One of my favorite sites, CARE2, sent over some information the other day on honey. Among other things, the article talked about its tremendous effect on the skin and how it's a powerful antiseptic and a fantastic natural sugar substitute.

In the health arena, honey can do at least these 4 things:

1. Relieves Hangovers. A few tablespoons of honey (which is loaded with fructose), helps the body metabolize alcohol quicker.

2. Heals Wounds, Cuts, Scrapes & Burns. If you're out of Neosporin, just apply honey to your cut or burn. Honey is a natural antiseptic.

3. Soothes Sore Throats and Coughs. This natural antiseptic property makes it a great sore throat soother as well. Combine honey with the juice of one lemon and drink.

4. Removes Parasites. Hopefully you'll never have to use this trick, but if you do, combine equal parts honey, vinegar and water and drink. The combination of these three ingredients is the perfect parasite killer.

In the beauty department, honey does 5 more things:

5. Moisturizes Dry Skin. Treat dry areas (elbows, heels, lips, or hands, for instance) to a honey rub. Massage it into your dry, patchy skin and let it sit for about 30 minutes before washing off. It's the best lip balm by the way!

6. Conditions Damaged Hair. Add a teaspoon of honey to your regular shampoo. CARE2 says you can also combine it with olive oil for a deeper conditioning. Let it soak for 20 minutes with your hair wrapped in a towel before shampooing as usual.

7. Makes for an Amazing Bath. Relax with this soothing recipe: 2 tablespoons honey + 1 cup of hot water; let dissolve for about 10 minutes. Add 2 or 3 drops of lavender or jasmine essential oil and mix well. Slowly pour this mixture under the faucet as you're filling your bath. Divine!

8. Removes Acne. CARE2 says stubborn acne really benefits from a small daily dab of honey. Place a band-aid over the pimple, and take it off 30 minutes later.

9. Provides the Perfect Facial. This facial is softening and healing. Troubled skin loves the antiseptic properties of honey. Just combine 2 teaspoons of milk with 2 tablespoons of honey. Cover face with mixture and let it sit for 10 minutes before washing off.

Finally, from the food department, honey does at least 3 more things:

10. Boosts Your Energy. Think seriously about replacing your daily cup of coffee with a cup of herbed or green tea. Mix in a tablespoon or so of honey and you have a true energy enhancer (with some nutrition combined).

11. Substitutes for Sugar in Baking. CARE2 says that for every cup of sugar a recipe calls for, replace it with 3/4 cup of honey. For best results, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and reduce another liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup. Also, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

12. Infuses Beautifully. Honey accepts flavorings well - consider ginger lime honey or vanilla honey, for instance. There's no specific recipe, just add flavors to taste. For the ginger-lime honey, grate or zest the ginger and lime, adding a tiny amount at a time until you reach the flavor desired.