For the past couple years, Radisson Blu Mall of America has partnered with the University of Minnesota’s Bee Squad to host thousands of honeybees up on its rooftop. In exchange for supporting the area’s bee population, the hotel gets to keep any extra honey produced. The sweet stuff gets put to good use at FireLake in such dishes as the honey-glazed pork chop and the can’t-resist popovers with honey butter as well as creative cocktails like the Bee’s Knees and the Calhoun Loon.
Recently, the in-house Solimar Spa started using honey-infused products from Minneapolis skin-care company Worker B in its treatments. Our pick? The Sweet Honey Facial. A quick primer on the health benefits of raw honey: Packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients (read: antiaging), it nourishes skin, helps heal wounds and fends off bacteria.
Photography provided by Radisson Blu Mall of America
An Eminence devotee, I wasn’t sure how my finicky skin would respond — but I was definitely intrigued by the idea of using raw, local honey to ease allergies and sensitivities. Although the treatment is customized for each client, it goes a little something like this: It begins with an exfoliating raw-honey wash followed by a balancing peel. Next comes the soothing, hydrating honey mask. And finally there’s an application of moisturizer and SPF so you can show your pretty face out in public again. All told, it’s an utterly relaxing and rejuvenating experience.
The ultimate verdict, though, would come from my skin. Would my rosacea resurface? Would a breakout ensue? Immediately post-facial, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my skin looked happy as can be. And the next day, the positive results continued. I was so impressed, in fact, that I have since added Worker B products to my regular skin-care regimen. My picks: the cream (ideal for super sensitive skin with just two ingredients: organic olive oil and beeswax), the Dawn Serum (a perfect daily primer chock-full of vitamins) and the Dusk Serum (a super rich formula that repairs skin and regenerates cells overnight). It doesn’t get much sweeter than that.
