While delicious over yogurt and drizzled on freshly baked biscuits with butter, honey has other fantastic uses outside of the kitchen.Honey has long been used for centuries as a healing agent. We know today that honey has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities that prevent infection and help control and destroy outside bacterial agents that are already present. This is due to the low water activity within honey's monosaccharide (basic carbohydrate) composition; since most of the water is trapped in chemical bonds with the sugar there is little extra water for bacteria to live in. Furthermore, honey has a pH level of about 4.5, making it too acidic for most bacteria to thrive in. (First time even using my college chem and bio classes in a practical manner, go me!)
In addition, when used topically the simple carbohydrate compounds can be utilized by the skin preventing discoloration, scarring, foul odor, and the rejuvination of epithelial tissue. Translation: it helps you heal faster with less noticeable marks.
What does this mean? Well, it means that honey makes a damn good lip balm for chapped lips.
All you have to do is put a small dab on your lips and smack them around. As tempted as you will be, do not lick it off. Allow it to dry, which can take a while and your lips will be plenty sticky and smell quite tasty. Once it dries completely your lips will have a protective barrier and healing gloss keeping moisture in and bacteria out.
Feel free to give it a try! (And yes, I did not shave when I took that picture. I was sick that day. Normally, I'm frickin' adorable.)
HONEY! this could be the next big infomercial! oh, the millions you could make!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have been sick and have chapped lips, right now. I should have thought of honey.
ReplyDeleteWow - I never knew this! Going to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteNext time you burn yourself in the kitchen, rub some honey on it. It takes the sting out of the burn quicker than anything else I have ever tried. I didn't know it made a good replacement for a chap stick as well!
ReplyDeleteI'm more of a Burts Bees kind of gal... but then again... it has honey in it... so... I see where you're coming from! Good idea!
ReplyDeletethis tip is certainly going to come in handy this winter :) although I already dread thinking about chapped lips and the brutal gusts of wind that are up ahead...
ReplyDeleteI am addicted to Chapstick and hate spending over a dollar for a tiny tube of the stuff. I have even considered making my own with beeswax (using recipes I found on the web). I will try the honey! I wonder if I will be able to resist licking my lips though? :) Thanks for the interesting tip.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I'll have to give it a try. It would be REALLY hard to not lick it off though.
ReplyDeleteWhat, no lecture on the healing properties of garlic? Tsk tsk... I love the honey trick, but I think I'd be too tempted to lick it off.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your last line, those lips are still adorable ;)
ReplyDeleteYou know whatelse you can use - coconut oil. That was what we used as kids and it worked wonders. Before we go to bed, mom would apply it on our rough lips and it was much better in the morning
ReplyDeleteI would have liked honey better as a kid.
I would like to note that my roomie and i both tried this. Our lips were healed in about a day and a half.
ReplyDeletesylvie, no it wont, it will make it ten times worse. and honey works perfect.
ReplyDeletei'll definately try it!! i just hope it works because i'm tired of spending money on lip balm or chap stick that doesnt work. i admit though i do have a problem with biting and licking my lips.
ReplyDeleteI used the honey and it works great! I did a little experiment to see what kind of honey works best; I used McDonald's, regular,and fresh honey straight from a bee hive that my friend gave me. As you may have guessed fresh honey works best. If you happen to have fresh honey in the little packets from McDonald's they work just as great as the regular honey that u can buy @ a grocery store
ReplyDeleteI sure hope this works. I live in southern AZ and my lips are continually burning and flaking. I can't use any products with sunscreen which is irritating. I would be ecstatic if this was a simple, natural answer. I'll be back and let you now how it goes!
ReplyDeleteI'm back like I said I would be. Unfortunately the honey helped some, but was not the magic cure I was looking for. On to trying some other home made potions! I see there are many other suggestions from your readers.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that honey could work for chapped lips. Once I started looking into it I came across bee's wax(burts bees lip balm) which is also a great option and along the same lines. Who would of thought such great natural options were available.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the helpful blog. honey, go figure. Wouldn't of thought of it but i've tried it since i first read this blog and low and behold it works great
ReplyDeleteI use burt's bees products on my lips currently, and have found they have made my condition WORSE. I'm SO trying this for a two-day trial (and I'm going to refrain form the usual habit of peeling and biting during that time!) - thank you!
ReplyDeleteAfter searching for ages I found this page. Using it now and starting to feel the difference :)
ReplyDeleteNo worries. Your lips look fine.
ReplyDelete