Honey Is The Buzzy Ingredient With Big Benefits For Dry Skin & Hair

Honey is a powerhouse ingredient with some seriously stunning benefits, used in the beauty world and beyond. And though the sugary liquid gold is a byproduct of bees, that doesn’t necessarily mean that harvesting the honey is a cruel act ... To learn more about beauty’s buzziest ingredient, Bustle tapped Netherlands-based Negin Mirsalehi, founder of the honey-infused, cult-fave brand Gisou and a beekeeper whose family has been in the business of bees for six generations.

Of her own garden (which provides all of the honey and propolis used throughout her brand’s range), Mirsalehi notes: “Our honey is derived from the surplus we collect from our bees. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, [locking] in moisture and [providing] a deeply nourishing treatment for healthy, shiny hair and a glowing complexion.” Before diving into more of honey’s specific benefits for your skin and hair, let’s take a step back.

How Is Honey Sourced?

In short, “honey is a thick, golden liquid produced by bees,” Mirsalehi explains. “It is made using the nectar of flowering plants and is saved inside the beehive [to be eaten] during times of scarcity.”

And fun fact? “One pound of honey requires the skill of 768 worker bees, flying more than 55,000 miles to collect nectar from two million flowers.”

What Are The Benefits Of Honey?

“Honey has amazing beneficial properties, but what is especially great about honey is that it’s a natural humectant,” says Mirsalehi. This means it attracts and retains moisture, which helps hydrate and strengthen your strands. As far as your complexion goes, she adds that the ingredient also works wonders as it is a potent antioxidant that heals, nourishes, and prevents moisture loss. “Using honey on your skin can have nearly instant results when it comes to soothing redness and inflammation, but everyone is different,” she says. “The key is to stay consistent with your routine.”

Not All Honey Is Created Equal

When shopping for honey-boosted beauty products, Mirsalehi says it’s important to note that “honey is unique in that it’s a reflective byproduct of its environment, [and] the quality of honey does differ depending on the flower sources used.” And similarly, that means that “no batch [of honey] is ever the same” — even if harvested from the same garden.

The Results Of Using Honey-Infused Hair Care

When it comes to Gisou’s honey-laden formulas, I’ve personally noticed some serious results — so much so that I’ve gone through bottles and bottles of refills since its first launch. And with the bee population sadly on the decline, I appreciate their sustainable efforts when it comes to loving their bees and harvesting their honey without disrupting the ecosystem.

If you’re of the seemingly few who have yet to try their bestselling Hair Oil, it’s the perfect entryway to experience the power of honey. Thick, luxe, yet somehow weightless on hair, my strands are instantly left all the more smooth, shiny, and frizz-free — even making my color-treated blonde hair appear more vibrant. All of their products feel so close to the source, with high levels of active honey (without the sticky mess).

If you’re ready to introduce honey to your beauty routine before summer officially ends, shop more products below.

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