The skincare benefits of mānuka honey

Mānuka honey is not like any other honey. Unique to New Zealand, mānuka honey is a hero ingredient in several Antipodes products, like Aura Gold Mānuka Honey Radiance Mask and the classic Aura Mānuka Honey Mask – with one sold every 15 minutes worldwide!

The mānuka shrub grows in remote spots all over New Zealand. It’s a tough little plant that’s built to handle our unique climate – strong winds and even stronger UV rays. The plant has evolved to be self-sustaining and defend itself against harsh conditions, meaning it has incredible antibacterial and antimicrobial resistance. For centuries, Māori have used the mānuka shrub for its medicinal properties – and when bees forage nectar from this remarkable plant, those same benefits show up in the honey too.

Known as a superfood and nicknamed the ‘liquid gold of New Zealand’, mānuka honey boasts unique therapeutic properties, thanks to its high levels of methylglyoxal (MGO). Mānuka honey offers a combination of skincare benefits:

INTENSE HYDRATION

A natural humectant, mānuka honey draws moisture into the skin and holds it there, making it ideal for replenishing dehydrated skin.

ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES

MGO has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that soothe irritation and target blemishes, leaving you with balanced and glowing skin.

CLEANSING AND EXFOLIATION

Mānuka honey helps to exfoliate the surface, scrubbing away dead skin cells and unclogging pores, revealing a smooth, clear complexion.

REGENERATION AND REPAIR

Mānuka honey supports the skin’s natural healing process, making it perfect for redness and dryness.

ANTIOXIDANT PROTECTION

Mānuka honey also shields the skin from free radicals, reduces visible signs of aging, and restores a radiant, healthy complexion.

Mānuka flowers only bloom for a few weeks a year, and each flower only stays open for around five days, so bees have a small window to gather the nectar. That short blooming period is part of what makes mānuka honey so special and rare. Also, manuka isn’t a bee’s first choice of nectar – the flowers are small and difficult to harvest nectar from, unlike clover, which is an easy choice!  That’s why the plant releases a pheromone to make it more attractive to bees – nature is endlessly fascinating!

To guarantee a harvest of highly potent manuka honey, hives are placed in remote terrain amongst abundant mānuka bushland. The harvesting window is very short, to ensure the honey collected during this time is authentic mānuka, then scientifically tested to prove its potency. Mānuka honey must undergo strict laboratory testing. To claim ‘mānuka honey’ status, testing must show MGO levels above 80. The mānuka honey in the latest batch of Aura Gold Mānuka Honey Radiance Mask has been independently tested to show an MGO rating of 383!

IN SKINCARE PRODUCTS

At Antipodes, we incorporate mānuka honey into treatments such as the Aura Mānuka Honey Mask, Avocado Pear Collagen-Boosting Night cream, and Baptise Hyaluronic H₂O Ultra-Hydrating Water Gel

SPOT TREATMENT FOR BLEMISHES

Mānuka honey’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it a wonderful spot treatment – our customers use both our Aura masks for this very purpose!

DIRECT APPLICATION

When used pure, it transforms into a reparative and hydrating mask, ideal for deeply nourishing the skin.

EAT IT

Raw mānuka honey is a superfood with incredible health benefits. Add to your smoothies, salad dressings or try a teaspoon on its own. It’s best consumed raw (not in boiling hot drinks) to ensure its potency.