Manuka Honey

When I was working in a health food store a few years ago, Manuka Honey started appearing on the shelves all of a sudden. As part of our training, we had to read up and study the facts about the products we were selling, and so I came to know all about this honey and its amazing properties.

So, how does Manuka honey differ to regular honey?
Manuka Honey comes from a strain of the New Zealand Manuka bush, containing an extremely powerful antibacterial activity that is much stronger than other types of honey. This delicious tasting dark coloured honey has become known worldwide for its anti bacterial healing powers and its high antioxidant nature. In parts of the world it is even used in hospitals to help wounds heal faster. When you see it in stores, you will notice different UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) strengths. The higher the strength, the higher the antibacterial properties.

Why is this honey is so great for the health of our skin?
Used topically, this honey will help to keep your complexion clear and bright and even out skin-tone over time. As honey is also extremely soothing for the skin, you will instantly notice how soft and smooth your skin feels after using it.
Because of its high anti-bacterial factor, Manuka Honey is great if you suffer from blemishes or psoriasis. It will help to calm down any redness, lumps or bumps, and will also get to work on any acne scars or hyper-pigmentation.
Regular honey is also great and soothing for the skin, but if you want that bit extra, Manuka Honey is your best friend because of all the uniquely amazing qualities listed above!

As a facial mask:
What you will need:

• Manuka Honey. (I usually use one with a strength of UMF 10+)
• A clean teaspoon.
• A soft clean makeup/paint brush. (optional)
• An old t-shirt. (incase of drips!)

Here are the steps:

• Make sure your hair is pulled back from your face. A showercap is ideal as there's nothing worse than getting honey stuck in your hair!
• Cleanse face. I like to do a double cleanse to make sure my skin is completely clean and bare. Pat skin with towel, leaving a small bit of moisture on the skin. The honey will lock in this moisture as well as getting to work on your face.
• Get some honey onto your teaspoon. Dip your brush in and paint it on to your face! Alternatively, you can dip clean fingers into the teaspoon and apply to the skin, gently massaging it in. Leave on for 30 mins.
• While honey is gentle enough for using under the eye, I avoid this area as washing this type of honey off takes a bit of effort, and this area of our face is so delicate.
• Gently wash the honey off of your face with water. It will take a few minutes but don't be tempted to rush it as you don't want to pull and tug your skin too much.

Give this mask a go and see if you like the way your skin feels afterwards! You will find that the smoothing effect is instant. In terms of blemishes and skintone, give it a few tries to see the results. This mask is gentle enough to use everyday but I think it's just as effective to use it once or twice a week.

So it's a great addition to a skincare regime, but can it be used in other ways?
Yes it can! Manuka honey is also effective for the treatment of gastric ulcers, gastritis and other digestive problems, due to its anti-inflammatory and probiotic properties.
These antibiotic, anti fungal and antiviral properties also make Manuka honey really effective for sore throats, colds, sinusitis, acid reflux and heartburn, etc.
If you are suffering from any of the above ailments, try eating a teaspoon of this honey twice a day.
When I was working in the health food store, a customer once came in and told me about his son who suffered from a very weak immune system. He was always picking up colds and sore throats, but when they started to give him two spoons of Manuka honey a day, he wasn't picking up any colds or anything like that any more. It was the first time I had heard of this honey working internally like that and was astonished to learn it could work so powerfully!
It also works great for burns or cuts. Simply cleanse the area, apply a small amount of Manuka honey over the area and cover with a band-aid, changing the dressing twice a day.

The one obvious downside to this honey is that it can retail at a high price. You will see that the UMF ranges anywhere from 5UMF to 22UMF. I don't really think there's a need to go to the highest factors so I generally buy the UMF 10, which retails at around €17.99. Or if I have a little more money at the time I will go for the UMF 15, which retails at around €23.75. Even a small jar will last you a long time as a little goes a long way. You can shop around to see what stores around you/online stores have the best deals. I generally find that Evergreen usually has the best prices, but if you've sourced yours for cheaper, please leave this in the comments below!

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