Honey & Propolis in Skincare

Ever wondered why we’ve seen so much honey and propolis in Korean skincare in the last few years? Honey has been used to heal wounds for thousands of years around the world. After the chok chok (or highly moisturized, watery glow) craze, came the kkul pibu, kkul gwang craze. These terms translate to ‘honey skin’ and ‘honey glow’, respectively and refers to the warm radiance of honey!

Both honey and propolis, a waxy resin that bees use to repair the honeycomb, have antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition to all of those qualities, honey is deeply moisturizing and nourishing in skincare, leading to the Korean phrase ‘honey glow’. 

Propolis has additional qualities of initiating wound healing and collagen production in the skin, making it a wonderful ingredient for acne, sensitive skin, wrinkle repair, and even atopic dermatitis like eczema. With that ability for healing and repair, propolis also helps replenish and reinforce the skin’s acid mantle, or skin barrier, leading to less sensitivity and greater moisture retention.

Since both ingredients are multi-taskers that are great for all skin types, they’ve been heavily utilized in Korean skincare in the last few years. An easy way to try new honey products would be sheet masks or toner with honey and propolis! Find your honey glow!

Let us know in the comments regarding your experience with honey and our Sooni Pouches!

Want to join the Sooni fam? Subscribe to our Sooni Mask Pouch, Sooni Mini Pouch, or Sooni Pouch!

McLoone, P., Oluwadun, A., Warnock, M., & Fyfe, L. (2016) Honey: A Therapeutic Agent for Disorders of the Skin. Central Asian Journal of Global Health, 5(1).

Kurek-Gorecka, A., Gorecki, M., Rzepecka-Stojko, A., Balwierz, R., & Stojko, J. (2020). Bee Products in Dermatology and Skin Care. Molecules, 25(556)