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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.

Honey face wash in a glass soap dispenser.
Frugal, soothing, and easy to make! Add this cleanser to your natural 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
  • ANCIENT ROOTS – Honey (and milk) is believed to have been used by Cleopatra as a face wash. The Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used honey as a treatment for wounds, burns, and other skin disorders.
  • MODERN DAY USES – Today, honey is used all over the world as a skincare ingredient and to cleanse the skin and treat skin conditions (like eczema).
  • SOOTHING – Honey is soothing and rich in antioxidants with antibacterial properties (National Institutes of Health).
  • MOISTURIZES – Honey is a humectant; it has incredible moisturizing properties.
  • PROMOTES HEALTHY SKIN FUNCTION – Honey as a facial wash doesn’t strip the skin (like many commercial face washes and soaps) and works to regulate the pH of the skin, which is essential for healthy skin function.
  • CHEAP & NATURAL – Honey is cheap, considering the multi-purpose nature of this natural, powerhouse ingredient.
Honeycomb on a plate.
Honeycomb and honey: a natural, soothing ingredient for your skin.

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

These powerhouse ingredients come together to create the best DIY face wash.

Ingredients to make this face wash: castile soap, honey, and water.
Ingredients needed: liquid castile soap, honey, a nourishing oil, and water.

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 safely make and use DIY body products.

Soap suds on hands after pumping the soap into palms of hands.

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).

Massaging the face wash on the face.
Massage the cleanser on the face, then rinse with water.

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.
Face wash sitting on a platter with honey to the side.
Honey face wash in a glass soap dispenser.
4.89 from 80 votes

DIY Homemade Honey Face Wash

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.
Kristin Marr
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course DIY
Cuisine Beauty, Body
Servings 8 ounces

Equipment

Ingredients

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

When you introduce water into a product without a preservative you always run the risk of introducing bacteria, so use water-based products quickly. Using distilled water is always the safest option.
Reader Feedback: A few readers have shared that this face wash has an interesting smell when the honey and castile soap are mixed together. A smell they don’t particularly enjoy. If this is the case with your face wash,  but you still want the skin benefits of honey, I recommend trying a simple honey and aloe cleanser. If you don’t want to use the honey, try a simple blend of castile soap and water. The scent some readers experience may be coming from the tea tree castile soap, so stick with an unscented version if this is a concern.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

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FAQs

Yes, you can. Honey is soothing and gentle, and safe for everyday use. If you find the cleanser irritates or drys out your skin, it’s most likely due to the soap. In this case, use straight-up honey or this aloe and honey cleanser. Or, check out all my favorite natural cleansers.

Yes, I’ve found it to be very beneficial and safe to use on my acne-prone skin. Honey will not strip the skin of natural oils and is very soothing.

No, honey does not clog pores. Rinse the honey from the skin after cleansing.

This recipe is just one option for a natural facial cleanser. Back when I originally shared this recipe (in 2015), there weren’t store-bought options made with nourishing, non-toxic ingredients. Today, there are great companies that have stepped up to make incredible non-toxic, natural, botanical skincare products. Check out my article, Best Natural Face Cleaners and Face Wash, for a round-up of the best homemade and store-bought face washes.

The recipe is about as 100% natural as you’ll find. Other DIY face wash options that are 100% natural: honey and aloe face wash (just honey and aloe), cleanse your face with honey alone, and basic face wash made with castile soap. A few of my favorite natural store-bought face washes: OSEA Ocean Cleanser (use code livesimply for $10 off any $90 order), True Botanicals, Evan Healy Milk Cleanser or Tea Tree Cleanser, One Love Organics, and Blissoma Rejuvenating Gel Cleanser. That said, I challenge you to focus on using safe and nourishing skincare products rather than focusing on 100% natural. Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s the solution you’re looking for. Poison Ivy is 100% natural and none of us are spreading that stuff on our faces. Just food for thought. Synthetic ingredients aren’t bad, as long as they are proven to be safe.

