Honey.
It's liquid gold. Considered the elixir of life in Ancient Greece. Used on the battlefields of World War I & II to dress wounds. Likened to the Word of God throughout the Bible, which promises it's believers a land flowing with honey (and milk).
Honey is revered the world over as medicine, food, and beauty treatment all-in-one.
A water-soluble humectant containing small amounts of hydrogen peroxide at a low pH, honey is rich in antioxidants giving it anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties, and making it the ideal cleanser for maintaining beautiful, ageless skin.
As a humectant, honey draws moisture into itself (and by extension, your skin, when used topically). The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties make a gentle and effective cleanser for acne-prone skin. In fact, honey is effective for all skin types, but most especially for dry and sensitive skin, which is what I have, and why I avoid conventional skincare. After pregnancies, I've had increasing melasma, which regular use of honey has helped to fade over the years (lesson learned here was to take the honey down to my neck, where I had more discoloration).
One day about seven years ago, my world changed when I learned about facial double-cleansing.
You see, I knew about oil-cleansing, but was not convinced to try it until coming across double-cleansing and honey. Double-cleansing involves using an oil to cleanse the face, followed by a water-soluble cleanser, which is what most conventional facial cleansers are, technically. I was a few years into using oils in place of serums and moisturizers, so slathering honey on my face wasn’t that big a leap, and I was instantly impressed.
I will never, ever, ever, ever, ever buy a facial cleanser labeled as such. Honey. Always, and forevermore.
Want to try it for yourself?
Tie back your hair, because, obviously. It's best to use honey after oil-cleansing, your skin will be a touch damp, making the honey easy to apply, but you can simply splash water on your face or try honey from the shower. I like to start from the base of my neck, working in upward strokes to apply honey over my face, moving gently around the eyes (just like you would with any other cleanser). Gentle enough to use daily, morning and evening. Turn it into a mask merely by leaving the honey on your skin for ten minutes or so before rinsing off. I follow it up with my rosewater-based toner and Magic facial oil.
This routine is why I don't pay for Botox.