How To Make Various Kinds Of Honey Acne Masks At Home

People have been using honey acne masks for centuries to treat acne, scars and other marks on the face. Honey masks are a very popular treatment because this treatment is completely natural and totally harmless.

Many of the face masks available in the market contain strong chemicals which can cause damage to the skin with repeated use. Year after year, Americans spend millions of dollars on synthetic cosmetic products. Many of these cosmetics (including face masks and creams) have not been tested by the FDA for safety. The European Union has already banned more than 1000 ingredients which are used in many popular skin care products.

Some of the strong chemicals used in cosmetics can even be toxic. So, you are better off staying completely away from commercial cosmetics. There are better alternatives in the form of herbal creams. A still better option would be to make your own home-made facial masks for treating acne.
When you make your own acne masks, you can save a lot of money. Why pay money to buy these masks from a store when you can easily make one at home using basic ingredients which are found in any household kitchen? Honey masks are perfect for treating the skin in a totally natural and harmless manner.

How To Make A Honey Acne Mask

There is no single recipe to make honey acne masks. You can make different varieties of masks using various substances and herbs along with honey. You can even use honey alone as a mask because it has very strong anti-bacterial properties which can fight and kill off acne causing bacteria.
A slight word of warning before we begin - some people may be allergic to honey. It is rare but still you better test it out by applying honey to your wrist first before applying it on your face.
Some other drawbacks of using hone acne masks which you should keep in mind are:

• they are sticky and messy,
• the mask might keep dripping off so you have to stay still when you apply it,
• you may not get overnight results with them

1) Plain Honey Mask - Just spread a layer of honey on your face. The stickiness of honey pulls away the dust particles as well as dead skin cells from the skin pores. The anti-bacterial property of honey prevents the skin from getting infected again. In addition to this, the anti-oxidant properties of honey gives the skin a tender, young look making it shiny and smooth.

2) Aloe Vera Honey Mask - Make a mixture of equal quantities of aloe vera juice and honey. Then apply a coating of it on affected areas of your body and face. Leave it on the skin for 10-15 minutes before washing it off.
As I mentioned above, honey is excellent for the skin. When you combine it with aloe vera, you get additional benefits. Aloe vera is known to moisten and soothe the skin.

3) Tea Tree Oil Honey Mask - This mask is very good for treating acne as well as removing infections from acne-affected areas. Mix honey with 2 drops of Tea Tree essential oil. Apply the mixture on affected areas of body and face, leave for 10-20 minutes before washing it off with warm water. You can try this method a few times per week.
This acne mask should not be used by pregnant women. Tea tree oil should not be ingested. Furthermore, Tea Tree oil might not be suitable for some skins causing irritation and itching. In such cases, you should stop using this facial mask.

Some More Honey Acne Masks:

A few more ingredients which you can add to honey while making acne mask to increase its effectiveness are given below:

i) Olive oil - add one teaspoon of olive oil to honey which will help in providing extra moisture to the skin

ii) Egg yolk - break one egg yolk and add it to honey. This mask will help in cleansing the skin by removing excess dirt from the surface and the pores.

iii) Milk - add one tablespoon of milk to one tablespoon of honey. Milk contains mild amounts of lactic acid which acts as a cleanser and an exfoliant.

In all these acne masks, honey is essentially the main ingredient. The reason being that honey can be absorbed deeply by the skin. So, it can clean the skin pores deeply. It can also hydrate the skin, rejuvenate it and remove sun damage.

Hope you have now learned how to make a honey acne mask. It is easy and inexpensive. It doesn't take much time. Even though you might not experience overnight results, but the long-term benefits are so enormous for your skin that you should really try it out.

Do you want to know which are the best products in the market for treating acne naturally and quickly? Then you can read our article here on top rated products - best acne product reviews.
Find out all about which foods cure acne fast by reading our short article on this topic.

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8 Honey Beauty Tips

According to the dictionary, honey is a sweet yellowish or brownish fluid produced by various bees from the nectar of flowers. Besides using honey as food, did you know that honey is one of the oldest and most effective beauty aids?

