6 Beneficial Ways To Use Raw Honey

 Kaua’i, Hawai’i is home to many exotic tropical plants like the ‘O'hia Lehua, Guava, Tea Tree, and the Surinam Cherry Tree. Aside from its beauty, these plants, along with many others, are the reason Kaua’i bees can produce some of the most delicious (and nutritious) honey on earth. 

 

Many of the plants that our honey bees gather nectar from are native Hawaiian plants. This is why Raw Kaua’i Honey contains some of the rarest nectar and pollen on the market. The type of honey that bees make depends on the plants they collect nectar from and will ultimately determine the honey’s color, texture, aroma, and taste. Every plant has unique aromatic compounds that create its' distinctive scent. These are mixed with the sugars that make up the nectar of the flower. Because Kauai Juice Co. omits pasteurization, the distinctive characteristics of the nectar and pollen granules inevitably make their way into our hand-bottled raw honey and imbue flavor notes from the tropical plants they come from. This flavor is like no other.

 

Raw honey is able to retain the plant’s medicinal properties. It contains 18 different amino acids and a wide variety of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Calcium, zinc, potassium and much more. These nutritive properties are what make honey an essential item to have at all times.

 

 

 

Raw Honey has been used for thousands of years as a method for wound healing. Even with the introduction of modern techniques, raw honey is still a viable option for healing burns and wounds, and has been scientifically proven to accelerate  the healing process. With anti-infective and anti-inflammatory enzymes and antioxidant properties it helps safely encourage tissue regeneration. Honey is gentle on sensitive skin but tough when it comes to skin impurities. Its thickness is particularly important in the wound healing process as it creates a protective barrier on the skin to prevent infections and rehydrates damaged skin.  

 

 

 

 

The sugars in raw honey act as natural humectants and emollients that increase water content and can reduce dryness in your skin. Because our honey is unpasteurized it contains higher levels of bee pollen which contain a compound called Rutin (flavonoid), which helps to drain out capillaries to smooth out blemishes. It also contains enzymes that help gently exfoliate the skin without the use of abrasive products. 

 

1. Rinse your face with a gentle cleanser. Make sure all dirt is removed. 
2. Apply a layer of raw Kaua’i honey directly to your clean, dry skin. 
3. Leave it on for up to 20 minutes. 
4. After 20 minutes, rinse and massage the honey off thoroughly with warm water. 
5. Massage in your favorite face oil or moisturizer as your last step.

 

 

Dab a small drop of Raw Kauai Honey on a mosquito bite to reduce inflammation and your temptation to itch.  Because well, have you ever tried to scratch anything honey covered? We’re hoping you answered no to that. Once the urge to itch has subsided, rinse honey off with warm water.

 

While there are a ton of honey hair mask recipes out there, we thought we’d start off with something basic, because we like to keep it simple.  Raw honey is a popular natural ingredient in many types of hair care products because its vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants help to moisturize dry scalp, restore hair shine, and reduce frizz. If you’ve noticed your hair is starting to become dry or damaged, the hair mask below is something you can do on your own at home to help.  

 

1. Add 1/2 cup of Raw Kauai Honey and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a bowl and mix well. 
2. If you are in a colder climate you may need to warm the mixture over the stove or in the oven for a few minutes.  You don’t want to heat it up and kill its natural properties, but warming it to the touch will make it easier to apply. 
3. Start working the mixture into your hair with your fingers. 
4. Massage at the scalp and work down to the ends of your hair.
5. Continue to massage for a few minutes then place a shower cap over your hair to help seal in moisture. 
6. Leave in for 30 mins, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and shampoo.

 

We know we said these are ways to use honey externally, but we just can’t help ourselves!  Honey is magic when it comes to a sore throat! Ever wondered why honey is used in almost every brand of cough and throat medicine? It's because of Bee propolis.  Found in raw honey, propolis has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that act as a wound healer. Honey can offer immediate pain relief while working to reduce inflammation in your throat and can help to kill bacteria. While we’re sure you have a cough syrup or two in the house, raw honey offers a more natural and organic solution to help soothe the pain. 

 

 

If you want something that’s ready to go, and at your beck and call then check out our propolis throat spray by clicking here.

 

 

Just like skin, our lips are extremely susceptible to dryness when there are temperature shifts. This cooling honey lip balm from Live Simply is, yes you guessed it, simple to make. It has only a few ingredients, all which are clean and moisturizing for your lips.

 

• 1 TB coconut oil 
• 2 tsp beeswax pellets or grated beeswax
• 1/2 tsp shea butter 
• 1/4 tsp raw kauai honey
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil

 

• In a glass bowl, combine the coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter. Place the glass bowl on top of a saucepan partially filled with water over medium heat. Heat the mixture until the beeswax is melted, stirring occasionally. Fill a larger bowl with cold water. Place a few ice cubes (3-4) in the water. Set this bowl aside for later.
• Once the beeswax is melted, remove the mixture from the heat. Let the bowl rest away from the heat for just a minute. Place the bowl, with the coconut oil mixture inside, in the larger bowl (the one with cold water inside). This is meant to rapidly cool the mixture so the honey may be added without it separating from the other ingredients. The rapid cooling will also prevent a gritty lip balm, which can happen to shea butter. The coconut oil mixture will immediately begin to solidify. Pour in the honey, add the essential oil, and stir to combine.
• Spoon the solidified mixture into a container. Use a 1-ounce metal container or any 1-ounce container you have on hand. This recipe will make just about 1-ounce. This lip balm will last about 6-8 months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Kaua’i Bee Team 

-McPhee’s Bees

-Aloha Honey Bee Family Farm 

-Kauai Nectar Co.