Have you heard about Manuka honey? It is from nectar of the flowers of the Manuka bush, an indigenous plant that calls pristine New Zealand its home.
The honey from this plant has very unique, and New Zealand is the only place you can find it.
Why is it special? Studies have found that honey from the Manuka bush has extra strength anti-bacterial properties, that are not present in other types of honey.
All honey had an anti-bacterial effect due to the presence of hydrogen peroxide.
Unfortunately this is highly unstable, and can easily lose its strength if exposed to heat, light, even some of our own bodily fluids, due to their enzyme content.
Manuka honey healing properties are different.
Certain Manuka has been shown to have anti-bacterial properties not coming from hydrogen peroxide.
This has been called UMF - Unique Manuka Factor.
Look for this label when purchasing raw Manuka honey, and Manuka honey products.
Beside the internal benefits of this honey, such as aiding with digestive problems, stomach ulcers, sore throats and colds, some of the most impressive Manuka honey healing effects are on the skin.
There are many reasons to why Manuka honey is so effective in healing the skin: - Strong antibacterial properties help disinfect wounds.
The hydrogen peroxide present in the honey has an insulin-like effect that also promotes the healing of wounds.
- Cleans affected areas also by its osmotic effect, lifting the dirt out of the wound.
- Penetrates deep into skin tissue.
- Does not need the presence of oxygen to be effective, thus its healing effects continue to work even if covered by a bandage.
- Promotes the healing process by keeping bandages from sticking to the wound, making bandage change less painful, and not allowing newly formed tissue to be damaged during bandage removal.
- Reduces scarring by providing nutrients (vitamins, minerals and amino acids)to the skin.
- Aids healing by stimulating tissue regeneration.
- Natural anti-inflammatory effect that soothes the injured area, reducing pain and swelling.
- The application of honey creates a protective layer on the injured area, keeping dirt, and the risk of infection out.
These medical benefits mean that the honey of the Manuka bush has great cosmetic effect on the skin.
It is literally a natural medicine for our epidermis.
It is no wonder that the include UMF Manuka honey as part of their ingredients.
It has the additional benefits on helping all types of skin.
When looking for Manuka honey products it is essential to look for the UMF marking, to find the products that use the best quality active honey.