How To Make A Honey Face Mask + 4 Extra Recipes For Clear, Glowing Skin

If there's one natural ingredient to stock on your beauty shelf, let's make a subtle suggestion: honey. You can find the bee sap in anything from a hair mask, face wash, even an all-natural moisturizer—is there nothing the golden goop can't do? 

Consider honey the ultimate DIY superstar, one that you can add to virtually any treatment. But let's start with the simplest out there: a single-ingredient honey face mask. Easy to make, and the benefits are just as sweet. 

A honey face mask really is as simple as it sounds: Snag some raw or Manuka honey, and you've got yourself a spa-grade mask in a snap. "Using honey by itself really is an effective skin clearing, nourishing, and revitalizing treatment," says Marisa Plescia, research scientist at clean beauty e-tailer NakedPoppy. That's because honey, especially of the Manuka variety, has anti-inflammatory1 and antibacterial properties2 that calm the skin and can keep breakouts at bay. (Read up on all the reasons we love honey here.)

With all the benefits honey has to offer, no surprise you can just invest in a jar of the straight-up goop and slather on. Here's how to do it right: 

In terms of how often you should mask, Plescia recommends sticking to a couple of times per week. While it certainly won't hurt to slather on every single day, it's not necessary to reap all the benefits mentioned above. Just 20 minutes one to two times a week is plenty: "It will still provide all those skin-boosting benefits," she notes.

That said, it's also not so necessary to leave the treatment on overnight; while you certainly can if you feel so inclined, just know that you're not providing your skin with any extra benefits. Anyway, honey's thick and sticky texture might leave you with quite the mess come the a.m., unless you're able to sleep on your back through the night. 

Sure, a honey face mask is a simple, one-ingredient mask, but that's not to say you can't include some add-ons if you're feeling fancy. Here are four ways to upgrade your honey mask, for any skin care concern you've got: 

Turmeric and lemon are amazing for skin-brightening: Turmeric (and its active ingredient, curcumin) has antioxidant properties that can help protect the skin from free-radical damage3, while lemon has a fair share of vitamin C—perfect for fading dark spots. 

To make this mask, combine 1 tbsp. of raw or Manuka honey, 1 tsp. of ground turmeric, and ½ tsp. of lemon juice. Slather on and leave for 10 minutes or until the mask starts to harden, then wash off with warm water. 

This nourishing mask feels downright luxurious: "Adding a natural oil to your honey mask can not only help with the stickiness and application of the honey, but natural oils are emollients that contain high levels of fatty acids, which moisturize and soothe the skin," notes Plescia. The result? A lightweight mask chock-full of skin-healthy antioxidants. Feel free to choose any oil here (coconut, jojoba, argan—the list goes on), but Plescia is partial to olive oil for this one: "Olive Oil is especially good for dry skin and also contains many antioxidants, such as vitamin E." Simply mix the two together until combined, then leave on for 20 minutes. 

Yogurt is jam-packed with lactic acid—a sensitive-skin-approved chemical exfoliator—which gently sloughs dead skin cells with ease. When you add honey to the mix, it becomes even more gentle and hydrating: Simply combine 1 tbsp. of finely ground oatmeal, 1 tsp. of raw or Manuka honey, and 1 tsp. of full-fat dairy or nondairy yogurt. Stir until it forms a paste, then slather on and leave for 15 minutes.

If you're looking for a fun, summery option reminiscent of a poolside cocktail, this refreshing mask is practically screaming your name. Both aloe and rosewater are great skin-soothing and -balancing ingredients, bound to tame any inflammation you've got (it feels especially lovely post-sun). Try this mixture during your next impromptu spa night: Mash 2 to 4 mint leaves, and mix with 2 parts honey, 2 parts aloe gel, and a few sprays of rosewater. Leave it on for up to 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water. 

With all the skin-healthy benefits the goop has to offer, no surprise honey reigns supreme as a DIY-friendly ingredient. Of course, remember to do a patch test before applying honey to your face, especially if you're new to DIY: Even if you consume honey all the time, your skin might have an unexpected reaction to it as a topical treatment. If you have any bee or pollen allergies, you may want to steer clear entirely, as raw honey might contain trace amounts of bee pollen or other tree pollens, says Plescia. 

Other than that, feel free to slather on the star of DIY. A single jar of honey can have you glowing in no time.