Manuka Honey for Acne: Is Manuka Honey An Effective Treatment?

If you’ve ever struggled with persistent zits, blemishes, and breakouts, you know that managing acne can feel like an uphill battle. A common skin condition that affects up to 50 million Americans annually, numerous treatment options are available today, but many of them are quite harsh on the skin. The good news? Gentle, holistic alternatives exist. Manuka Honey, prized for its countless skin benefits, has proven to be an effective natural treatment for managing and preventing future breakouts. Ahead, discover all you need to know about how to use Manuka Honey for acne and what results you can expect.

The Basics of Manuka Honey and Acne

Before we dive into how Manuka Honey and acne interact, let’s break down the basics of each…

What Causes Acne?

The exact causes of acne can vary greatly from person to person, but it’s generally caused by excess sebum production (AKA oily skin), which is why it’s often found in areas with a high concentration of oil glands like the face, back, and shoulders. When excess sebum mixes with surface-level dead skin cells, it can clog pores and hair follicles, resulting in blackheads and whiteheads. This environment can also foster bacterial growth, particularly the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes, which causes pimples. In some cases, this can also trigger the body’s inflammatory response, leading to more severe symptoms like redness, swelling, and painful acne lesions such as pustules and cysts. Certain foods and lifestyle factors, hormonal fluctuations (such as those that occur during puberty, menstruation, or pregnancy), genetics, and certain medications like steroids and hormonal treatments can also play a role in triggering or exacerbating acne.

What is Manuka Honey?

Sourced from the nectar of New Zealand’s native Manuka Bush, Manuka Honey is a potent superfood that’s brimming with amino acids, vitamins, and antioxidants. Unlike regular honey, it boasts unique compounds that impart strong antibacterial, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it’s been touted as a topical remedy for a variety of skin conditions for centuries. It’s famed for its nourishing, moisture-retaining prowess and its ability to help soothe inflammation, prevent infection, and promote healing—all factors that make it a particularly enticing treatment for acne and acne scars.

How Does Manuka Honey Help Acne?

Why is Manuka Honey Good for Acne?

Manuka Honey is good for acne breakouts for a number of reasons. For one, studies have shown Manuka Honey’s strong antibacterial activity is due to a unique compound called methylglyoxal (MGO), which can help prevent acne-causing bacteria Propionibacterium acne from breeding and help target existing bacteria. Its anti-inflammatory benefits may also help soothe the redness, swelling, and irritation that come with breakouts, both lessening their appearance and making them less painful. What’s more, its moisture-boosting humectant properties, antioxidant benefits, and gentle exfoliating activity can boost overall skin health, helping reduce the likelihood of new breakouts and improve the appearance of oily and acne-prone skin.

Manuka Honey also has strong potential as a treatment for acne scars. Its healing abilities can help prevent scars from forming, and various studies have also shown that it has the potential to stimulate tissue regeneration and repair damaged skin cells, which may help smooth out and fade the appearance of existing acne scars over time.

Are There Any Side Effects of Applying Manuka Honey on Acne?

Because Manuka Honey is incredibly healing and nourishing, it’s generally considered safe for use on acne, though there are potential side effects to be aware of. Its natural acidity may cause mild irritation in sensitive skin, and, though very rarely, it can cause an allergic reaction with symptoms such as redness, itching, or swelling. Always consult a dermatologist and patch test your product before applying it to more widespread areas—especially areas already inflamed or irritated by acne. Of course, if you know that you’re allergic to bees, pollen, or honey, you should avoid using any Manuka Honey product on your skin.

Manuka Honey for Acne, Before and After

What can you expect when comparing the results of Manuka Honey for acne, before and after? While it doesn’t boast the strength of some prescription medications, Manuka Honey has been shown to effectively soothe acne and reduce signs of inflammation within a few days to weeks, and after several weeks of consistent use, you may notice an improvement in skin texture and the severity of your acne. The potential to fully heal acne and reduce the appearance of scars may take months of consistent use, but it’s important to keep in mind that results will vary from person to person.

How to Use Manuka Honey for Acne: Your Step-by-Step Guide

Selecting the Right Manuka Honey Acne Products

When using Manuka Honey for acne, you can choose to use it in its raw form or in topical skincare products that contain it. Both are effective, but the differences in texture and ease of application are something to consider. Authentic raw Manuka Honey with a UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) of 10 or higher contains the strongest antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it very effective on acne—just ensure it’s authentic, medical grade, and pure. However, not everyone appreciates the stickiness and messiness of applying raw honey to their face or body, which is why Manuka Honey acne products make a great alternative. They also don’t necessarily need to be rinsed off, so your skin has more time to reap the benefits.

