Alternative Uses for Honey

Substitute Honey for Many Expensive Products

Nov 13, 2008 Julie Herson

During these troubled economic times when wallets are feeling slightly underweight, try using a common pantry staple in lieu of pricier products.

While not based on any large-scale health studies, many people find that honey from local bees can help with allergy symptoms associated with hay fever without the high cost of medicine. Hay fever symptoms are caused by pollen in your local area, so when the bees collect this pollen from the local plants, and small amounts of it are transferred to their honey, your consumption and ingestion of this honey in small amounts works like a series of allergy shots, by slowly enhancing your tolerance to the allergen, and lessening your allergy woes. For best results, try 2-3 teaspoons of the honey each day for a few months before pollen season.

In the short term, honey can also help your symptoms since it is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Take a spoonful before outdoor activities and it might help with your itchy-runny symptoms for the day.

Import Note: Raw honey should absolutely not be given to children under the age of one. A bacteria that can be supported by honey is C. botulinum, which can be dangerous to infants 12 months and younger.

Sleep Aid

Mix a spoonful of honey into your favorite caffeine-free tea for a soothing sweetener that can calm your anxiety and, because honey has a lower glycemic index value than sugar, your energy levels will stay even and balanced. Similarly, for rambunctious children, a cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey can be calming and relaxing and may help a child sleep.

Honey in Baking

If you prefer not to use sugar in your baked goods, or you just plum ran out of sugar and don't feel like walking next door to ask your neighbor, try using honey instead. Substituting honey for sugar can easily be done by reducing the amount of liquid in your recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey that you use. You will also need to use 1/12 to 1/15 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of honey you use in addition to the baking powder already in the recipe. This helps to neutralize the acidity of the honey. Also, a slight pinch of salt will help embolden the sweetness of honey and enliven the flavor of the entire recipe.

Home Facial

Why spend hundreds of dollars on a a facial at a salon? Just raid your kitchen for some fresh and natural ingredients. Start with two egg whites, four tablespoons of honey, and a small amount flour to make this into a thick paste. If you have any fresh strawberries, grind those up and add those as well, though if you'd rather eat them, you can skip this step.

Mix the concoction well and then apply gently all over your face, as well as your neck and arms or wherever you want your not-so-tight-skin to feel nice and taught. Leave the mask on until it dries and then rinse off with lukewarm water until fresh and soft skin is revealed.

Acne Medication

Acne medications can run up your drug store bill, not to mention cause excessive drying out of your skin. Instead, try covering a blemish with a touch of honey and loosely place a small band-aid over it. Honey's antibacterial properties clean out the inflammation-causing grime, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Wake-up with a sweeter, brighter complexion by morning.

Resource for Local Honey

Honey Locator: (maintained by the National Honey Board) scans hundreds of local honey varieties, honey products and honey suppliers throughout the United States to help you find what you need.

The copyright of the article Alternative Uses for Honey in Green/Simple Living is owned by Julie Herson. Permission to republish Alternative Uses for Honey in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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