Honey contains waxes, sugars, and traces of minerals. It is a natural moisturizer, as well as an anti-irritant making it suitable for sensitive skin types. Honey can be found in many of the beauty products you find in your local drug store or favorite beauty supply store. Some of these products can be very expensive to purchase and many of these products can be made at home.
Try some of the following honey beauty tips below. Please be sure not to use honey on your skin if you are allergic to it!

1. Honey mask: Apply pure honey to your face and allow it to set until dry. This will take about 15 minutes. Once dry, rinse your face with warm water.
2. Body glow bath: To moisturize, smooth, and get an all over body glow, keep a jar of honey next to your bath. Apply honey on your skin and pat dry using both hands. While patting your skin, the honey will get sticky and gently pull up your skin. Rinse away the honey when you are done. The results will be great circulation and beautiful, glowing skin!
3. Honey bath: For sweet smelling and soft skin, add ¼ to ½ cup of honey to your bath water.
4. Honey scrub: Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with a little almond flour into the palm of your hand. Gently apply on your face for a facial scrub. Rinse your face with warm water to remove honey scrub.

5. Daily facial cleanser: Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with a little milk powder into the palm of your hand. Apply on your face to clean away dirt and makeup and then rinse with warm water.
6. Shiny Hair: To add some shine to your hair, mix 1 teaspoon of honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and 1 quart of warm water. Shampoo your hair as usual and then pour the honey mixture on your hair. Allow your hair to dry as normal. You do not have to rinse out the honey mixture.
7. Hair conditioner: For healthy hair and scalp, combine ½ cup of honey and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saturate your hair with the honey mixture, put on a shower cap and allow it to remain on hair for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, shampoo and rinse your hair as you normally do.
8. Skin toner: To firm, smooth, and moisturize your skin, combine 1 peeled, cored apple with 1 tablespoon of honey in a blender. Pulse honey mixture until smooth. Gently apply honey mixture on face and allow it to remain for 15 minutes. Rinse your face with warm water to remove the honey mixture.
With the above beauty tips, you can create affordable spa-like products at home. Honey is a wonderful beauty product because it contains naturally occurring enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Be sure your honey is all natural by purchasing only 100% pure honey to create your beauty products.

Lesley Dietschy is a freelance writer and the founder of http://www.HomeDecorExchange.com - The Home Decor Exchange is a valuable website full of information and resources about home and garden decorating.
In addition to editing the Home Decor Exchange website, Lesley is a crochet pattern designer and needle fiber artist. You can view her crochet patterns and needle fiber designs at: http://www.ErinOliviaDesigns.Etsy.com

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Tips on How to Purchase Quality Honey

We reside in a tech world, but there are so many things we tend to forget. We buy expensive medicines, not knowing that there are cheap natural alternatives. I am going to talk about one of the oldest food harvested by men: bio honey. Honey contains certain types of wax, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that give it amazing therapeutic value. But not every type of honey is natural. In order to be sure that you will benefit from its exceptional qualities, you need to understand and learn how to choose natural, pure bio honey. Judging by the way honey is presented and by the way it looks and tastes, you can see if the bees were fed with sugar or treated with antibiotics. Another important aspect is the temperature. If it's heated above 40 degrees C honey loses its therapeutic value and in some cases can be toxic for your body.
From ancient times, honey and bees related products have been used not only as food but also as a remedy. To qualify for its qualities, it is important to know where you buy it and how to identify counterfeit honey and natural honey.

Known as the "food of Gods", it's the first sweet substance used by humans. The extraordinary qualities of honey have important applications in artificial diet, the pre and post-operative diet and pediatrics. The honey is classified in floral honey, nectar and pollen.
Tips you need to use in order to purchase quality honey
Natural honey gets crystallized after a certain period of time, except of locust honey, which crystallizes very late or not at all. Crystallized natural honey has fine crystals which melts quickly in the mouth, while honey that is forged with sugar crystals will dissolve more slowly and rude.
Honey tampered with saccharin has a pronounced sweet taste, almost fainted. Natural honey always contains suspended solids and colloidal materials, so if it's placed in a transparent vessel has a cloudy aspect.