I’m not an esthetician (listen to my podcast with an esthetician about natural skincare), but I personally struggled with acne for a number of years as an adult. Today, my skin has cleared along with much of the scarring. From my research, honey and aloe are some of the best DIY natural face wash ingredients for acne-prone skin. Honey is antibacterial and hydrating (learn more about using honey to cleanse the face), and both are gentle on the skin and soothing. Aloe and honey don’t strip the skin of natural and beneficial oils, which could cause breakouts and inflammation. I also love this Ocean Cleanser from OSEA for a store-bought option that exfoliates and cleanses the skin without stripping the skin of its natural and beneficial oils (use code livesimply for $10 off any $90 order).

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Kristin is the creator and editor-in-chief of Live Simply. Kristin is married to her high school sweetheart, Dustin, and is the mom to two kids and two free-roam (litterbox-trained) bunnies, Leo and Estela. Kristin started Live Simply in 2013 to share her passion for real food and natural living.

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347 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Hi Kristin! I wanted to let you know that your deodorant recipe is the only one I’ve tried that actually works! And your ultra moisturizing lotion is the only thing that has EVER kept my skin for getting extremely dry in the winter months. I just adore your recipes! I’m making the vitamin c serum this afternoon, and I wanted to make this face wash as well. I just realized I’m out of raw honey, but I have regular honey. Will that work, or provide any benefit? Thanks so much for your help, and all you do! Your blog is a favorite of mine!

    Reply

  2. Hi! I, have recently, made the change, to all natural, and, homemade skincare products. I, was, looking for a liquid face wash, to use, with my clarisonic mia. I had, all of the ingredients, on hand, to make, the “honey face wash”, so, I thought, I’d give that a try. It worked great! I, put, a small amount of the mixture, in my hands, rubbed between my hands,for a couple of seconds, then, smeared it, all over my face (as, the mixture, is, fairly runny, this kept it, from just running off of my hands, on the way, up, to my face)! I, then, used the clarisonic, for 1 minute. It kept, a nice lather, the entire minute. My skin, felt amazing! (I, did, do this, in the shower.) I, have, had breakouts, for so long, that, I don’t ever remember, having clear skin (I’m 50). I’ve tried everything, under the sun. I’ve been using castile soap, with tea trea oil, an apple cider vinegar toner, lavender essential oil (for, spot treatment), and, jojoba oil, for moisturizing. Since, eliminating, all of the chemical filled, store bought products, my skin, has, never looked better! I, did, have to “suffer”, through some purging, when I started the ACV, but, it has paid off! I’m feeling, much better, about my face, these days. I’m anxious, to try, some of the other recipies, you have, on your website, as well!

    Reply

  3. Hi Kristin,

    Can coconut oil be used for the nourishing oil in this recipe?

    Thanks so much for sharing all these great recipes.

    Reply

    1. Hey Ann,

      Yes, it can, but if you’re using virgin coconut oil (used in the kitchen for cooking and baking), it may solidify when the outside temperature is cooler. Extra virgin olive oil won’t have the same issue (unless it reaches a very cold temperature, similar to a refrigerator)–another option. Fractionated coconut oil remains in a liquid state at all times, so it would probably work better than virgin coconut oil in this particular recipe.

      Let me know how it goes!

      I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes :).

      Reply

  4. Hi there,
    was just wondering if u can just use unpasteurized honey. it’s orange blossom but its not raw?or is raw & unpasteurized better? think I’m goin to make your moisturizing lotion also. it go’s hand & hand i would think,lol goin to give it a try!

    Reply

  5. Hello! I am a graduate student and a definite beginner to living simply! I haven’t bought the ingredients for cleaning or natural care yet, but I definitely plan on because I want to switch myself and my mother to a healthier lifestyle and I want to start with the food we eat and the things we put on our bodies. I have downloaded your free crash courses for real food and natural cleaning and plan to buy the cleaning e-book! For this particular recipe, is it possible to leave out the water completely and add it to the wash after putting a bit of the wash on my Clarisonic? Instead of directly adding the water into the facial wash mixture?

    Reply

    1. Hey Colette, That’s so great to hear! Yes, you can leave out the water in this recipe. You won’t be able to use a pump dispenser, but you’ll still get a great cleansing product!

