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
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FAQs
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I’ve been using this for a couple years and love it. I’ve found that using it twice a day dries out my face too much so I use it only in the morning. The last time I made it I was out of the mild soap, had the peppermint and used that. It’s now my favorite, really wakes up the face in the morning! lol
I also used it to shave my legs in a pinch one day and loved how it left my legs. I now make a big batch for dual use.
Hi Kristin,
I love this recipe and all the other ones as well! Do you recommend this one or the honey + aloe one for acne and scars? Also what honey do you use specifically? Thanks for all the help 🙂
Hey Su, Thank you! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes. I like the aloe and honey for acne and scars–you could even add a bit of soap if desired. Aloe is soothing and honey is antibacterial. I use a local raw honey found in my area.
Hi Kristin, I made this face wash about a week ago and I’m loving it! It leaves my skin soft and moisturized. Do you recommend washing my face with it just once, or twice a day? I’m used to washing my face only at night, but I’ve always used drug store face washes that dried my skin out. Now that I’m using something moisturizing, maybe it’s better to wash my face twice a day to prevent excess oil? I have combination skin that gets very oily in the summer and very dry in the winter. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Awesome, Akshay! It’s completely up to you and your skin. Sometimes I’ll use a soapy cleanser in the morning, if I feel like my skin needs some extra cleansing, and sometimes I’ll just rinse my face with water, then use a toner, and moisturizer.
Can’t wait to give this a try tomorrow! Just mixed up a batch substituting water with Witch Hazel; hopefully that’ll thin the mixture out without risking bacterial growth.
Could I replace the water with some homemade aloe Vera gel?
Hey Sami, It would spoil within a day or two with homemade aloe vera gel, unless a preservative is used.
Hi Kristin, I’m pretty late to this conversation and didn’t read all of the comments (200 or so) but I was thinking, would witch hazel toner work as a good substitute for the water as it seems to have the same consistency? What’s your opinion on that? Thanks!
Hey Muntaha, I think so. I would go with an alcohol-free witch hazel if you’re doing 100% witch hazel. Another option is rose water.
Would witch hazel be a good preservative? I am curious also.
Hey Jennifer, It would probably make the soap last longer than using regular water. Here are my personal safety tips: https://livesimply.me/2016/09/02/my-safety-tips-for-making-and-using-natural-products/ Making small batches of any product is always good, so even with witch hazel, I would make a small batch.
Would it be a okay idea to switch the water for say fractionated coconut oil?
Hey Alexandra, You could try (although it would pump). It will be very oily.
I was so excited to try this DIY facial wash that I accidentally bought a wrong type of honey – a corn syrup flavored with honey 😀
Oh no, Melody. Hopefully you’ll be able to return it :).
Hello! I really love this recipe and i am definitely gonna use it. Could you please tell me how much face wash will i make when using the exact amount of products you’ve been using? Ps. Love your website 🙂
hey! if i’ll use this cleanser every morning (about 2-3 plumps), for how much time do you think he’ll stay? and raw honey, it’s pure honey?
Hey Marina, I’m not 100% sure, but probably a month or so. Raw honey is honey that hasn’t been pasteurized, so it contains all the benefits of honey.
I’d love to try this. Did you use raw honey that was already liquefied or the waxy hardened kind that you melted down yourself for the recipe? In all the DIY Honey facewash recipes, no one ever mentions which they used. I’ve seen both types at the grocery.
Hey Dia, I use liquid honey.
Yesss! Awesome question! I have always wondered this too! SO glad to know now! We just look for a liquid raw non-pasteurized honey
Hello Kristine, thank you for this face wash recipe. I been using it for 3 days know. I have a question. What is the shelf life if I didn’t add water to my face wash??? Thank you ?
Hey Elba, It should last a couple of months without any water.
hi kristin. in your other blog u said boiled or distilled water makes the shelf life longer. can you please explain me? if i dont use water i it it makes my skin dry then what to add insted of water
Both remove any impurities and bacteria and microorganisms in the water, which is going make it safer to use. Hope this helps!
LS Team
Hi!
First of all I’d like to say that I love your blog, especially now that I’m changing to more natural skin care products.
I’ve mixed this honey face wash and used it a few times and I have a couple of questions –
Whenever I wash my face with this cleanser, it feels like there is some kind of residue after I used it on my face. It does not feel oily in particular, just like there is something on my face I can’t really describe. Is it normal or did I do something wrong?
And regarding the smell… I used the baby mild version, which one its own has a smell I don’t like. But to me it seems that the face wash smells exactly like the pure soap, so I plan to use lavender soap next time, but in the time I want to mask the smell with lavender EO. How much would you use? And can lavender and rosemary work together or would you recommend another blend?
