Here’s Why You Want Manuka Honey in Your Skincare

The bees give us so much. They pollinate pretty flowers, help our fruits and veggies grow, give us wax for candles, and – perhaps best of all – offer up that sweet, sweet honey. It’s a yummy way to make your tea taste butter, or it can add a bit of light flavor to your toast, but honey is also an incredible skincare ingredient.

Today we’re singing (or should we say buzzing) the praises of this golden goodness. Specifically, we’re discussing a special type of honey called manuka honey. We’ll explore how this differs from “regular” honey and share a handful of our fave skincare products that put this natural ingredient front and center.

Manuka Honey vs. “Regular” Honey

From your backyard to across the world, honey is made by bees all over the globe. Manuka honey, however, comes from the mānuka tree, which is typically found in New Zealand, where it blossoms beautifully in the spring. All these different types of honey can present different characteristics and benefits, and that’s definitely the case with manuka honey.

While all honey has some antibacterial properties, scientific research has found that manuka honey tends to have higher levels of antibacterial activity when compared to other types of honey. It also still boasts the skincare benefits of honey we know and love, including soothing your skin via anti-inflammation properties. It also delivers a boost of hydration since it’s a natural humectant. (Psst: That means it draws moisture from the air to your skin!)

The best part is that honey is approved for all skin types, including those with sensitive, oily, dry, acne-prone, or balanced skin.

5 of Our Fave Manuka Honey Skincare Products

From the buzzing bees to the flowers to your sweet face, these are some of our favorite skincare products formulated with manuka honey.

Wishful Honey Whip Peptide Moisturizer, $43

This delicately whipped facial cream is loaded up with so much goodness, including manuka honey (obvs) to intensely moisturize, soothe, and calm, peptides to help your skin look and feel firmer and more youthful, and collagen to reinforce the skin barrier. It’s approved for normal, dry, combo, and oily skin types, and the light as air formula sinks in fast, so it never feels heavy or sticky. It’s literally THAT moisturizer!

Naturopathica Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm, $64

One of Naturopathica’s top sellers, this Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm combines the luxurious slip of an oil-based cleanser and fuses it with potent manuka honey. The result is skin that doesn’t feel tight or itchy after washing it (the worst!) but is instead perfectly balanced and soft. It also nixes every last trace of makeup, including the stubborn waterproof stuff.

Innisfree My Real Squeeze Sheet Mask in Manuka Honey, $1.80

Stock your vanity, travel bag, and nightstand with these manuka sheet masks from Innisfree. They’re a nice treat after a plane ride when your skin is super thirsty, before heading to bed, or whenever you’re in the mood to give your skin some extra TLC. It’s meant to be worn for about 15 to 20 minutes after cleansing and toning.

Manuka Honey Beauty Mask, $64

Delightfully gooey, Savor Beauty’s all-natural Manuka Honey Mask combines manuka honey with organic papaya extract and rice bran to gently exfoliate, boost cell regeneration, soothe, and moisturize. It helps skin look smoother, brighter, and clearer.

Shen Manuka Honey Skin Remedy, $59

If you’re looking for the pure stuff, this is where it’s at. Shen’s Manuka Honey Skin Remedy has one ingredient and one ingredient only. Yep, it’s manuka honey! That makes it a truly versatile product that can help with anything from chapped lips to irritated skin to a rogue blemish that’s made a rude appearance. Simply apply the product with your fingertips or a cotton swab, and you’re good to go.

Which of the above manuka honey skincare products speak to you most of all? Are there any you’ve already tried? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!