Unique Mānuka Honey
Top 3 Mānuka Must-Knows
At Au Natural Skinfood, we use nature’s superfood, mānuka honey, as a hero ingredient in our formulations.
1. Mānuka honey is used worldwide for natural wound care because it’s antibacterial, and clinically proven to heal the skin.
2. This honey is both safe to eat and to put on your skin.
3. Working as a humectant, mānuka honey draws vital moisture into the skin, hydrating, rejuvenating and restoring it’s natural glow.
Mānuka and your microbiome
Skin Renewal
As we age, our skin’s cell renewal process slows down and becomes less efficient. Mānuka honey micro-exfoliates the skin, while encouraging cell regeneration. This brings blood to the surface of our skin, stimulating collagen production.
Your Skin’s Microbiome
Mānuka honey helps to keep your skin’s microbiome balanced. Because the honey has hydrating, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, bad bacteria are eliminated, and good bacteria are multiplied. Having a healthy microbiome helps your skin to fight external pollutants and slow down the signs of ageing.
What makes mānuka honey special?
All honey has antimicrobial activity, derived from several factors including its high sugar content, lower water content, low acidity, the presence of Hydrogen Peroxide and the presence of phytochemicals.
Hydrogen Peroxide is however affected by heat, light, time and commercial processing. Mānuka honey uniquely contains a natural activity, Methylglyoxal (MG), which displays significantly higher antibacterial effects than Hydrogen Peroxide.
In vitro studies show Mānuka honey exhibits ‘broad-spectrum’ antimicrobial activity, being able to act upon more than 80 species of pathogen, including antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’, such as MRSA.
The right type of mānuka honey
Not all mānuka honey is equal. Some are more effective than others, and product labelling can be confusing or misleading. Mānuka honey needs special non-peroxide antibacterial activity to be effective.
What is UMF Manuka Honey Rating?
UMF stands for ‘Unique Manuka Factor’. The UMF number indicates the level of the unique Manuka properties within the honey – the higher the number, the purer the honey. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is one of the four unique signature compounds measured in the UMF testing process. UMF also tracks key signature markers: Leptosperin , DHA as well as HMF.
Our independent scientific research shows that 16+ Active Manuka Honey enhances skin cell renewal by more than 80% compared to other natural skincare products. For further information on the UMF grading system and NZ Honey Association go to www.umf.org.nz.