Honey, one of nature’s most amazing and delicious substances, has been used to dress wounds, soothe rashes, and moisturize weathered, sun-damaged skin for centuries. And though this household staple probably finds its way into your tea more often than it does your skincare regimen, honey’s topical benefits are not just old wives’ tales, both time and science have proven their efficacy. Turns out the wise old wives were right, honey not only boasts both antioxidants and antibacterial properties, but acts as a natural humectant, trapping skin’s moisture within.
Not surprisingly, spas and skincare lines have caught on, and honey-based treatments and products are turning up in spas and apothecaries from New York to New Zealand. Anxious to see what all the buzz was about, I booked a Manuka Honey Body Wrap and a Signature Biltmore Facial at the Spa at Biltmore Village in Asheville, North Carolina. Though I imagined I’d be slathered nose to toes in a sweet, thick, sticky mess, the honey was so well incorporated into the products that stickiness wasn’t a factor. The facial used Comfort Zone’s Hydra Memory Concentrate, which employs honey and hibiscus with mineral salts to restore and deeply hydrate skin. Delicately scented, it was just what my weary, winter-dry skin needed. The subsequent body wrap began with a light body brushing followed by a blend of Manuka honey with shea butter, which was generously slathered on my limbs, chest, and back. The concoction was neither sticky nor greasy, just pleasantly creamy. As I dozed in and out of consciousness, the therapist gave my tired feet a good rub with peppermint- and menthol-spiked cream. My grateful skin soaked up the nourishing products, leaving me soft, smooth, and smelling sweet.
While it makes sense that honey is moisturizing and soothing to the skin, science tells us that honey is also incredibly healing. It contains naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide to combat bacteria, making it effective in treating and protecting damaged skin. And, thanks to its sweet constitution, honey provides white blood cells with the glucose necessary to fight infection. Honey also contains polyphenols, powerful antioxidants, helping to further cleanse and detoxify skin cells, as well as trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, depending on the variety of flower it is derived from. Finally, its humectant properties actually attract moisture to the skin, leaving it hydrated and supple.
Though all honey has anti-bacterial properties, honey derived from the Manuka bush, native to Australia and New Zealand, contains a non-peroxide bio-active molecule that is even more effective in inhibiting the growth of bacteria. This molecule has also been proven to provide high levels of natural sun protection. Interestingly, the presence and quantity of this molecule varies, and as a result, honey researchers at Waikato University in New Zealand have developed a rating, the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF), to measure a product’s potency. Honey-based products with a rating of UMF +10 or higher are considered to be most therapeutic for skin problems. To date, the highest UMF factor available is 18. This Ëœactive’ Manuka honey has proven to be effective in combating the bacteria associated with stomach ulcers, skin infections, acne, and much more. Hospitals and clinics Down Under have even begun using active Manuka honey in treating wounds and skin infections. Today, many natural foods grocers carry Manuka honey for both internal and topical use.
Specialty lines like Plantogen have incorporated active Manuka honey (UMF +10) into their skincare. By blending honey with other natural products like green tea, herbs, vitamins, and nut oils, Plantogen’s Hydrating Moisturizer and Purifying Cream Cleanser provides a nutritious healing boost to the skin. Bella Lucce, a skincare line featuring good-enough-to-eat ingredients from all over the world, offers the Manuka Honey Drizzle, which adds citrus extracts and essential oils to a honey based bath soak to restore and soften skin. And New Zealand-based Evolu skincare uses Manuka honey in their Healing Lip Treatment w/SPF 15. The combination fuses nourishing honey and vitamin E with the antioxidant and antiseptic properties of rosemary and thyme essential oils to provide sweet protection for lips.
In the spa realm, this decadent ingredient is popping up on menus from coast to coast. The aptly named Milk + Honey Day Spa in Austin, Texas, offers a host of honey-based treatments including The Spa Partisan; an exfoliating coffee, sugar, almond, and honey scrub followed by steam and full body massage, as well as a Thai Body Polish, which brings honey, dried herbs, and poppy seeds together for an invigorating scrub with a steam bath, shower, and a final application of sesame oil. Among La Posada de Santa Fe’s signature southwestern services is a Honey-Mesquite Wrap, while Hawaii’s Mauna Lani Spa blends honey with carrot, lemon, clove, and vanilla in their Body Smoothie. Yum!
While all honey may not be created equal, its universal appeal and time-tested benefits have certainly helped it make the leap from kitchen pantry to bath vanity. And given its appropriateness for all skin types, honey may well become as much a staple of the spa menu as it is of the grocery list.
At Home Recipe
Adapted from The Worldwide Gourmet Honey Moisture Mask
Mix:
2 tbs. honey (Manuka if available)
2 tbs. sweet almond oil
5 drops rose essential oil
1 drop vitamin E oil
Preparation
Wash your face with lukewarm water. Apply hot towels or direct steam to open pores and prepare skin. Massage honey mask onto face and neck using circular motions with your fingertips. Leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse or wipe clean with a damp cloth to reveal a fresh, conditioned complexion.
Products to tempt your sweet tooth Bella Lucce
Silk & Honey Lotion
Manuka Honey Drizzle
(800) 485-3079
www.bellalucce.com
Benefit Cosmetics
Honey Snap out of It Scrub
(800) 781-2336
www.benefitcosmetics.com
Evolu skincare
Healing Lip Treatment with SPF 15
www.evolu.com
The Healing Garden Organics Wild Honey Collection
Includes body lotion, mist, body scrub, body wash and soap
www.healinggarden.com
Nuxe Paris
Reve de Miel Care (Honey Dream Care) line
Includes Ultra Comfortable Face Cream, Hand and Nail Cream, and Family Balm
www.nuxe.com
Comfort Zone Cosmetics
HydraMemory Concentrate
www.comfortzone-it.com
Plantogen
Hydrating Moisturizer and Purifying Cream Cleanser
(800) 851-6533
www.plantogen.com
Sweet Treatments
Mauna Lani Spa
Mauna Lani, HI
Body Smoothie
(808) 881-7922
www.maunalani.com
La Posada de Santa Fe
Santa Fe, NM
Honey-Mesquite Wrap
(866) 331-ROCK
www.laposada.rockresorts.com
The Spa at Biltmore Village
Asheville, NC
Manuka Honey Body Wrap
Signature Biltmore Facial
(828) 277-2639
www.spaatbiltmorevillage.com
Milk + Honey Day Spa
Austin, TX
The Spa Partisan
(512) 236-1115
www.milkandhoneyspa.com
By Tanya M. Williams
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