5 reasons to add honey to your beauty routine

Boasting powerful antioxidant and antibacterial properties, honey is much more than just a sweet treat for your toast. A key ingredient in skin care, this amber nectar is a powerful skin healer - brightening, protecting and repairing signs of damage with its blend of enzymes, natural humectants and free radical-fighting actives. In its 'raw' state, honey has countless skin benefits - so make a beeline for the latest crop of products which have harnessed its impressive, skin-regenerative capabilities.

Creating a renewed buzz (sorry) in the beauty-sphere, honey is appearing on a growing list of natural ingredient lists. Created by bees 'picking up' pollen, nectar and resins from plants and flowers which are then broken down into simple sugars, the structure of the comb and constant 'fanning' by the bees' wings (weary bees!) yields the sticky syrup we have come to know and love. 

Inherently enzymatic, honey is a natural humectant, acne-fighter and revitalising treatment for stressed, problem-prone or irritated skin types. Brilliant for those susceptible to angry breakouts, this soothing treatment takes the sting out of those raised, red bumps and blemishes - reducing redness and accelerating spots' demise. 

It's also a miraculous moisturiser - great for 'feeding' parched complexions and increasing skin's resilience. There's almost nothing nature's nectar isn't good for, so make your bathroom cabinet look more larder-like by adding one of two of these miel-infused confections...

Looking a little lacklustre? Look no further than FARMACY's unctuous {Honey Potion}. Not only does this feel like liquid cashmere, but by harnessing the enzymatic properties of honey, this gently 'gobbles up' the dulling surface cells which compromise skin's light-reflective properties. Brightening and 'plumping', it revitalises sluggish, sleep-deprived visages while encouraging regeneration and repair.

If you're suffering a bad bout of blemishes, reach immediately for fresh's {Crème Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask}. With its indulgent cream consistency, this clarifying mask is painstakingly hand-blended to respect the precious nature of its 'actives' - and its history! Modelled on one of the first ever face creams, this magical calming and deeply replenishing treatment is jam-packed with Buckfast Honey (lauded for its potency) while ecchinacea, meadowfoam seed, shea and seabuckthorn extracts combine to hydrate stripped or stressed-out complexions.

For skin that looks a bit 'meh', fight signs of stress and fatigue with Girl Undiscovered's phenomenal polish. Harnessing raw, wild honey's healing prowess, the {Stumbled Across Paradise Face Mask} physically refines dry, dehydrated faces - battling blackheads to help keep unwelcome eruptions at bay. A great exfoliator, this encourages bloodflow to 'feed' cells and speed-up the skin-healing process (amazing if you're plagued by scars or pigmentation patches).

If your lips need love, ensure you have a jar of Nuxe's {Rêve de Miel} on your person at ALL times. A French pharmacy favourite, you'll find one in every Parisienne's handbag* (*probably), and not only does it keep your lips smoochably soft and supple, but also works to nourish cuticles, cuts, grazes... any bits that need some TLC.

And for those who're obsessed with the smell look no further than Bastide's warm, summery {Miel de Lavande Natural Body Wash} - an incredible, nourishing blend made in 'soap cauldron' batches with Provençal extracts of honey and lavender (bliss!). Incredibly gentle and heavenly scented, this leaves the skin supple and subtly fragranced - and looks ultra chic in your bathroom.