Sorry for all these questions and thank you for posting all these recipes 🙂
Hey Maria, Castile soap can leave that soapy residue feel, so the soap is definitely the culprit. My suggestion is to reduce the amount of soap (next time), or add more distilled water to the current bottle to dilute it even more–you could try doubling the water amount. Another suggestion is to use a toner afterward, like apple cider vinegar and water, witch hazel, or rose water. Wipe the face with the toner after cleansing. I think diluting the soap more will help.
You could definitely add some lavender EO. I personally would try 12 drops of lavender. I would try about 6 drops of rosemary. You could adjust these amounts slightly, too.
Let me know how it goes!
Oh, I forgot to mention that I didn’t add the water to keep it from getting bad too fast. Do you think adding more of the honey would work as well or should I add the distilled water?
I will go buy the EO in the next few days and get back to you if it managed to mask the smell.
Thanks for your help!
Hey Maira, It might help, but diluting with water is probably the answer. You could place a small amount in a bowl before use and then dilute it with water. That way you’re only adding water with each use. It might be tricky to use, but it might work and help the issue.
Okay thank you. But the residue doesn’t harm my skin right? I use a ACV toner afterwards.
Hey Maria, I don’t believe so. If you see any kind of residue or have issues in the next few days, I’d try diluting it.
Hi! Where did you purchase this particular pump bottle shown above with the face wash in it? I love it! Thank you
Hey Mary, This is from Target. I actually just saw this bottle the other day in the store, again. It’s sold in the bathroom section.
Can you use rose water instead of distilled water? Thank you!!!
Definitely, Katrina. Any skin-friendly hydrosol will work great.
Okay, I have not left a comment … probably because I’m in a hurry or lazy 🙂 But I started using this DIY Homemade Honey Face Wash about a year and a half ago because, lets face it, I’m getting old-er (75) and I need to help the eczema I now have after receiving radiation treatments for breast cancer (I’m 5 years out and am fine, stage 0). I love this cleanser. I have been blessed with a great complexion so have been lazy with it all my life. But life can catch up. I have even shared your site and this recipe with a gal at church that also has eczema and she too loves it. I usually come here for the DIY beauty / cleansing recipes that you have developed and so far have been very happy with them.
That’s so great to hear, Suzanne! I’m so glad the face wash has been a blessing to you and the gal at church.
Hi Kristin, came across your site and I absolutely love it. I have been wanting to create a DIY facewash for sometime now but haven’t got down to it. Got a small query, Dr Bronner’s is not available in India, actually I could order it from amazon but it is very expensive.
Recently found someone who makes homemade castile soap with olive & coconut oil (without any preservatives) and I bought some from her. I was wondering if I could use that castile soap instead of Dr Bronner’s in this concoction?
I am sure Dr Bronner’s contains some kind of preservative increasing its shelf life, preventing it from going bad when mixed with honey. The lady i bought it from advised me not to add honey and store it as it may go rancid, but to instead mix honey in a small amount every time i need to wash my face! A bit hectic for me to do that every single time.
What do you think?
Hey Tara, Yes, castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s brand) has a long shelf life, and I believe it contains citric acid (I don’t have a bottle in front of me, but if so that may be the preservative?). Honey also has a long shelf life. I would follow her instructions since she’s familiar with her soap product. I know it’s more work, but maybe you could just add a squirt of the castile soap and a squirt of honey each night to your hand, and then apply it your face.
Hi! I stumbled across this recipe as I was looking on the effects of honey on acne prone skin. I’ve been cursed with adult hormonal acne that I can’t shake. I have made this recipe and have been using it for 2 weeks and following up with an acv toner but I still get breakouts. Can anyone tell me when I might start seeing better results? Also I used 100% organic raw honey that came in solid form but i microwaved it and liquified. Does this affect anything? Any suggestions on what honey I could use?
Hey Kassidy,
As long as it’s not making it worse, than hopefully it will help soon. The honey should be okay. Are you removing makeup before using this? That may help, based on my experience. And also using a clay mask has helped my skin.
Also, based on my own experience with adult acne, I had to take care of some hormone balancing issues, and even make some dietary changes before my skin fully cleared up.
I’ve always made my face/body wash using equal parts Castile soap, jojoba oil and raw honey but don’t add any water at all. It still works perectly without the addition of water.
Perfect, Barbara! You can definitely leave out the water and make an awesome cleanser.
I just did the honey face wash and I love it. But last night I started thinking about the amount of liquid Castille soap in the recipe and I got scared … My laundry washing liquid recipe requires 1 cup of liquid castile soap per 7 liters of water… and now I am putting 1/3 in just about a total of 1 cup of total recipe… isn’t it a little too much ?
Hey Martine, I’m glad you’re enjoying it. If you feel like the amount is too drying, you’re welcome to add just a couple of tablespoons next time, or dilute the current mixture. I use straight castile soap (no diluting) on my body, so it’s okay to use it without much dilution.