It takes nectar from around two million flowers to make one kilo of honey — one of humanity’s oldest beauty ingredients.

What is honey?

Honey (Mel) is made by honeybees (Apis mellifera) from flower nectar or the honeydew of trees. It consists mainly of fructose and glucose, with about 17% water, and also contains enzymes, amino acids, organic acids, polyphenols and trace elements. Its colour, scent and texture depend on the plants the bees visited — thyme, pine, fir, chestnut, heather.

What are the benefits of honey?

Honey is a natural humectant: it draws in and holds moisture. Applied topically it:

• Holds moisture on the surface of the skin
• Leaves the skin soft and supple
• Offers polyphenols with antioxidant activity
• Suits dry and dehydrated skin
• Gives soap a rich, creamy lather

Food of the gods

In Greek mythology Zeus grew up in Crete on honey and the milk of the goat Amaltheia, and the ambrosia of the gods was often described as honey. Hippocrates recommended it for the skin, and Cleopatra, as tradition has it, added honey to her donkey-milk bath. Greece has one of the highest densities of beehives in Europe.

Where does it come from?

Honey is produced all over the world; the largest producers are China, Turkey, Iran and Argentina. In Greece, with around one and a half million hives, the best known are the pine honey of Evia and Thassos, the thyme honey of Crete and the Cyclades, and the fir honey of Vytina.