If it features a slightly caramelised taste, it means that it was heated directly on the flame in order to make it fluid or get it mixed with burnt sugar.
If it does not have a specific flavor, it can be assumed that it has been overheated for smoothness, or that it was obtained from processed sugar or that the honey is very old. In all cases you will get no therapeutic value.
If the bees are fed with sugar or glucose, the final product is less sweet than natural floral honey. If it's falsified with saccharin mixed with glycerine, though it's sweet, the honey has an alkaline reaction.

Old honey, just like honey forged with artificial inverted sugar, has acidity that is higher than normal, while the honey obtained from non-inverted sugar is very low in acid.
If it's heated aggressively, you can observe an increase of its acidity due to decomposition of formic acid fructose.

It's important to find a trusted bio honey brand that provides quality honey.

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Bee Stings

A bee can kill you...but for the vast majority of you, a bee sting is simply a bit of pain. For the minority of people who have severe reactions to bee stings, the symptoms can range from a swelling of the total body, to vomiting shaking, trouble breathing, even coma, shock and death and die. In fact, more Americans die from bee or other insect stings than from snake bites every year.

Carry Your Own Stinger

If you know you are allergic to bees, carry a shot of epinephrine with you at all times and get medical help right away. If you haven't been stung before and aren't sure if you are allergic or not, pay close attention to how you feel right after a sting.

Don't Mess Around

If you have bigger problems than pain or swelling around the bee sting area, get medical help fast! Usually, allergic symptoms set in within 20 minutes after a bee sting, and the sooner you have a reaction, the more allergic you are.

For the Rest of You

Even if you aren't allergic, you can have pain and swelling from an insect sting, but you doesn't have to suffer for very long. First, identify the critter who zapped you. If your attacker was a honey bee, locate the stinger and venom sac at the site of the sting and scrape it out of your skin immediately.

When you leave a honey bee stinger in, the sac continues to pump venom into your system for two minutes after the sting. Don't squeeze the sac or try to pull it out-you will just be pushing the venom right into your skin.
If it was a yellow jacket or some other wasp or hornet, you don't have to worry about it leaving a stinger behind. But you do have to get out of the area fast, because these little guys can come back and sting you several more times.

Pop a Pill

After a bite, you can take aspirin or ibuprofen for the pain, and an antihistamine like Benadryl, to help reduce swelling. If the sting area continues to feel painful, apply an ice pack or heat to the sting for relief from pain and swelling. People have also gotten relief from stings by applying ammonia or enzyme-based meat tenderizer to the site immediately after they've been stung. Others have reduced pain and swelling by applying a baking soda or charcoal paste to the sting. In a pinch, apply mud to the sting, wrap it with a bandage or piece of cloth, and leave it on until the mud dries.

Don't Pick a Fight

The best way to treat stings is to avoid getting stung while outdoors. Try not to attract bees or other stinging insects by wearing light-colored, white or khaki neutral clothes, because bees are attracted to prints or dark colors. Don't wear hair spray, cosmetics, deodorants or other perfumed products which may fool bees into thinking you're a giant flower. If you continue to have bee sting problems, talk to your doctor about increasing the amount of zinc in your body. Bees seem very attracted to people with zinc deficiency. Finally, pay attention to your surroundings and be ready for trouble.

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Wound Healing Using Honey

The Edwin Smith Papyrus, written around 1600 BC, mentions the use of honey for wound healing. It is known as the world's earliest medical document and was discovered in Luxor, Egypt in 1862. Believed to be based on materials from as early as 3000 BC, this manuscript was considered a textbook on traumatic surgery. It illustrates how honey, along with herbs, roots, bark, spices, animal fat and cat dung could be used to treat burns and open wounds.

Pedanius Dioscorides, living in Rome in the 1st century AD, was a Greek physician who embraced the therapeutic powers of honey. Dioscorides wrote the 5 volume De Materia Medica, the primary pharmacopeia in the Middle East and Europe for over 16 centuries. Both honey and sugar continued to be used to treat wounds well into the 20th century before antibiotics became widely used.

