Four simple ingredients make this the best homemade honey face wash. The soothing ingredients will leave your skin clean and glowing, without the harsh chemicals. I’ll show you how to make an easy honey face cleanser and how to use it in your everyday skincare routine.
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What Readers Say
“I made this about 8 weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I have older skin prone to blemishes on occasion and I find this cleanser has really jazzed up my skin a lot. I use it twice a day. It rinses well and cleanses well.”
NIKKI
The best part about making your own face wash with honey is that you don’t have to worry about toxic chemicals. And the cost savings of making your own cleanser is quite significant!
A few concerning ingredients found in commercial face wash
- Fragrance: may contain up to 3,000 different chemicals to make a single fragrance, including phthalates to make the scent last longer, which producers don’t have to disclose due to trade secret laws.
- Parabens: Used to extend the shelf-life of face wash, but with reproductive health concerns.
- Sulfates: Used to create suds in face wash, but also strips the skin of natural oils, which could even cause the skin to overproduce oils and breakout.
Ingredients Needed to Make a Natural Cleanser With Honey
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup liquid castile soap
- 3 tablespoons distilled water (this is the safest type of water to use, found at any grocery store)
- 2 tablespoons nourishing oil (I use jojoba, other options include: sweet almond, avocado, and olive oil)
These powerhouse ingredients come together to create the best DIY face wash.
Ingredient Spotlight
Raw Honey: Due to the lack of pasteurization (heating), raw honey is naturally rich in antibacterial and probiotic properties. Honey is gentle for sensitive skin, but tough enough to remove dirt and other impurities. Learn more about the benefits of washing your face with honey. If you can’t find raw honey, use what you can find; just make sure it’s pure honey. Some folks swear by using raw manuka honey for skincare uses, which you’re welcome to use.
Castile Soap: A concentrated vegetable-based soap. I use castile soap for everything from homemade laundry detergent to body wash and foaming hand soap. Use either Baby Mild Castile Soap or Tea Tree Castile Soap for facial cleansing. A 32-ounce bottle of liquid castile soap costs about $17, and one bottle will make about 10 homemade face washes. Explore other natural ways to use castile soap.
Distilled Water: Added to dilute the concentrated soap. Distilled water has all impurities removed, so it’s the safest water to use when making body and cleaning products.
Nourishing Skin Oil: Since oil dissolves oil, it’s only natural to add a nourishing oil to DIY face wash recipes. Jojoba or sweet almond oil work best for all skin types. Avocado oil and olive oil are also options, but can be heavier on the skin.
How to Add Essential Oils
Essential oils may irritate sensitive skin, so I’ve skipped using essential oils in this DIY honey face wash.
If you prefer a scented face cleanser, add an essential oil that is soothing and less likely to irritate the skin, like lavender, and only use a few drops.
I avoid citrus oils, like lemon essential oil and orange essential oils, when making body products, as they can cause irritation with sunlight exposure.
How to safely use essential oils to create your own products.
How to Make: Instructions & Video
To make this homemade honey face wash recipe, you’ll need a soap dispenser (like this). You’ll find this at any home store, like Target or Walmart, in the bath section.
Step 1: Combine all Ingredients
In a soap dispenser, add the water first (to prevent bubbles) then the liquid castile soap, honey, and oil. Shake the ingredients together until the honey is fully dissolved.
Step 2: Use Immeadiately or Store For Later
The cleanser is ready to use immeadiately after making. You may use it right away, or store in a cool place (like a bathroom cabinet) for later use.
Storage Tips
Store the soap in a cool place for up to 1 month. It’s important to use distilled water, as tap water will quickly grow mold and bacteria within a few days.
How to Use
First, shake the bottle before use (separation is normal).
Next…
- Wet your hands with water.
- Add a squirt of face wash to the palm of your hand.
- Rub your hands together to create suds with the soap.
- Use your palms to massage the soap over your entire face and down your neck. I usually spend about 30-60 seconds massaging my face with the cleanser. As you massage the skin, you’ll loosen dead skin cells, dirt, oils, and makeup.
- Wet a clean washcloth with warm water.
- Use the washcloth to rinse the face wash from the skin, rinsing the washcloth and repeating as needed. This will remove makeup, dead skin cells, etc. and should leave the skin with a glowing complexion.
After Cleansing Your Face…
Use a spritz of toner (I love rosewater), any serums you may like (I use this A+ serum for hormonal breakouts), and a moisturizer (the best 8 natural face moisturizers).
Is this cleanser safe for all skin types?
- My Personal Experience: I have sensitive skin that is more on the oily side and acne-prone. I have seen a noticeable difference in the appearance of my skin when using this face wash and honey in my skincare routine.
