oily skin.
I adore this recipe! My skin has improved dramatically and this was the only difference to my skincare routine. I used olive oil as my only oil in the mature/dry skin recipe & it still works fine. I’m a ‘make up every day’ kind of girl and it removes my make up no worries. It is runnier than most store cleansers, but i rub all over my face in the shower, take a wet, warm face washer, hold that over my skin for a few seconds then wipe face clean. I can see the make up coming off. My skin is much better and I will make this again!
Yay! I’m so glad it’s working so well for you 🙂
What can I use in place of the Ylang Ylang oil ??
Hi Candace, the ylang ylang helps to balance the oil production of skin but geranium will also help with that so you could just add more geranium to the recipe. You’d still get a lot of benefits from the honey and other oils even if you had to omit it though.
Homemade products are always good to take best care of skin. This honey face wash seems easy to create. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I made the formula for red/irritated skin a few weeks ago and it’s I’m in love! This is my first time using honey as a cleanser and the difference in my skin is noticeable. Softer, more supple and less dry/tightening after washing. Thank you for sharing!!
I’m making a second batch right now except I’m extracting calendula flowers in the jojoba oil for a little extra oomph. One of my coworkers is very pitta and has redness and dry skin. Can’t thank you enough for sharing and inspiring!!
I’m so glad it’s worked so well for you! And the calendula oil sounds lovely 🙂