Here Comes Honey, Boo Boo!

Honey, the natural amber-colored sweetener that lends a moistness and rich flavor to cakes and cookies, provides many benefits to the body in a few different ways.  I guess we all know that honey is great for healing sore throats, coughs and general cold symptoms, but did you know that the vitamins, minerals and amino acids found in honey make it a wonderful chemical-free skincare product?

One tablespoon of honey a day can do wonders to your body and soul. Although honey is pretty high in calories, when consumed with hot water, it can work as a good weight loss agent by burning the fat stored in our body. Honey raises our protective antioxidant levels which will help in removing these free radicals and build the immunity of the body. Honey's natural antioxidant and anti-fungal properties help disinfect and speed the repair of wounds, damaged tissue and burns, protect the skin from the damage of the sun's rays, supports the skin's ability to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin; leaving it feeling silky soft, supple and a reduction of wrinkles.

Photo courtesy of The New Zealand Honey Shop

Honey as a wound dressing can help promote healing and prevent infection due to its natural antimicrobial properties. The sugars interact with water in a way that microorganisms cannot develop. When the sweetener comes in contact with wounds, hydrogen peroxide is produced. The creation of the hydrogen peroxide can provide antibacterial benefits to ulcerated areas, which speeds healing and prevents infections.

Honey's ability to absorb impurities from the pores on the skin and retain moisture make it an ideal part of a dry skin regimen.  Using a honey-based facial mask is beneficial to areas of skin that tend to become dry or itchy because it lends moisture to those areas. People have oily skin can also benefit from honey.  The sweetener can help your skin retain moisture and elasticity without drying it out, as some conventional facial washes do.  With the wide-ranging of natural skin care recipes, there's no wonder that you can find a huge number of honey products in the market for hair care, baby care, skin care for sunscreen, hand lotions, facial scrubs and moisturizers.  Honey is the key ingredient in a lot of cosmetics because it helps keep the skin hydrated and fresh and prevents drying. 

There are two primary things to keep in mind when purchasing honey for nutritional purposes. First, dark colored honey, is generally thought to contain higher levels of antioxidants than the lighter colored varieties. Second, raw or unprocessed honey contains the widest variety of health-supportive substances.

Stay Sweet, Honey!

Kisses!

Skin Care Tips For Men With Beards

Taking care of your skin is vital during the growth period of your beard.  Oily skin, dry skin and everything in between… we all have one or the other, and it changes from season to season.

Depending on the weather conditions, your facial skin is TTG [trained to go] to protect itself.  Your face reacts differently when exposed to different elements.  In dryer climates your skin may feel a bit drier, stiffer and tighter [we'll blame that on the these colder, darker months], where in more humid climates the opposite reaction may be more common.  So how do you care for your skin underneath if there is a beard in the way?  Many of you think that there’s no need since it’s covered by hair, right? Wrong! This skin is just as important as the rest of your face. Here’s how you should be taking care of it this season.

• Exfoliating is very important. It rids the face of dead skin cells while allowing the younger skin cells to reach the surface. This helps to keep the skin looking and feeling young and healthy!
• For bearded men with normal to oily skin, it is even more important to make sure that a facial exfoliation regimen is implemented at least once a week. That's it - just once a week.  A careful focus on the bearded area will help to remove dead skin and oils that can build-up and create skin irritation and cause "the scratchy beard syndrome" and for others, acne.
• For the guys with the challenge of dry skin, exfoliation is still important. Also, make sure that your beard is not only shampooed but conditioned. This is very important for health of the beard, and the skin underneath.  Shampoo and condition your beard every 2-3 days.
• For all skin types, implementing a moisturizer will help to balance the skin of the oily beard and provide relief with an extra boost of moisture for the drier bearded gentleman. If you fall off the wagon during this dry season, it will take 10-14 days to add moisture back to your skin. 

Growing a beard can be an easy way to freshen up your look this season.  Keep it fresh. Until next time....stay tuned for more tips on how to care for your beard.

Give Your Face A Rest - Grow A Beard

Let the fall season begin! Fall is definitely my favorite time of the year.  Not only I do I love the wardrobe shift, there’s something about a beard complimenting a man’s scarf and pea coat.  It totally works.

 Tom Ford Autumn-Winter 2012/2013 Campaign 

Growing a beard this season won’t be such a pain because you get the chance to give up the woes of shaving on a daily basis.  Giving your face a rest has its advantages on your skin too.  Growing a beard gives your skin the chance to start over.  Many men struggle with ingrown hairs, razor bumps and burns.  By the time spring comes back around, you will restore your skin back to its natural state. 

Before you commit to growing your beard…oops, I know commitment is a scary word. Its okay, you just have to pick up a few products and stick to a regimen.  Treat your facial hair the same as you would the hair on your head.

Follow these steps:

• Use shampoos and conditioners on your beard 2-3 times a week
• Exfoliate once a week
• Use Tea Tree Oil for ingrown hairs

Easy enough, right?

For those of you who struggle with growing your beard, you can always invest in a Beardo.

 UFC Fighter Tyson Griffin wearing his Beardo. Photo courtesy of Beardo.

Read more about beard care here.

Happy Growing!

Kisses!