Have you ever wondered if you have a household ingredient that can purify your skin?
Take a look in your pantry, because chances are you have a honey jar somewhere—and it’s the hottest new ingredient in skin care.
Unfortunately, it may be better to invest in a product that actually contains honey, rather than slathering it on your face in its pure form.
Below, FEMAIL highlights some of the honey products making the biggest waves right now and explains what exactly the sweet stuff does.
FEMAIL highlights some of the honey products making the biggest waves right now and explains exactly what the sweet stuff does (stock image)
Holistic skincare brand Naturopathica offers all kinds of manuka honey products, from body scrubs to facial lotions
Honey is not just for your tea anymore: it is the new favorite ingredient in skin care. But it is no ordinary darling. A highlight is manuka honey, made in Australia and New Zealand and said to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
However, not all manuka is created equal. Its antibacterial quality depends on the type of honey and how it is harvested – and some are up to 100 times more powerful, according to researchers. WebMD.
Holistic skincare brand Naturopathica offers all kinds of manuka honey products, from a balancing lavender and honey mist ($40) that promises to balance and hydrate skin for a dewy glow and gets rave reviews from people who use it as a spritz to rehydrate all day long, to a manuka body scrub that nourishes dry skin ($48).
Naturopathica’s head of product development and innovation, Kristen Sgarlato, based in New York, explained that the brand chose manuka honey for its “effectiveness.”
Kristen told FEMAIL: ‘Not only does it have antimicrobial properties due to the naturally occurring methylglyoxal – or MGO – but its antioxidant and moisturizing nature also makes it ideal for many skin types and concerns.’
Kristen explained that the high MGO content, which is created when the bees that make the honey use a unique New Zealand flower source, sets manuka apart from wildflowers or other types of honey.
Naturopathica puts honey in skin care and body products, explaining that thanks to its humectant properties, the ingredient “effectively draws moisture from the air and draws it to the skin, maintaining long-lasting hydration.”
The natural beauty brand sources its manuka honey from New Zealand beekeepers registered with the official UMF Honey Association.
Naturopathica puts honey in skin care and body products, explaining that, thanks to its humectant properties, the ingredient “effectively draws moisture from the air and draws it to the skin.”
Abena Antwi, a cosmetic chemist and product designer for Burt’s Bees, told FEMAIL: ‘Honey is a natural antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory ingredient’
Burt’s Bees uses fermented honey and the price points are extremely accessible, with the Fermented Honey Gel Cleanser retailing for $15.99 and the Fermented Honey Cleansing Balm for $18.99.
Abena Antwi, a cosmetic chemist and product designer for Burt’s Bees, told FEMAIL: ‘Honey is a natural antibacterial, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory ingredient that also serves as a moisturizing, natural exfoliant on the skin.’
The brand’s first honey productThey’re made with leftover beeswax from Burt’s beehives, but now they use “more than 1,000 ingredients from more than 100 countries.”
“We are investing in traceable, transparent and resilient supply chains to support the livelihoods of people in the communities that nurture, harvest and process nature’s best skincare ingredients,” Abena, who has been developing products for the company for more than 15 years, promises.
Although different from manuka, fermented honey is just as useful.
According to Abena, the The fermentation process “creates new blends of nutrients that benefit the skin – including a prebiotic and postbiotic blend that keeps skin looking and feeling healthy while nourishing its moisture barrier.”
New Zealander Gabrielle Mirkin worked as senior art director at Vogue before co-founding Activist with her husband Luke Harwood
The brand offers a clean beauty kit ($125) that includes the cult-favorite manuka honey mask, which can reduce the appearance of scars and acne.
Activist is a favorite ingredient among natural beauty gurus who swear by its moisturizing benefits
New Zealander Gabrielle Mirkin worked as senior art director at Vogue before co-founding Activist with her husband Luke Harwood.
The brand offers a clean beauty kit ($125) with the cult-favorite manuka honey mask and green botanical serum, which are hydrating and can reduce the appearance of scars and acne.
The manuka mask quickly became a cult classic, loved by estheticians and clean beauty experts.
Cosmetic chemist Sanley Jeannewho works at KKT Innovation Labs, explained the differences between a regular bottle of manuka honey and the more expensive stuff used in skin care.
“Raw manuka honey is the unprocessed form that comes directly from bee colonies, while the manuka honey used in personal care products goes through a series of processes to remove impurities,” Sanley told FEMAIL.
“Manuka honey is a great ingredient to use because there is documented data on its antimicrobial properties and ability to promote wound healing,” Sanley enthused, adding that it also helps with oral care.
And there is a big difference between types of honey. “Manuka honey and fermented honey are biologically different and perform differently on the skin,” Sanley said.
“Depending on how the honey is fermented, it can improve your skincare routine by strengthening your skin barrier, helping the skin’s microbiome recover faster after washing, or reducing sebum production for oily skin,” Sanley explains.