Manuka Honey for Acne – does it work?

Acne is often the skin’s reaction to factors such as stress, poor diet and hormonal changes. According to Health Engine, it is estimated that 95-100% of 16-17-year-old boys and 83-85% of 16-17-year-old girls are affected by acne in Australia.

While there are many medical products on the market to treat acne, Manuka honey may be an effective natural remedy for teenage skin.

Along with other types of honey, people have used Manuka honey for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. So, we thought we’d give it a go!

We started using AB’s Honey Manuka Honey on a family member’s face who suffers from occasional teenage acne. She used AB’s 900 Manuka Honey daily as a cleanser as well as a spot treatment on any pimples that appeared over a period of one month as a trial.

What we saw…

• Improvements to the skin’s appearance after just one week
• Visibly reduced pimples and redness after just one week
• Skin was more moisturised and not so oily
• A happy teenager!

We all know Manuka honey has long been touted as a super-honey, and for good reason. Our family member swears she won’t use anything else!

How to use Manuka honey for acne

People can use 900+ Manuka honey for acne in many ways, including as previously mentioned:

As a spot treatment

Try dabbing a small amount of 900+ Manuka honey on a pimple and leaving it on to dry.

As a cleanser

Massaging a pea-sized amount of  MGO 900+ Manuka honey into the skin for a minute and then rinsing it off can help cleanse the face.

As a mask

We’ve come up with a few DIY face masks to try…

DIY Manuka Honey Face Masks

1. Manuka Honey Face Mask

Ingredients:

• AB’s MGO 900+ Manuka Honey

Method:

1. Just lather your face in AB’s Honey Manuka Honey, sit back and relax for 30 minutes
2. Rinse off with warm water

2. Manuka Honey & Banana Face Mask

Ingredients:

• ½ banana
• 2 tablespoons AB’s Honey 900+ MGO Manuka Honey
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Peel the banana, put in a bowl and mash up
2. Add the AB’s Honey Manuka Honey and cinnamon and then mix together
3. Apply to face and leave for about 15 minutes and then wash off with warm water

3. Manuka Honey & Green Tea Face Mask

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of Matcha Green tea powder
• 2 tablespoons AB’s 900+MGO Manuka Honey
• Water – add one teaspoon to check consistency. Add if required.

Method:

1. Mix together the AB’s Honey Manuka Honey and green tea. Add water if the paste is too thick.
2. Leave on for 15-20 minutes and the wash off with warm water

If you decide to use Manuka honey, start with a good-quality product. AB’s real raw Manuka Honey is available in four strengths* with 900+ methylglyoxal being the highest. Available strengths are 900+ mgo, 500+mgo, 100+ mgo, and 30+mgo.