- Will it Work for Others? Since sharing this recipe, over 7 years ago, many people have made and used this cleanser with great success. Everyone’s skin is different and finding what works for you, even if it works for someone else, takes patience and exploration. The great thing about this recipe is that it costs very little to make and you can use the ingredients (like castile soap and oil) to make other products as well (like natural cleaners and moisturizer).
- Dry Skin Types: If you have dry skin, the castile soap in this natural face wash may be drying for your skin, which could cause the skin to produce excess oil and breakout. This is true of other soap cleansers as well. In this case, I love this aloe vera and honey face cleanser made without soap. If you want suds, which you’ll only get from soap, you could also reduce the amount of castile soap in this recipe.
4 More Ways to Cleanse Your Face & Body With Honey
Beyond this cleanser, here are my favorite ways to use honey in my skincare routine.
- Sugar Scrubs: Combine honey and sugar to make this soothing and exfoliating body scrub.
- Straight Up Honey: Use 100% honey, straight from the bottle, as a face wash. No extra ingredients needed.
- Honey & Aloe Facial Cleanser: For an ultra-gentle cleanser, without soap, combine aloe and honey. Great for very sensitive skin or dry skin.
- Acne Soothing Face Mask: Combine clay, honey, and aloe to make this soothing, pimple-fighting face mask.
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DIY Homemade Honey Face Wash
Equipment
- soap dispenser 8-ounces or larger
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup liquid castile soap unscented preferably
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons distilled water
- 2 tablespoons skin-nourishing oil I use jojoba, Other options include: sweet almond, avocado, olive.
Instructions
- In a soap dispenser, add the water first (to prevent bubbles) then the liquid castile soap, honey, and oil.
- Shake the ingredients together until the honey is fully dissolved.
To Use:
- Wet your hands with water.
- Add a squirt of face wash to the palm of your hand.
- Rub your hands together to create suds with the soap.
- Use your palms to massage the soap over your entire face and down your neck. I usually spend about 30-60 seconds massaging my face with the cleanser. As you massage the skin, you'll loosen dead skin cells, dirt, oils, and makeup.
- Wet a clean washcloth with warm water. Use the washcloth to rinse the face wash from the skin, rinsing the washcloth and repeating as needed.
- After cleansing, use a spritz of facial toner (I love rosewater), any serums you may use (I use this A+ serum for hormonal breakouts), and a moisturizer (the best 8 natural face moisturizers).
Video
Notes
Natural Body-Care Simplified
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FAQs
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Hello, I really like this recipe, but I’ve noticed that it separates between use. Is there a natural emulsifier you would recommend to use in this recipe to prevent it from separating? Thank you for sharing your recipes.
Hey Alicia, That’s normal, just shake before use.
i hate this! it burns my skin and it made my whole face BRIGHT RED, and ACNE PRONE!
Hey Jannie, I’m sorry to hear that. My guess is maybe you’re allergic to either honey or something used to make castile soap? Have you used castile soap before on your skin?
Hello dear,
Where did you get your glass dispenser things? Can you provide the link please?
Andrea
Hey Andrea, You can find them on Amazon or Target or Homegoods. Usually in the kitchen or bath section. Mine is old so can’t link it. But just search “glass soap dispenser” and I’m sure there will be many like it.
What a great way to spruce up regular soap! My skin is going to love it!
Awesome, Kelly! So glad you’re loving the face wash.
Kristin,
I’m a neophyte to the DIY skin care. I really like this wash and the earthy smell. Thanks for the recipe! I have pretty dry skin and I’ve found that after using this wash my skin feels really dry and tight. I believe this to be from the high alkalinity of the liquid soap. Any pointers on some natural ways to decrease the pH. Would love to keep using this recipe if possible. Adding apple cider vinegar perhaps?
Hey Corbette, You could add a splash if desired.
How long does it last and where do I store it like room temperature?
Hey Britney, Using distilled water, about 3-4 weeks. I would store in the bathroom.
Hi Kristen, I had a question regarding the Castile honey face soap wash. I just wanted to know if after I use this can I do the honey tumeric 20 minute facial mask or should I wait? Please advise. BTW thank you for all that information and thank you for what you do. My life is so much easier. This eliminates the stress of searching the web because you have all here. So once again thank you.
Hey Anna, I’m so glad Live Simply has been helpful. Everyone’s skin is different, so you may want to test this combo in a small area on your face. Personally, I would use the two back-to-back.
I noticed the comment about an unpleasant smell. I’ve been washing my face with raw honey for a little while and I find that I don’t particularly like the smell of it myself even without mixing with other ingredients.
Thanks for sharing, Vicky.
Hi Kristen. Great recipe. Is sunflower oil a “nourishing” oil?
Hey Lina, I stay away from sunflower oil since it’s high in PUFA’s–both for my skin and when used in food products. Sorry your comment was marked as spam btw…we’ve been having issues with our spam filter.