At Naturopathica, we offer a full collection powered by quality Manuka Honey with a UMF of 16+. These formulas harness the healing benefits of this skin-loving superfood, combining it with other powerful botanicals to help bring relief to acne and breakouts. For acne on the shoulders, back, or other parts of the body, cleanse the area with the Manuka Honey Shower Body Exfoliator to gently clear dead skin cells, followed by our Manuka Honey Creamy Body Lotion, a non-greasy and fast-absorbing moisturizer that locks in hydration. For a quick dose of Manuka on the go, spritz the area with our Lavender & Manuka Honey Balancing Mist, a purifying and balancing spray that helps provide lightweight hydration.

Gently Cleanse the Area

Once you’ve chosen your Manuka Honey acne product, prep the skin for application with a gentle yet thorough cleanse. To up the Manuka Honey magic, try a gentle cleanser formulated with it, such as our Manuka Honey Cleansing Balm; shop it as a set with our super-soft Cleansing Brush, which helps gently sweep away pore-clogging impurities. Using an anti-acne cleanser can also boost its clarifying benefits, such as our Colloidal Silver & Salicylic Acid Acne Clearing Cleanser, which combines clarifying Salicylic Acid with Colloidal Silver to improve the look of blemishes and diminish acne scars. Avoid scrubbing to ensure you don’t further irritate or inflame any blemishes or breakouts, and gently pat dry before moving on to the next step.

How to Apply Manuka Honey on Acne

After cleansing, apply a thin layer of Manuka Honey on acne using clean fingers or a spatula. If using raw honey, let it sit on the skin for 10-20 minutes (enough time to yield results without causing irritation), then rinse off with lukewarm water, gently pat dry, and follow with your favorite moisturizer. If you’re using Manuka Honey skincare in the form of a cream, oil, or serum, there’s no need to rinse off—just be sure to follow with your favorite non-comedogenic moisturizer if your skin still feels dry. Remember, even oily and acne-prone skin needs proper hydration!

How Often to Apply

How often you need to apply Manuka Honey on acne will vary from person to person, but two to three times per week is a good place to start, as it’s frequent enough for your skin to benefit without overloading it. Over the first few weeks, It’s important to pay attention to how your skin tolerates treatment. If you’re not experiencing any irritation, you may want to increase the frequency; on the other hand, if it’s irritating or causing more severe or frequent breakouts, you may want to reduce the frequency or stop using it altogether.

Combining Manuka Honey with Other Natural Skincare Treatments

Because Manuka Honey has little potential for side effects (assuming you’re not allergic), it makes a great addition to other natural skincare treatments—however, it is crucial to know how and when to combine them.

When using other strong actives such as Retinoids, Vitamin C, Benzoyl Peroxide, AHAs (like Glycolic and Lactic Acids), and BHAs (like Salicylic Acid), there’s potential for dryness, irritation, and sensitivity. If you choose to layer these ingredients, apply them after thoroughly rinsing off Manuka Honey, and patch test first to ensure your skin can tolerate the combination. Alternatively, you can alternate usage, applying other actives on days you’re not using Manuka Honey.

As always, always consult your dermatologist before combining Manuka Honey with any other acne treatments, whether natural or prescription.

Make Acne Breakouts a Thing of the Past With The Best Manuka Honey for Acne Products from Naturopathica

At Naturopathica, we take pride in our nature-first approach to skincare, ensuring that all of our Manuka Honey formulas are clean and made with only the highest-quality honey and botanicals, containing no toxic additives. They also pack a powerful punch, enriched with other complexion-protecting and acne-fighting botanicals like soothing oils and extracts and exfoliating fruit enzymes, AHAs, and BHAs. What’s more, they feel amazing on the skin and absorb easily—no sticky, messy application here!

More Tips for Treating Acne Breakouts

Manuka Honey is just one of the many natural acne remedies readily available over the counter. Antibacterial Tea Tree Oil, soothing Aloe Vera, and inflammation-fighting Green Tea Extract are other great botanical choices. Exfoliating AHAs like Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid help remove dead skin cells that clog pores and improve skin texture, while Salicylic Acid, a BHA, exfoliates on a deeper level and helps unclog pores to prevent and treat breakouts. Azelaic Acid is also effective in killing acne-causing bacteria, reducing inflammation, and improving pigmentation and texture issues caused by acne. For more persistent or severe acne, your dermatologist may decide to prescribe treatments such as Retinoids, antibiotics, prescription Benzoyl Peroxide, and Spironolactone.

Additionally, lifestyle changes such as increasing hydration, reducing sugar and dairy intake, managing stress, and simply avoiding touching your face can also help clear and prevent breakouts.

Final Thoughts on Manuka Honey for Acne

Whether you’re dealing with the occasional zit or persistent cystic pimples, acne can be frustrating! Thankfully, natural treatments like Manuka Honey are effective at diminishing current breakouts and preventing future ones. Many studies have proven that Manuka Honey does help acne due to its impressive antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, humectant, and healing properties. And don’t worry—you don’t have to travel all the way to New Zealand to find the best Manuka Honey products for acne! Our range of Manuka Honey formulas includes everything from cleansers and moisturizers to scrubs and mists, all made with only the highest quality honey with a UMF of 16+, ensuring your skin reaps as many benefits as possible from this miracle elixir.