Note: I haven’t done this in a while (since mid-2016); because while it’s super easy in the shower, I ran out of the fresh honey, and…well, getting some from the kitchen all the time is difficult! When I get my own place, I may go back to this. At the moment (November 2017), I am using a bentonite clay mixture.

If you’ve seen me, you’ve likely seen my acne [at some point]. I’m allergic to everything in the face wash market—even the hypoallergenic items—because every one uses coconut oil, shea butter or both. I breakout due to allergies, which are beyond my control—if you’d like to suggest I avoid the foods I’m allergic to, do be my guest to avoid them yourself! Let me know how that works for you.

Much like the suggestion to avoid foods I’m allergic to[1. No matter the level, be it borderline, mild, moderate or severe…], suggestions to use AVON or Mary Kay or Clinique are thrown at me, and I’ve tried all those. I hate the heavy, oily feeling on my face from the washes and/or the creams, or the dry feeling some other products give me.

For a long while of four years, I used only water, but unfortunately, the same places retained the acne. But I can’t use any other commercial product, because it burns my face. I really hate having acne as a whole, though I put up the front that I couldn’t care less, because of the attention it obtains. I have acne, so that must mean something about my health (e.g. I’m eating too much greasy food) I’m trying to keep hidden and/or, again, DON’T care to address.

I’m sick of it. I’m sick of other people telling me what is best for my face and body, even after I’ve lectured them again and again on why I can’t use commercial stuff. They have coconut oil; it’s under the label cocamidopropyl betaine.

I looked through various brands’ storefronts for organic options, but they all use coconut oil, and/or there are secret ingredients hidden under the umbrella term “PERFUME” or “FRAGRANCE”, and because I’ve had too many instances wherein the company did not understand the severity of select allergens and therefore tried to school others on how “rare” also being allergic to x is, I only purchase/use new-to-me products I know all the ingredients to. Because I don’t trust the person/company making it.

After not finding anything, I then looked for homemade face washes, but… nothing was found. About a year ago, I landed on various all-natural body scrubs and remedies, and honey was listed as a natural way to treat acne. I tried it, and it worked, but I didn’t want to keep slathering this sticky substance onto my face. My name’s not Pooh Bear, and there is only so much sweetness I can handle.

Fast forward to the present, and I’ve tried the honey thing again. I’ve done the variations (add water, smooth it onto damp skin, etc.), but they didn’t work well for me. I’m also allergic to pollen, so I need(ed) to use a method friendly to that.

What works best for me is smoothing honey onto my face, sans my eyes, when it’s dry. After, I rub it in and let it sit for about thirty seconds, then rinse. Adding it to dry (non-wet) skin allows it to stay in place instead of dripping everywhere.

I also use locally-harvested honey.

Instead of washing my face twice daily, I wash it nightly with honey (in the shower, rinsing with lukewarm-to-cold water) and, if it feels oily, use a warm, wet washrag to make the icky feeling go away.

Have you ever used an all-natural face wash? How do you feel about using honey on your face?