Manuka honey UMF 20+ for skin - my experiment
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free skin care · Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:51 pm

Hi folks

I've just bought the most expensive jar of honey ever! $40 for 250gms! But hopefully it will be worth it.

I will be using it diluted on the skin as a pimple/pore treatment and I'm hoping it will give much better results than the product which inspired my experiment - the Best Bath Store acne serum.

Some background on manuka honey -
Not all honey is created equal, especially processed multiflora honey which is basically pure sugar. Manuka honey is known for its strong antibacterial properties, and sterile wound dressing made from pure manuka honey has a Unique Manuka Factor of only 18+, so edible UMF 20+ honey would have similar properties.

The highest UMF rating is 30+, which is almost $60 for 250gms! I would have got the UMF 30+ but it is very difficult to get a hold of even in New Zealand - country of origin.

Has anyone else had positive experiences of using high UMF active manuka honey as part of a skincare routine?

free skin care · Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:07 pm

Manuka honey with a UMF rating is why I tried (and currently use) BBS's acne serum. (In fact, I inquired about it on this forum somewhere and mentioned how I wish I could put this honey on my face at night but couldn't b/c of it being so sticky. It was manslayerliz that brought BBS's serum to my attention and I'm so glad she did!).

Keep us updated on your experiment. I've also considered ordering some to try it too but just haven't yet. Which site did you order it from?

free skin care · Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:43 pm

we have UMF20 (or maybe higher) at our house.

I use it in my lip scrub and sometimes in a mask with yoghurt (helps the yoghurt to stick). I have used it on a zit in the past and I think it worked good.. but to be honest I rarely get a true problem pimple nowadays (finally, thank goodness)

But of course we actually bought it in case we get sick or it is also supposed to be good if you have an upset stomach (though have never tried that)

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:56 am

It is good for infections so should work well.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:10 am

Keep us posted on the results Very Happy

.

I wonder how it compares to medi-honey which is used in the hospitals.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:42 am

I always have a jar of Manuka Honey in the cupboard but to be honest I always eat mine, it is fantastic for IBS to soothe the stomack, I normally have a tsp a day.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:17 am

miranets it is good to see that you are doing another experiment! I had never heard of this stuff until I read about the acne serum you mention. I have been doing some research seeing who sells it and what UMF factors are available. So once again I am very interested to see how an experiment of yours goes.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:25 am

I love this stuff too and often put it in my morning smoothie, even though it's hellishly expensive.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:46 am

I am very interested in your Manuka honey experiment. Please let us know how it goes.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:47 am

Rosebud and Appletini, what does the Manuka honey taste like?

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:57 am

Ok, obviously I am not either of the girls above Laughing

but the one i have is not sweet at all (well, a little) and it is not runny like normal honey. Oh and the bottle says not to put it on toast as heating it up ruins some fo the actives.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:01 am

tiger_tim wrote:

Ok, obviously I am not either of the girls above Laughing

but the one i have is not sweet at all (well, a little) and it is not runny like normal honey. Oh and the bottle says not to put it on toast as heating it up ruins some fo the actives.

Thanks Tiger_tim!

For some reason, I imagine that it's a little bitter; is it? Or does it taste like regular honey, just not as sweet?

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:40 am

Tam, in the name of research, I just went and had a spoon of mine Laughing

(OK, well I have the start of a cold, so I needed it)

I take it back.. it is sweet, but there is a smokey, slightly bitter taste that follows after. It has a consistency of a smooth creamed honey...feels like a paste. Ours is UMF 20+ which I think was the highest they had in the shop (I paid AU$30 or $35 for it from memory). They have a really long shelf life, about 2 years on mine from when I bought it.

Oh, and I think I remember being told not to store in the fridge.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:43 am

tiger_tim wrote:

Tam, in the name of research, I just went and had a spoon of mine Laughing

(OK, well I have the start of a cold, so I needed it)

I take it back.. it is sweet, but there is a smokey, slightly bitter taste that follows after. It has a consistency of a smooth creamed honey...feels like a paste. Ours is UMF 20+ which I think was the highest they had in the shop (I paid AU$30 or $35 for it from memory). They have a really long shelf life, about 2 years on mine from when I bought it.

Oh, and I think I remember being told not to store in the fridge.

Tiger_tim, I appreciate your venture into product research. Laughing

I've had Manuka honey on my DIY list forever; I just wish that it was easier to find.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:50 am

well, I would think that some of the online pharmacies in Australia would sell it and the tax discount of 10% would help with the shipping - not to mention their pricing would be cheaper than USA. I would put it off until April though, as you would not want it shipped in the heat of Aussie summer.

If you dont find it by June, I would be happy to pick some up for you while I am home.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:14 am

tiger_tim wrote:

well, I would think that some of the online pharmacies in Australia would sell it and the tax discount of 10% would help with the shipping - not to mention their pricing would be cheaper than USA. I would put it off until April though, as you would not want it shipped in the heat of Aussie summer.

If you dont find it by June, I would be happy to pick some up for you while I am home.

That is such a sweet and generous offer! Thank you!

I'm going to try to order some before then, but if it doesn't work out, I may take you up on your offer. Very Happy

And thanks for the tip about not ordering until April -- good to know! Smile

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:35 am

Manuka tastes lovely, it is sweet just not as sweet as regular honey, I get the active 10+ as it only costs £5 from the local supermarket (Tesco).

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:21 pm

That's a pretty reasonable price. I hope to find some online soon.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:51 pm

Thanks for all the comments guys!