Antibiotic ointments are the treatment of choice today for ulcers, burns, cuts and scrapes even though honey and sugar are far superior to any of them. The effectiveness of these ointments dissipates as the bacteria becomes more resistant to the antibiotic. Even though it kills most of the bacteria, the stronger ones survive and reproduce. As new antibiotics hit the market, they work for a while and then the superbugs again become resistant to them.

So we now have infections that are no longer eradicated by the use of antibiotics. This is apparent in the 82,000 Americans who lose a leg or foot to non-healing diabetic ulcers every year. Also, 2 million patients a year acquire infections during their hospital stay and 90,000 of them die due to the inability to stop these infections.

Wounds are especially susceptible to infection due to the gauze used to dress them that become a breeding ground for fungus and bacteria. In contrast, bacteria cannot become resistant to the effects of honey and sugar. When honey or sugar is packed inside or on top of an open wound, it dissolves into the fluid coming from the wound creating a highly concentrated medium. Bacteria cannot live in this highly concentrated environment.

Scientists investigated the ability of various types of bacteria to survive in this medium including staph, strep, shigella and klebsiella. None of them remained viable in the honey or sugar solution.
This therapy facilitates healing due to its drawing of fluid from the wound, reducing swelling, and preventing a scab from forming. It promotes formation of connective tissue and blood vessels on the wounds surface. It encourages dead tissue removal, making the way for new growth. It supports new skin growth covering the wound. Rapid healing with very little scarring is the result.
The leading expert in the country on the use of sugar as a wound dressing is Richard A. Knutson MD., a retired orthopedic surgeon at Delta Medical Center in Greenville, Mississippi. He used the sugar therapy on serious bed sores and consistently found the wound free of pus within a few days and with continued use of the sugar dressings the wound healed completely. He recorded almost 7,000 wounds over the years of varying sizes and severity that he treated. They included gunshot wounds, frostbite, punctures, ulcers, abrasions, lacerations, amputations, abscesses and bites.

Sugar dressings are also great for treating burns. All burn centers use silver sulfadiazine, an antibiotic ointment, but sugar or honey work better. A study published in the Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters discussed 2nd degree burns of 900 patients treated with either honey or antibiotic ointment. Burns were covered with gauze and bandaged, and dressings were changed every other day. The 450 treated with honey healed faster. They averaged 9 days compared to the 13 days in the antibiotic group. They also had fewer infections, 5½% as opposed to 12%. 20% of the antibiotic group had scarring versus 6.2% of the honey-treated patients.

Dr. Knutson's experience was similar to the results in this study. The 1,622 burns he treated with sugar dressings were all infection-free and required no skin grafts or antibiotics.
Why isn't this effective, inexpensive treatment being used in conventional medicine? Some physicians fear it may raise blood sugar levels. This does not happen because the honey or sugar is not absorbed into the bloodstream. More than likely it is not used because it is not a drug treatment and costs pennies. No nurse or doctor is necessary to administer it because the patients can apply the dressings themselves.
Honey/Sugar Wound Treatment
This dressing can be used to treat any open wound or burn. Sugar dressings are considered less messy than using honey.

Do not use on a bleeding wound since sugar promotes bleeding.
Do not use on abscesses or pustules covered with skin.

1. Coat a 4 X 4 piece of gauze with Vaseline and make a long strip which is placed around the outside of the wound like a donut

2. Cover the wound with ¼ inch of sugar.(The Vaseline Donut keeps it in place)

3. A 4 X 4 sponge is then placed on top of the wound. Bandage firmly with a cling dressing but not too snugly.

4. Change dressing every 1 or 2 days. Remove the dressing, irrigate with water, saline or hydrogen peroxide, pat dry and repeat steps 1-3.
Keep the 4 steps for this treatment easily accessible with your first aid items.

I am in my 60's with a Certification from Bauman College as a Diet Counselor and looking forward to many more healthy, productive years. For at least the last 30 years I have had an insatiable curiosity about the positive effects a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition can have on the human body. By sharing some of the knowledge I have accumulated over the years, perhaps it can help to give my readers a new awakening to the benefits of natural approaches to good health.
http://www.thebridgetohealthonline.com

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Dog Bee Stings - How to Keep Your Pet From Suffering

Dog bee stings can be quite common in summer and they are just as painful for your dog as they are for you!
If you've spend any time outside with your pet in warmer weather, you've probably noticed that he loves to snap at flying insects with his mouth. God only knows why dogs like to do this as the result is often a painful sting in a very sensitive area.

