I Washed My Face with Honey for 3 Weeks — My Acne Did Something Strange

Last updated on: November 14, 2025

If you’ve ever looked in the mirror and felt frustrated with your skin, trust me — you’re not alone. Acne can make you feel stressed, self-conscious, and tired of trying product after product. I’ve been there. At one point, my bathroom shelf looked like a mini drugstore, filled with cleansers, serums, spot treatments, and things I couldn’t even pronounce. And still… my acne showed up like it paid rent.

That’s when I came across something so simple that I actually laughed:
washing your face with honey.

Yes. Honey. The same thing you swirl into tea or drizzle on toast.

At first, I almost scrolled past. But the idea stuck in my mind. What if the answer wasn’t another strong, burning, foaming cleanser… but something gentle? Something natural? Something your skin doesn’t have to “fight”?

So I decided to try it for three full weeks.
And honestly? What happened was kind of strange — in the best way.

Table of Contents

Why Honey? The Simple Reason I Tried It

Before I started, I did a little reading. Nothing too deep — just enough to understand why honey might work.

Turns out:

Honey is naturally antibacterial, which means it can help fight acne-causing bacteria.
It’s soothing, so your skin doesn’t get red or angry.
It pulls moisture into your skin because it’s a humectant.
Many women with sensitive skin love it because it doesn’t strip the face.

And honestly, what sold me was this:
Honey doesn’t burn. Doesn’t foam. Doesn’t smell like chemicals.

It felt like the complete opposite of everything I had been doing.
Almost like pushing a soft reset button for my skin.

So I grabbed a jar of raw honey — not the processed kind in the bear bottle — and got started.

Week 1 — “Is This Seriously My Cleanser?”

The first time you wash your face with honey, you’ll probably have the same reaction I had:
“This feels weird.”

It’s thick. It’s sticky. It’s not what you expect a cleanser to be.

But once you warm it between your fingers, it softens. It glides pretty easily. I massaged it into my skin the same way I would with a regular cleanser, and surprisingly, it felt soothing… almost relaxing.

But did my skin look better?
Not really — not yet.

A few days in, I noticed two things:

My skin wasn’t as dry after rinsing.
A couple of small pimples showed up.

That second part worried me. I wondered if honey was breaking me out. But when I looked closer, the pimples were tiny — like surface bumps, not the painful deep ones I used to get. I told myself to give it more time.

Week 1 felt like a patience test. Your skin doesn’t magically clear overnight, especially with something this gentle. But I didn’t feel irritated or itchy, and that alone kept me going.

Week 2 — Something Strange Started Happening

Week 2 was where things got interesting.

My acne didn’t disappear completely — that would’ve been unrealistic — but something… changed.
A little strangely.

Here’s what I noticed:

My breakouts healed faster.
The redness around my chin looked calmer.
New pimples were smaller and softer.
My face felt smoother, even in the areas with old acne scars.

It was like my acne wasn’t “angry” anymore.

If you’ve ever had those hot, red, painful breakouts that feel swollen under the skin, you know exactly what I mean. Mine started to look less dramatic. Less inflamed. Less irritated.

It felt like honey wasn’t fighting my skin — it was helping it breathe.

I also realized something else that week:
When you switch to something so gentle, you stop attacking your skin.
You stop scrubbing, stripping, and over-washing.

Your skin, in a weird way, feels safe.

Week 3 — The Unexpected Result

By the time I reached week 3, I wasn’t thinking about honey as a “challenge” anymore. It just became part of my routine. And guess what?

My skin looked the best it had in months.

Not perfect — let’s be real. Acne is complicated. Hormones, stress, sleep, and food all play a role. But here’s what changed in a big way:

✔ Fewer new breakouts

✔ Faster healing

✔ Softer, smoother skin

✔ Less redness

✔ Zero dryness

The strangest part was how even my old acne scars looked lighter — not gone, but definitely softer around the edges. My makeup went on smoother, and some days I didn’t even feel like covering anything.

I didn’t expect honey to give me “glass skin,” and it didn’t. But it gave me something better:
calm skin. happy skin. balanced skin.

And after years of dealing with the opposite, that felt like a small miracle.

**So Should You Try Washing Your Face with Honey?**

If you’re dealing with:

mild to moderate acne
redness
sensitivity
dryness
irritation from harsh cleansers

you might find honey surprisingly helpful.

It was honestly the gentlest cleanser I’ve ever used, and it made my skin feel cared for instead of punished.

But honey isn’t magic either. It may not work well for:

very oily skin
deep cystic acne
people allergic to pollen or bee products

Always patch-test to be safe.

How to Do It (Super Simple)

If you ever want to try this experiment, here’s the easiest way:

Use raw or Manuka honey.
Wet your face with warm water.
Massage 1–2 teaspoons of honey on your skin.
Let it sit for 30–60 seconds if you want.
Rinse with lukewarm water.
Follow with your usual moisturizer.

That’s it. No complicated steps. No expensive products.

My Final Thoughts — Will I Keep Using It?

Honestly? Yes.
Not every single day, but a few times a week for sure.

Honey reminded me of something important:
Your skin doesn’t always need more products.
Sometimes it needs less.
Sometimes it needs kindness.
Sometimes it needs something simple.

And if you’ve been struggling with your skin, if you’re tired of harsh ingredients, or if you’re just curious like I was… maybe honey is worth your three weeks too.

It might do something strange for your acne —
in the most gentle, beautiful way.