Manuka honey……. Uh, seriously? Get ready to be amazed at this wonder honey!
Manuka honey is also known as “medical honey” due to it’s anti inflammatory qualities and infection fighting benefits. It is proven as an extremely effective treatment for acne as well as anti aging! I’m not sharing a recipe today containing manuka honey-my message is-Get it on your face-don’t dilute it. Straight manuka honey as a weekly mask will improve. your. skin. PERIOD.
A little background on manuka honey-
Manuka honey comes from New Zealand. Beekeepers set their hives close to the manuka plant, also known as melaleuca or tea tree! The bees pollinate the plants and thus produce manuka honey! Manuka honey is actually active-it’s alive. Not all jars of this magic are created equal though-manuka honey is rated and given a UMF (unique manuka factor) percentage. This is typically anywhere from 5%-20%. The higher the percent, the more alive the honey is. Maybe you’re wondering why you would want your honey to be active? The higher the activity, the stronger the antimicrobial quality is of this honey. Manuka honey will fight against the bacteria E. coli and Staph. plus other serious skin infections. Manuka honey is often used in the burn units of New Zealand hospitals.
What does any of this have to do with anti aging and acne??? Well, because this honey is naturally antimicrobial, it has the power to stimulate wound healing. It provides nutrients for cell metabolism and super fast tissue repair. It contains acid which helps to remove dead skin cells while stimulating new ones to form-this means NEW SKIN! Because manuka honey contains such powerful anti inflammatory properties, it is excellent for calming down acne and reducing irritation and redness. Inflammation is thought to be one of the biggest culprits in premature aging. If you can rid your products of inflammation causing ingredients such as parabens, mineral oils and fragrances, you are doing quite the service for your skin-BUT-if you could also apply a magical potion that could ward off inflammation from environment and food, wouldn’t that be a great idea??? You could greatly reduce the rate your skin ages!!!
Let me break the benefits down just in case the picture isn’t clear….
- Greatly reduces inflammation, which in turn slows down aging
- Anti bacterial as well as anti microbial-which means it fights infections a.k.a ACNE
- Calms skin and reduces redness
- Brightens skin
- Gently exfoliates
- Moisturizes
- Detoxifies
- Oxygenates
- Heals
Amazing. At the risk of sounding super stupid-Manuka honey is the bomb dot com. You can find Manuka honey at your health food store or online. I use THIS Manuka honey.
Ok, so lets talk about using it.
I suggest applying a tablespoon of the honey to your skin once a week. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes. It’s that simple. You can also cleanse your skin with it!! Go HERE for more info. on how that works.
Ingredients I like to add:
- Lemon Essential oil-brightens and further exfoliates and cleanses the skin-2-3 drops
- Cinnamon-boosts antioxidants (not the essential oil)-Just a couple shakes
- Coconut oil-boosts healing-1 tsp.
So, now you know-Manuka honey is an option to strongly consider if you are fighting acne and/or fighting aging!
Find it HERE.
xx, Jenni
Manuka honey is rated with the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) system, which indicates whether or not the honey is “active.” Honey that is tested and verified to have an antibacterial property level of 10 or more is given a UMF rating and is then called “active.”
For the most benefits, choose the highest number you can find. I picked up a jar that’s rated 16+. It’s not inexpensive, but you only use a tiny bit and the honey never spoils!
– See more at: https://www.dailybitesblog.com/2013/06/06/make-your-own-manuka-honey-face-mask/#sthash.vK7XFjfT.dpuf