Of course, you 'll know right away if your dog has been stung as he will be scratching and pawing at his mouth. A hornet, wasp or bee sting can also cause your dog to salivate profusely and it can be a bit upsetting to see your dog foam at the mouth, especially if you don't know the cause.

Here are some things you can do to relieve the suffering of dog bee stings:

1. Try to bathe the area of the sting with a solution of warm (not too hot) water and bicarbonate of soda. A ratio of 1 tbsp bicarbonate to 2 pints of water is adequate and will not be harmful if ingested. Bathe every 10 minutes until it seems like the stinging has subsided.

2. You can also apply Ammoniated quinine directly to the area.

3. Most dogs take a bee sting in stride, but if yours is acting really agitated, you might try giving him some potassium bromide to calm him down.

4. If the dog will let you, you could try to remove the stinger with tweezers - if you can actually see where the stinger is.

5. Don't feel silly about taking your dog to the vet so that she can examine the sting. If she see's fit, she can give your dog a shot of anti-histamine that will relieve the swelling and itching as well as prevent any systemic disturbances.

Just like with kids, dog bee stings can be a normal part of the summer routine. But just because you see your dog snapping at bees does not mean that he will necessarily be stung. I had one dog that snapped at them all day long and seemingly never got stung once! However, if yours is stung, you now know what to do to ease his pain.

There's no reason you should be guessing when it comes to your dogs care. You can get all the information you need on dog care and training at [http://www.dogcareandtrainingtips.com] where you can download the FREE dog care guide.

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Bee Venom Takes the Sting Out of Depression

I read a friend's blog the other day, noticing his positive perspective on life and the aging process. He never denied the passing of time or the creaking of knees or the bulging bellies that touch our thighs as we reach the floor to tie a shoe. Instead, he continues to see people, places, events and challenges through the eyes of a prepubescent child. He defies the cliché to "act your age!"
Deciding to act young is the precursor to feeling energetic, optimistic, passionate and creative. Depression is experienced as the opposite of motivation, drive, accomplishment and life. Fortunately for many this feeling is situational, not chronic, therefore slight changes in environment and lifestyle can usually be the springboard to a happier/healthier outlook.

Studies have shown exercise to raise serotonin levels in the brain making the world appear as a friendlier place. Family, friends and fun contribute to the "good feeling" hormone as well. Our spirituality which fosters faith, self-worth, love, and meditation enhances our brains ability to solve problems, accept challenges and rise to the occasion. Professional counseling may also be explored easing painful thoughts and feelings but a newly explored avenue from Belgium addresses depression, MS and dementia using honey-bee venom. It is being explored as a means of limiting the negative symptoms of depression and the characteristics of generalized sadness. "The toxin apamin, found in the venom of honey bees might hold the key to alleviating symptoms of certain disorders because of its ability to block the release of potassium from the nerves, which in turn makes those nerves 'hyperexcitable,' according to the Journal of Biological Study authors." The increased nerve energy assists with the individuals creativity and ability to learn.

Computer models and a genetic approach revealed to the researchers exactly where apamin binds in order to block the channel. Hopefully the researchers have discovered that apamin binds away from the channel pore, causing the shape of the channel to change, resulting in a block of the potassium. Natural bee venom therapy is several years from becoming mainstream medicine in the United States, however local Apitherapist would be more than happy to provide bee sting therapy as a means of controlling symptoms. It sounds a little strange, however the procedure has been around for hundreds of years initiating in China. Bee venom therapy includes a sting but the results will help take the "sting" out of the depression.

BTW - Sipping on a tablespoon of honey from the apiary will also help the "medicine go down".

Rhonda Crum holds a Master in Education and is the owner of Bee Honey Healthy where she explores bee products and its unique nutritional value for a healthy life.

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