The brand I ordered was Comvita, they are one of the biggest international suppliers of good quality bee products. I believe they are the only company that produce UMF 25+ and 30+ grades. Perhaps if you contact Comvita directly, they can give you some overseas suppliers, or simply just google 'umf 20+/25+' etc

I came across an article about using high potency manuka honey being good for gastrointestinal bacteria (despite the high sugar content) and I think it would be really good to use in conjunction of some sort of probiotic supplement to rebuild intestinal flora as well.

Anyhow, back to the subject of vanity - my results of using manuka honey overnight --

I had used diluted honey on top of my regular Zenbiotic products (toner, oxygen replenish, phyto moisturiser) and I also did a Dr H clay mask and exfoliated with the honey. I dilute the honey by mixing a dab in the Zenbiotic toner and mixing in my hands - honey emulsifies with water VERY well.

Firstly, I experienced the slightest tingling sensation, most likely because I had just scrubbed my face anyway. I also used the diluted honey on a few out of character spots on my upper arms and my entire chest area.

The main thing I was worried about was the stickiness (which had been an issue with the BBS serum) but it did not dry taut or feel heavy at all. I know that using sugars (similar to glycerine) diluted in water can be very moisturising, but I really didn't think it made my skin feel awkward.

So after washing my face tonight, I really felt a difference in the softness of my skin. Yes, I had just done a mask and scrub the night before, but it NEVER feels so smooth and soft, normally it just feels slightly smoother but not soft, you can still feel whatever tiny bumps there are.

Basically, many of the small comodones on my skin had disappeared, but the larger spots and milia like blocked pores still remain (something that takes time to clear up anyway). I also noticed upon touching the chest area, there were lots of loose sebum plugs.

So in conclusion for the first day, with the help of a nice clay mask and scrub, the effects of using honey is enhanced because it can penetrate clean skin deeper - otherwise it seems like a wasted effort to use it on layers of dead skin.

I have also spot treated several places with neat honey, we shall see the results tomorrow.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:00 pm

Good update miranets!

I will add:

- Comvita is the brand I have too, so I'll second the recomendation for them.

- re the Dr. H mask thing.. did you exfoliate with the honey and then use the mask?

I have the Dr.H clay mask and originally I used to mix it using the Dr. H diluted steam bath concentrate (dont wanna waste that bit bowl of water and figured it would have to be better for the skin than plain old water Laughing

)

Then recently I hit on the idea of using a mixure of that steam-water and my Organic Pharmacy Collagen Boost mask to mix with the clay powder and the results were outstanding.

I think I will do a mask again tonight but will try mixing the mask using the manuka honey and then a bit of the steam-bath for consistency. why did I not think of that before?!

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:09 pm

Tiger tim -

I use the mask first because I always feel that there is excess clay that is impossible to rinse off (it's amazing to see how much excess sebum it soaks up when you see all the darkened little spots against the dry mask!!)

I used to use the steam concentrate to mix the mask as well, but it felt wasteful and did not achieve anymore significant results... so I use regular rose hydrosol which is astringent anyway.

I think your idea about mixing the honey would be great, because honey itself is a natural exfoliant and should dissolve dead skin cells if left on for long enough.

PS. something strange - my mum used to use pure honey as a substitute for eyelash dye to test her skills before doing a lash tint for her clients... and surprisingly the honey made my lashes grow (new hair growth, not just length) and the growth was permanent. I never tried again because it *really* hurts to get honey in your eyes.

free skin care · Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:57 pm

Miranets, thank you for sharing your results. It sounds like you've found a great addition to your skincare. Smile

Tomorrow, I will start my search for manuka honey. Very Happy

free skin care · Thu Feb 01, 2007 1:02 am

Wow, miranets, thanks for the update! I cannot believe that the honey isn't sticky, even when mixed with the Zenbiotic toner. I guess I should have just tried it a long time ago when I was wondering about manuka honey. Confused

But I have to admit the BBS serum has seemed to work well. But if this manuka honey works even better, then I'm going to have to try it!

I also am surprised to hear that honey would sting the eyes... I've never heard of that before.

Hope the honey keeps working wonders for you! (keep us updated! Wink

)

free skin care · Thu Feb 01, 2007 3:08 am

just an fyi re: manuka honey

manuka is a very close relative of melaleuca--i.e., tea tree, but it is about 20x stronger. which is why it has such amazing antiseptic/antibacterial properties...! Living Nature's products are all based on manuka honey, if you are interested. They work very well. But then again it seems as if it is very effective just used straight.

So regarding taste, smell, actions, etc. just think that the bees were working with a plant that closely resembles tea tree. Which is excellent, since honey already has antiseptic properties of its own. It's nice because honey is also a humectant, so it will not dry you out if used topically, as tea tree oil does...

--avalange

free skin care · Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:47 am

I am a true believer in honey products use for skin care!

I have not tried manuka honey yet, but i've already fallen in love with plain ol' honey (used to use Billy Bee just 'cause it was in my house) and I now use organic honey from a local bee farmer - and they work great, so I can't imagine how awesome manuka honey would be!

I use the honey as a base for a lot of my masks and I wash my face with it every morning (havn't tried spot treating with it though... i'm sure the manuka would be more effective there).

for me I have found that it helps to keep my skin clear, any blemishes I do get are a lot smaller and go away faster and my skin isn't as dry as it normally is this time of year (winter in Canada!)

can't wait to hear your results miranets!

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