20 Unusual Uses for Honey – There is More Than Meets the Eye About Honey

Honey is perhaps one of the most underestimated foods and even though the numbers suggest that we intake decent quantities every year, we don’t make full use of it.

I love the taste and the numerous ways in which honey can be used to sweeten up my meals, but there is more than meets the eye about it and I intend to share them with you.

Honey is a great moisturizer and any homemade remedy should have it among the ingredients because it can help you get smooth skin and lips.

It has certain therapeutic uses, and if you like to drink your tea sweet, then do yourself a favor and use honey instead of sugar. It will help your body, bump your energy levels and help you with a sore throat or other cold-related symptoms that can ruin your day.

Honey is just as good to sweeten up fruit salads and I make sure I have plenty of it around when preparing a dish for my family.

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Here are 20 alternative uses for honey that you may have never thought of:

1

Put it on your lips

Did you know that making your own lip balm is as easy as tracking down some almond oil, beeswax, and honey? Sure is. Makes you feel a little guilty about that $10 version you picked up at the health food store yesterday, doesn’t it?

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2

Lose Weight

Well, what were you expecting? With a list this long it had to be pretty apparent that honey is in fact a wonder food, and as it turns out, you can even make it part of your next weight loss plan. Honey is an excellent substitute for sugar and it also helps speed up metabolism. Just remember: all things in moderation.

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3

Get an energy boost

Feeling a tad lethargic? Skip the coffee and go for the honey instead. Mix a tablespoon into a cup of tea and you’ll be feeling better in no time.

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4

Soften your Skin & Fade Post Acne Marks

Honey is an excellent exfoliant. You can pair it with ground almonds and lemon juice for a killer homemade facial scrub. Or you can try using this turmeric mask home remedy regularly, my post acne scars seems to fade away and the healing process was cut down by half.

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5

Beautify your Hair

In the shower, after washing your hair, coat the ends with a bit of honey. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing out and you’ll find that your hair is less frizzy and extra conditioned.

Or make your hair shiny and bright by adding one teaspoon honey to one quart of water, and after washing your hair, pour the mixture over your head. Let it dry and enjoy your new-found shiny do.

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6

Clear up your dry Elbows

Nothing’s worse than scratchy elbows (no really) so next time, after you’ve washed and scrubbed, rub some honey on to soften the skin. Leave on for 30 minutes then wash off.

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7

Remove parasites

Got a post-Southeast Asia backpacking trip bug that just won’t leave you alone? Combine equal parts honey, vinegar, and water. Then drink. The combination of vinegar’s acidity and honey’s therapeutic components is more than enough to kill or expel bodily intruders.

When you suspect that you have worms in your body, drink ample amounts of the solution regularly. The parasites might build a resistance if you don’t manage to get rid of them all as soon as possible.

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8

Make your own honey moisturizer

If you’ve got a handful of sweet smelling herbs — think lavender — laying around and ready to be used, why not use them for your own homemade honey lotion? Warm honey in a saucepan until it gets to a liquid consistency. Pour honey over herbs and cap tightly; the ratio you want to use is 1 tablespoon of herbs per 8 ounces of honey. Let sit for a week and then mix 1 teaspoon of liquid into an 8-ounce bottle of unscented lotion.

9

Eat it with goat cheese

In need of a classy hors d’oeuvre but lacking in the time department? Try this: put a round of goat cheese in a ramekin, sprinkle honey and chopped walnuts on top and place in oven at 350F until honey and cheese are both soft. Serve with baguette or crackers and you’ll be the life of the party.
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10

Drink it

We all know a drop of honey in tea is good for a sore throat, but you can add it to most drinks for an extra energy boost. And simply because it’s a whole lot better than tossing in a few Sweet ‘N Lows.

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11

Give yourself a facial

Honey is a natural humectant with antimicrobial properties, which means your skin will be happy when you give it some sweet honey love. Try a basic honey wash by mixing a dollop of honey and two tablespoons of warm water and massaging the mixture into your skin. Or you can go all out and try this recipe to shrink large pores.

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12

Go the extra mile

Forget energy bars and shots, just pop a tablespoon of honey before your next workout. Seriously, it has been proven to boost athletic performance.

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13

Make a salad

One of my favorite and easiest fruit salads uses just a touch of honey to enhance the sugars in the fruit, and it’s a perfect late summer dessert.

1 cantaloupe, chopped

3 nectarines, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped basil

2 tablespoons honey

Mix together and enjoy!

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14

Clean your cuts and scrapes

Honey can actually be used as an antiseptic, like a natural Neosporin. Because of its many antimicrobial properties, it can be used to treat wounds and even burns.

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15

Get rid of your hangover

Forget a morning of popping ibuprofen, spread some honey on your toast or add some to your tea. Because honey is loaded with fructose, it will help speed up the metabolism of alcohol.

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16

Preserve fruit

Jam is so five years ago; show you’re truly cutting edge by preserving your fruits in a honey sauce. All it takes is one part honey to ten parts water and then covering your berries. Pretty much the closest you’re ever going to get to bottling up a little bit of summer.

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17

Relax in the tub

Add a few tablespoons of honey to your bath, for sweeter smelling, softer feeling water. Pure bliss.

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18

Eat the honeycomb. No really, just do it.

Yes, it can be done! Check out this food blogger who put the ingredient to her readers and got some fun responses. The best sounding one? Mix it with crunchy peanut butter on toast.

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19

Mix a drink

After you’ve been busy reaping all the health benefits that honey has to offer, it’s time to celebrate, and what better way than with a good ole cocktail. Honey Gin Cocktail? Bring it.

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20

Prepare for the end of the world

You never know what’s going to happen, so stock it. Now.

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I couldn’t possibly overstate the advantages of using honey for skin related conditions, as it can both soften your skin and clear up dry elbows.

It works wonders in cleaning cuts while mitigating the risks of suffering an infection because it creates a hostile environment for microbes and bacteria. In case you suffer a burn, don’t forget to apply honey right away as it will speed up the recovery process.

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