After struggling with acne since I was twelve, during my senior year of high school my mom discovered and shared with me two tips for getting your best skin possible.
The first one is honey. I was told to spread a glop of it over my face and let it sit for fifteen to twenty minutes, then rinse it off with water. I started doing this multiple nights a week and was left each night with cushiony soft skin and a healthy glow. Honey is antibacterial (good for acne), full of antioxidants (anti-aging), and is a great moisturizer, as well as an effective pore-opener for thorough cleansing.
Also make sure you use raw or Manuka honey, instead of anything that has been processed, as processed honey loses many of its minerals and antioxidants during refinement. Manuka honey is known for being a little pricey (starting at around $20 for a 9 oz. jar), so if that isn’t affordable for you, raw honey is the best way to go. If you want to read more about Manuka honey in particular, you can do so here.
Photo credit: Marie Claire
But despite its properties, honey didn’t help with the couple zits that I’d break out with periodically (my days of constant acne were long past at this point), or my persistent acne scars. Honey softened my skin but did nothing to essentially clean it up.
I had heard my mom offhandedly mention turmeric every once in a while. Turmeric is a yellow or orange spice that’s used quite often in Indian cuisine and has been linked to having quite a few medicinal purposes due to its anti-inflammatory nature. Thus, it’s often recommended for clearing acne.
Photo credit: Medical News Today
But of course, not everyone’s skin is the same, and since the honey didn’t help with my acne, I wanted to put it to the test.
I had tried some other things before this to get rid of both acne and acne scarring, including using baking soda (bad idea) and toothpaste (worse idea). Both of those substances contained chemicals that are too harsh to be rubbed into my skin, and caused a lot of reddening and rawness.
Because I did not want to abandon my honey routine, instead of mixing turmeric in water, I innovated and mixed it into the honey I had already set aside for my routine. I mixed enough for it to become an orange-y paste instead of the usual golden liquid I was used to.
Photo credit: Hello Glow
I spread it over my skin and rubbed gently in circular motions until my whole face was covered. I left it on for about twenty minutes. It’s important to note that turmeric stains yellow so you need to be careful with your clothes and the things that you touch (I once stained my phone case, sadly). It will also leave your skin yellowish, so you need to make sure that you use miscellar water or makeup remover afterward.
I noticed my acne was gone the next morning, and as I continued to use the mixture, my acne scars began to fade as well.
Not everyone’s skin is the same, and different things work for different people, but I have always believed that natural, unprocessed things are the best for your body. I had been prescribed acne medication a couple of years ago, and it did nothing for me, personally.
So my advice is be open! And try this! The great thing about all-natural methods is that they can’t hurt you — unless, of course, you’re allergic to something.
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