Honey is one of nature’s most incredible and versatile gifts. Throughout history, honey has been used in a variety of ways, ranging from nourishing skin treatment to delicious natural sweetener.
Stored in wax structures called honeycombs, honey is produced by honey bees and gets its distinctive flavor and sweetness from the sugary plant nectars of the flowers the bees frequent. Honey can vary in color and flavor, depending on the plants it was sourced from. Some of the most common varieties include orange blossom, lavender, clover, buckwheat, wildflower, and manuka.
Honey has been used for thousands of years - in fact, cave paintings found in Valencia, Spain depict humans foraging for this sweet treat! Greeks and Romans valued honey and used it to sweeten breads, biscuits, and other desserts. As a natural sweetener, honey is rich in antioxidants and can be a good alternative to processed sugars.
But the use of honey goes well beyond sweetening our favorite recipes. Ancient Egyptians used honey in a variety of therapeutic uses, including the treatment of ulcers, wounds, rashes, and burns. Honey became so renowned for its versatility that in Medieval times, it could even be used as a form of payment. And these are just a handful of examples - honey can be found in folk and religious cultures around the world, ranging from the Jewish tradition of honey dipped apple slices to Rosh Hashanah to the health and nutritional benefits of honey listed in the Qur’an.
Honey possesses antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a popular ingredient in skin care products. Even today, you can find honey in treatments for sunburn, acnes, eczema, or dry skin. Honey can also be used in a variety of aromatherapy or beauty products to not only enhance their flavors, but to provide moisturizing benefit. You’ll find it in scrubs, hair rinses, and facial masks, too.
In fragrance making, honey falls into the gourmand category, meaning it’s a note that is so enticing, it’s almost edible! At Noteology, we use honey as a note in:
- Our Honey Blossom collection, which includes a luxuriously moisturizing body creme and signature eau de parfum. Blending with sweet orange, rose geranium, golden pear, frankincense, and sandalwood, this honey fragrance is a comforting choice for any wearer. Plus, it was selected for inclusion in the official 2014 Primetime Emmy Gift Bags!
- Our Vanilla Honey Candle, which fills your home with the scent of oats, Madagascar vanilla, clover honey, and touch of almond. A gorgeous candle that can be enjoyed year round!
- Our Vanilla Honey Shea Butter Bar Soap for dry and sensitive skin types, which uses colloidal oatmeal to soothe the skin along with soy milk and shea butter to provide moisture and softness. The scent is lovely and clean with notes of clover honey, oats, and Madagascar vanilla.
- Our Blood Orange Chocolat Body Creme & Eau de Parfum, which showcase a variety of gourmand notes, including honey, caramel drizzle, coconut pulp, sugar cane, blood orange, and milk chocolate. Simply decadent!
- Our Hudston + Cider Candle, which draws its inspiration from hard cider found throughout the Hudson Valley in NY. This edgy yet refreshing candle features notes of green apple, wildflower honey, and forelle pear.
This top or middle note in perfumery blends particularly well with a variety of other base and middle notes, making it a versatile ingredient in a variety of masculine and feminine scents. Factor in the properties it holds for our health and delicious taste, it’s easy to to see why we love honey so much!