Last month we discussed the medicinal virtues of honey to sooth a sore throat and stop a cough. Today, we are focusing on how we can use honey to help us with wound care. Check out our Art of the Home tips below about the benefits of honey and how to use it to heal wounds faster and reduce scaring as well.
Art of the Home Tips: Raw honey has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that can help with the following:
- Wound care: honey contains natural hydrogen peroxide and has very low water content which minimizes bacterial growth. As such, it can be used to speed up the healing of minor cuts and minor burns as well as minimize scaring. Apply externally after washing up the wound and cover with a bandage. Some hospitals actually use honey to treat some infected tissues that do not respond to standard antiseptics and antibiotics.
- Raw honey versus processed honey: use local raw honey if possible (e.g. health store, online, or check your local beekeepers association). Raw honey is honey that is unheated, unfiltered, and unprocessed. As a result, raw honey retains the nutrients, enzymes (e.g. propolis), and other minerals contributing to the healing properties of honey.
It’s important not to give honey to children under the age of 2. Honey contains certain spores (clostridium botulinum) that can generate toxins responsible for food poisoning in infants. Although it does not affect adults and older children, honey can be harmful to young ones so no honey for children under the age of 2.