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In partnership with Mānuka Health..
Whether you’re coming down with a cold, have an angry pimple that’s about to form, a cut that is healing just a little too slowly, or infuriating allergies whenever the season changes, it’s not uncommon to be told to “reach for some honey.”
While we all happily take nature’s viscous gold without question, there’s actually a “bee-jillion” reasons honey is such a potent medicinal tool beyond its sweetening nature.
Recently, I joined the hive created by New Zealand-based brand Mānuka Health, who are bee-rilliantly (I’m sorry, I’ll stop) infusing the power of mānuka honey holistically into every product they formulate. From single-origin Rimunui Mānuka Honey with an MGO 862 to Bee Propolis + Vitamin C Serum, Mānuka Health’s products are a part of a larger collective of 200 humans working in harmony with 1.5 billion bees. More on that later.
I had the opportunity to incorporate their Eternal Renewal Regenerating Face Cream with Royal Jelly & Bee Venom into my skincare routine without getting stung while also feeling the profound benefits of mānuka honey from the inside out. I’m going to tell you everything, but for now, just know I’m beeming (I’m done, I swear).
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- Uses MGO 800+ Mānuka Honey, which is extremely potent for hydration and regeneration of the skin.
- Contains10 hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-H2DA), an essential unsaturated fatty acid, which has the capacity to stimulate collagen production.
- Combines bee venom, royal jelly, and mānuka honey for insanely synergistic, superpowered skin healing.
- Supports the skin’s natural barrier for diminished signs of aging (aka protects against external stressors).
- Brand uses sustainable harvesting and beekeeping practices to protect mānuka trees and honeybees.
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- At $140 a jar, the Eternal Renewal Regenerating Face Cream isn’t cheap, but—if you’re honey connoisseurs like we are—you’ll know that high-quality, bee-based products don’t come cheap because of the medicinal effect they have on the body. If you’re looking for a gentle, clean solution for effective anti-aging, we’re all in on this.
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Oh, Honey
I started to gab earlier about some general use cases where one might find themselves looking toward mānuka honey as the ultimate healing remedy. Let’s get a little stickier with the details.
Beyond what mānuka honey can do for the body, microbiome, and immune system, it has proven benefits for the skin specifically—whether you’re ingesting it or applying it topically. This is all because of MGO’s anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial effects.
Skin Bee-nefits
- Supports skin healing and repair: The anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of mānuka honey help to heal and soothe the skin from the inside out. It can aid the repair of damaged skin cells and reduce the severity of conditions like acne or eczema.
- Promotes a clearer complexion: By fighting harmful bacteria and reducing inflammation, mānuka honey can contribute to a clearer complexion. Its ability to support gut health also indirectly benefits skin clarity, as a healthy digestive system can reduce the occurrence of skin issues.
- Boosts hydration within the skin: The natural sugars and moisture in mānuka honey help to keep the skin hydrated.
- Enhances collagen production: Mānuka honey’s vitamins and minerals support collagen synthesis, which is crucial for maintaining skin elasticity and firmness.
- Protects the skin against external stressors: The antioxidants in mānuka honey help combat the effects of aging by protecting skin cells from oxidative damage.
The Bee-All, End-All
Manuka Health’s Eternal Renewal Regenerating Face Cream combines all three of their hives most potent, natural, skin-loving actives, utilizing royal jelly, MGO 800+ mānuka honey, and bee venom to deeply moisturize the skin, promote hydration and elasticity, encourage collagen production, calm irritation, brighten the appearance of dark spots, and protect the skin’s natural barrier.
At $140 a jar, it’s no wonder that the Regenerating Face Cream is creating some serious buzz, and that’s due to its seriously impactful ingredients…
- Bee Venom: Produced in venom glands by worker bees in the hive, bee venom increases blood circulation and stimulates collagen and elastin production to regulate its color tone and texture, and smooth and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- MGO 800+ Mānuka Honey: Repairs cellular damage, promotes skin regeneration, calms inflammation, soothes, softens and moisturizes skin, delays aging, and promotes skin regeneration. Mānuka honey is a natural humectant, naturally moisturizing the skin and helping maintain soft, supple skin.
- Royal Jelly: As the Queen Bee’s superfood, royal jelly is rich in proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients that can boost collagen production, hydration, and cell renewal in the skin without irritation.
- In addition to its prolific bee-forward ingredients, the Regenerating Face Cream also contains 10 hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-H2DA), which is an essential unsaturated fatty acid with the capacity to stimulate collagen production.
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A Hive State of Mind
If you want me to try something skincare-related, all you have to do is shout keywords like, “radiant,” “glowing,” “dewy”—you get the idea.
As a 30-something Millennial, who is obsessed with anti-aging, I’m less focused on solving immediate concerns and more intent on preventing signs of aging as naturally as possible—especially given the inordinate amount of stress we are all under these days. Yes, my skin has some post-acne scarring and some hormonal acne that pops up every cycle, but on the overall, my passion is “balance,” as my Chinese Medicine Doctor yells at me every two weeks.
My initial impression of Manuka Health’s Eternal Renewal Regenerating Face Cream was that it felt “of this earth.” There was no fragrance, which was a relief, and the texture was both lightweight and robust at the same time. I, transparently, couldn’t wait to incorporate it into my routine twice daily.
I was super relieved that it 1) didn’t cause any breakouts 2) kept my skin hydrated all day long 3) soothed any irritation from the day, and 4) made me look popped and snatched from a glow perspective.
After a week of usage, I saw noticeable results with the spots on my face. Pimples that were attempting to come to the surface either never got a chance to see the light of day, or ones that had already broken through healed a lot more quickly than normal. Better yet, I felt like my skin looked smoother overall in addition to being endlessly moisturized.
A Sweet Escape
To give my skin full inside-out, outside-in results, I also took a teaspoon of Manuka Health’s Manuka Honey Daily MGO 400+ every day.
Full stop, this was the best mānuka honey I’ve ever had. It even joined me and my mom during our Rosh Hashanah dipping of the apples for a “sweet New Year.” I felt like my digestion was moving and grooving and that my skin just looked extra bright.
I was so inspired by the potent effects of the Face Cream that I used Manuka Health’s actual Manuka Honey on my skin as a spot treatment and sh*t was noticeable, y’all.
God Save the Queen (Bee)
When I first learned about Mānuka Health, my first question was “but what about the bees?”
Sadly due to climate change, habitat loss, fragmentation, pesticides, and a whole host of other issues, the bee population has significantly dwindled, which is having a major impact on agriculture and the crops we rely on in our day-to-day lives. We must save the bees!
The good news: in leveraging the potent, healing benefits of mānuka honey, propolis, and royal jelly, Mānuka Health makes a conscious effort to focus on a holistic and harmonious wellness system with the bees that inspire their products. They even have a Master Beekeeper running their entire collective of beekeepers, who protect their 21,000 hives on a daily basis. They continue their efforts in responsible and sustainable harvesting by partnering with landowners to plant the mānuka tree on marginal land in the hopes of restoring and replenishing it back to native forest, which would—in turn—ensure that mānuka honey could be sustainably produced for generations to come.
Beyond their environmentally minded practice, Mānuka Health leads with research and science when creating their products to ensure the highest efficacy and results. In fact, their team are some of the pioneering minds behind the MGO rating (which indicates the level of methylglyoxal in every batch) as well as the innovators who identified the 16 key bioactives that make New Zealand propolis so powerful.
This Won’t Hurt a Bit
It’s time to just let your skin bee (never going to stop). Use our code BEEBEAUTY15 for 15% off your order today.
