Does Honey Work For Acne? Here's The Benefits

Does Honey Help Acne?

By Kali Kushner

Honey, the well touted cure for almost everything including acne.   Honey has been used for centuries in face serums, and other household remedies.  In our search for finding a remedy that works for relieving our acne, you may have come across honey, but does it actually work?

In summary, yes honey could help with acne but like every remedy - it really does depend and there isn't a ton of documented studies on honey reducing acne breakouts. 

The reason why honey could potentially help with acne is because honey has antibacterial, and antifungal properties and honey itself isn't an  could be the reason why honey can help with healing acne. 

Properties of Honey

Honey is made of glucose oxidase which converts to gluconic acid which can benefit skin as a gentle exfoliator.   Honey is full of antioxidants because of their high polyphenol content.  There's some evidence that polyphenols found in green tea are great for acne and reducing sebum production. 

What Kind Of Honey Works For Acne?

There's many kinds of honey but generally the best kind to use with the antibacterial properties is raw unprocessed honey, as processed honey could have fewer antibacterial properties but may still be effective too. 

The amount of antibacterial properties in honey are going to depend on many factors including where the honey is sourced. 

How To Use Honey On Skin

When used on the skin, honey can help moisturize, gently exfoliate and calm skin. Apply a thin layer of honey to the skin as a mask and leave on for 10 to 20 minutes and wash the mask off.  You can do this a couple of times a week. 

You may notice softer skin after using a honey mask, honey can be pretty sticky so you may want to use your cleanser to completely rinse the mask off. 

Will Honey Work On Acne Scars?

Honey won't help with acne scars unfortunately. While honey has been shown to help wounds heal faster, it won’t actually help with scar repair. When honey is applied to burns it helps with collagen production and cuts down on healing time, but with reducing scarring there’s no actual research or evidence to support these claims. 

Honey could possibly decrease overall redness and healing time, but once a scar forms there’s nothing honey can do to make the scar disappear.

Who Shouldn't Use Honey?

Some people may experience an allergic reaction to honey. If you have any known allergies to pollen, bee venom, or celery, it's best to avoid honey altogether.