This is a guest post from Maria. If you are interested in a guest post on Fashion Without Guilt, please contact me at info(at)fashionwithoutguilt.com

Wouldn’t you take free beauty advice from Cleopatra, the legendary queen of Egypt and breathtaking beauty of the ages?  Let’s take a cue from the fact that she used to take regular baths in milk and honey.

Honey, beyond being the only food that is incapable of rotting (really!), has the following three traits that should interest thrifty beauties like yourself:

• It’s hygroscopic, meaning it takes moisture from the air.  Ancient Greeks used to put the stuff on open wounds to keep it from scarring by keeping the skin moist and encouraging new cell growth.  If you made a honey face mask, this means it would seal moisture into your skin as well as gradually remove scars from old blemishes and the like.
• It’s antibacterial, which means that people with oily and problem skin can benefit from honey, too.  Since honey moisturizes while it cleanses the skin of bacteria, it doesn’t overdry it, causing it to produce more sebum and acne with it.
• It contains enough antioxidants to be an effective anti-aging beauty treatment.  Darker varieties of honey (especially Manuka honey) usually contain more antioxidants than lighter ones.

Stretch your DIY muscles and your dollars by trying out a few of these honey beauty recipes.  Pat yourself on the back while you’re at it, because honey is biodegradable and a lot better for the earth and our water systems than the chemicals we normally put on our skin.

Basic honey face mask for problem skin

• 1 tbsp honey
• Two  drops of lavender or tea tree oil (both natural antiseptics)

Mix the oil and honey and put on a clean face.  Leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing with warm water.  If your skin is dry, simply eliminate the essential oils.

Honey cleansing scrub

• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp ground oatmeal or almonds (put them through your food processor)
• 1 tsp lemon juice

The lemon juice will take the oil out of oily skin while the ground oatmeal or almonds substitute for the microbeads (basically plastic, which pollute our waterways and the ocean once it goes down your drain) as you use this mask to exfoliate.  Massage the stuff gently over your face and rinse with warm water when done.

Honey exfoliating mask

• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tsp nonfat organic plain yogurt
• 1 egg white

Mix the ingredients in a bowl (you’ll have some left over, so put the rest in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week).  Slather it on a clean face and wait 15 minutes before washing off with warm water.

Washable skin lotion

• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp olive oil

Combine the two in your palms and rub thoroughly over hands, knees, elbows, and everywhere the recent winter shows on your body!  Relax for 10 minutes (maybe make one of these face masks while waiting) before rinsing with warm water.

Honey bath

• ¼ cup honey
• ½ cup cream or full fat milk

Kiss dry skin goodbye just by sitting in Cleopatra’s bath for 15 minutes (or longer!).

Honey for your hair

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp olive oil or 1 medium avocado (peeled and stoned)

Both avocados and olive oil will nourish your hair, but one is usually more available than the other.  Either way, combine the two ingredients and rub into your hair and scalp.  Don a shower cap, maybe while taking Cleopatra’s bath, and wait 30 minutes before rinsing it out.  Follow by washing your hair with shampoo and rinse.

Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online universities, and the future of online degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.