9 Hydrating Skincare Products With Honey, Royal Jelly, And Propolis
Bee beautiful with these ultra-moisturising skincare products that give you a radiant glow, courtesy of the honey bee
By guoxiongho -
Bees are a big part of the fruits and vegetables we eat daily as one of the main pollinators we depend on. Besides this tireless job that we don't give them enough credit for, honey and other byproducts such as propolis, royal jelly and beeswax have long been cherished for their nourishing properties. Honey and royal jelly, in particular, are known to be humectants. Propolis and beeswax, on the other hand, help retain moisture. All of them have been found to have anti-microbial and healing properties too.
Ahead of World Honey Bee Day on August 19, we're celebrating the humble insect by spotlighting skincare products that make use of its wondrous creations to take care of our skin.
Guerlain's Abeille Royale line is known for amplifying the qualities of honey with its proprietary Blackbee Repair technology, using Black Bee honey from Ouessant Island, royal jelly, and three other kinds of honey from the environmentally-protected islands of Corsica, Ikaria, and Åland. It also includes polyfragmented hyaluronic acid and hexapeptide — two powerhouse ingredients that work together to retain moisture. For those who tend to wake up with dehydrated and dry skin, add this into your night routine for an extra dose of hydration that'll keep the wrinkles and fine lines away.
While some facial cleansers can be stripping to the skin, Yamada Bee Farm's iteration promises it doesn't. This is because moisture-retaining royal jelly and manuka honey have been added together with grape seed and coix seed extracts to mitigate such effects, keeping your skin hydrated and bouncy — great for normal to dry skin types, even in the hot Singapore weather.
As the product name suggests, the Skinfood serum contains a one-two punch of 63 percent black bee propolis and 10 percent royal jelly extract to flood skin deeply with hydration. It also promises to strengthen the skin barrier and brighten the skin. Apply this elixir on the skin after cleansing and toning for a youthful glow.
Hey Honey was founded by business owner and mother Katerina Yoffe-Larden with the aim of simplifying skincare routines with realistic and practical products. This facial serum doubles as a makeup primer to hydrate and plump skin in the day as honey and sea buckthorn oil hydrates and moisturises respectively. You can even use this on split ends to smooth stubborn flyaways!
This wash-off mask from I'm From deeply nourishes skin within 10 minutes using 38.7 percent pure unprocessed honey obtained from Jirisan in South Korea. The moisturising formula is bolstered with propolis and a slew of plant oils — plus bee venom, which has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Slather this on for an extra-moisturising treat.
Whether you have an oily skin type or are looking for a lightweight daytime moisturiser to wear under makeup, the CosRx gel-like cream promises to deeply hydrate without imparting a greasy feeling. It is made with 72.5 percent black bee propolis as well as sunflower seed oil and glycerin to moisturise and hydrate.
The Farmacy moisturiser is for those who need to soothe and repair their dry and impaired skin barrier. Besides antioxidant-rich buckwheat honey, plant-based ceramides and sweet fig extract help soothe and hydrate the skin. It works especially well if you're travelling to a drier and colder climate — or work long hours in an air-conditioned environment.
Most of us know Swisse for its range of supplements. But in fact, the Australian label also has skincare products including this manuka honey-containing moisturiser. Hydrating glycerin, moisturising grape seed oil and shea butter are also present in the formula for that radiant glow.
Sunscreen should be part of your daily daytime routine to shield yourself from the ageing UV rays, but this one cares for the skin as well. The Biore sunscreen has been enriched with a hydrating trifecta of royal jelly extract, hyaluronic acid and butylene glycol as the lightweight, water-resistant formula applies without leaving a white cast.