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I tried reading through all the comments to see if my questions were answered, but there are way too many. Haha.

    I made this last year and loved it. Definitely didn’t need the shelf life warning and kept using it. Whoops.

    I want to make this to give to people and am looking for a way to extend the shelf life. I’d like to add 2tb of glycerin, if you think that would be beneficial, and some vitamin e for preservation. Is there a water alternative you would recommend? Aloe juice (does that need to be refrigerated), or anything else that would do the job and foam, but not spoil in 6 weeks? Would the vitamin e alone extend the shelf life decently? I also use lavender EO in mine.

    Reply

    1. Hey Summer,

      I think a hydrosol would work, like a rose hydrosol (water). There are a number of great hydrosols available, and it would add an amazing scent (http://amzn.to/2fTiU87). That’s the only thing I can think of besides using distilled water. From my research, Vitamin E alone will keep the oil from going rancid, but it won’t help preserve the soap in terms of keeping potential water-based bacteria away. You could try using Grapeseed Extract, or possibly Rosemary Oil Extract. This site provides a good breakdown on each preservative and how to use them: https://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/library/preservatives.asp.

      Hope that helps :). Let me know how it goes!

      PS: I personally keep some products with distilled water around for at least a couple of months, but I always want to be cautious since this is the world-wide web and water-based products have many variables.

      Reply

  7. Hello just wondering if i could use aloe vera juice vs water in this recipe without making it spoil faster? Thank you and I love your website!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Hello!!!!!
    Thank you for posting this WONDERFUL recipe!!
    It has made my skin soooo much softer, smoother, and clearer!!!
    I absolutely LOVE it! I followed this up with a moisturizer and it is PERFECT!!
    Thanks again!!!!!

    Reply

  10. Hi! I made your face Wash and the honey smelled so I added lavendar essential oil. I have dry/sensitiva skin so is the lavendar okay for my skin?
    Thank you!

    Reply

  11. Hi Kristin!
    I’m going to be moving soon and am looking to transfer over to more natural products for health, beauty and cleaning. I stumbled across your website a few days ago and am totally hooked! I’d love to try out making this face wash since I just bought a whole bottle of castile soap. My question for you is, do you think the consistency of this soap is thin enough to be used in a foaming dispenser? Or does the honey make it too thick? Also, I noticed you said you’ve been using your aloe and honey face wash lately but was wondering if you ever used your clarisonic with this wash? I’m thinking about investing in a clarisonic but am not sure if it will work well with this face wash. Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kerry, Welcome to Live Simply! Hmmm, I’m not sure if this soap will work in a foaming soap dispenser. I think it’s worth a shot. Even with the honey, the face wash is a bit on the thin side. I haven’t tried using my clarisonic with this wash, but I think it would work great. You could also use the clarisonic after washing your face with just water–I’ve done that before many times.

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    I use this as a body wash. Love it.

    Next batch I’m gonna replace the water with rose water and/or witch hazel.

    Reply

    1. Hey Cheryl, Yes, but you’ll want to make sure it’s fractionated coconut oil (which is refined and always remains in a liquid state). Or you can leave the oils out.

      Reply

  14. Sorry, not a fan of castile soap. There are so many reasons to never use soap on skin. I have no idea why so many “natural” sites love to take moisturizing oils and saponify them with an alkali like potassium hydroxide. Now the oils are a rather harsh and drying anionic surfactant, made worse by being the wrong pH for healthy skin. Somehow they think this is natural and therefore better for your skin. The added ingredients in your recipe help to ameliorate some of these problems, but it would be far better to not have soap in the recipe at all.
    I’ll stick with your honey & aloe cleanser recipe.

    Reply

    1. Hey Stuart, Thank you for sharing. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the honey and aloe cleanser. If that’s working best for you, then definitely stick with that!

      Reply

  15. 5 stars
    I have been using this face wash for nearly 7 months now and I love it! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  18. Hi I was wondering where you got the pump dispenser in this post? I would like to find something similar to it. Thanks!

    Reply

  19. 5 stars
    Do you have any tips on how to travel with homemade face wash? What kind of container do you take it in? Loved this post!

    Reply