You can also find the manuka bush in Australia, but most high-quality manuka honey comes from New Zealand, including the brands: Manuka Doctor, Manuka Lab and Manuka Pharm. Dissolve it into hot water or tea (it’s delicious with Jasmine tea) or just sip it from a spoon to soothe the throat.

The New Zealand government tests this too, so you can rest assured that it is of a high quality and 100% authentic manuka honey. In addition to its calming and healing properties, here are several other ways honey helps combat dry winter skin: Antimicrobial I've made this a few times over the years and haven't had this issue when making my balm. I noticed a tiny bit of settling, which is natural, but nothing to write home about. If you see a lot of separation (like all of the honey ends up at the bottom of your container), it could be caused by the brand of honey or the temperature of the oils when you added the honey. Lactic Acid Hand Cream is a nourishing hand cream that contains active ingredients such as lactic acid and peppermint essential oil to help reduce dark spots and sun damage. The recipe requires ½ cup of shea butter, ¼ cup of sweet almond oil, 2 tablespoons of beeswax, 1 tablespoon of lactic acid, and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil. To make the hand cream, melt the shea butter, sweet almond oil, and beeswax in a double boiler until fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in the lactic acid and peppermint essential oil. Pour the mixture into a jar and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whip the mixture using an electric mixer for a few minutes until it becomes fluffy. Store the hand cream in a cool, dry place.Honey delivers key amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants to skin cells [ source ], helping to nourish the skin and prevent free-radical damage. Trust me when I say that this stuff works miracles. While it makes an amazing hand balm, you can also use it as an after-shower lotion, cuticle cream, hair conditioner, or for anything else that might need a little extra moisture this winter. My husband even has a jar of his own that he uses as a beard balm and sparingly as a hair gel. Multifloral means that the bees visit many other floral sources and bushes as well as the manuka bush – but of course the Manuka bush will always be its favourite. It still has to be tested and found to contain ‘wholly or mainly’ nectar from the Manuka bush. This is done with the same naturally occurring marker test and pollen test that all Manuka honey is bound to.

Looking for more hand cream inspiration? These homemade hand creams are perfect for overworked hands and extremely dry skin. They contain natural moisturizing factors that provide instant relief and protection to the skin barrier. Additionally, they are made with active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, zinc oxide, and vitamin E that help reduce dark spots and sun damage. You can also use an emulsifying wax to hold everything together (see the second recipe below). Can I use other oils in place of the almond/olive oil? Honey has been directly observed to reduce skin inflammation after being applied to wounds [ source ]—what better way to soothe chapped, red hands! Balances skin pH Of course, you can also use it in food as you would use normal honey. Manuka honey has a naturally richer flavour than runny honey, so a little goes a long way. Drizzle it over yoghurt, porridge, rice cakes, or anything else you want to give a sweet natural flavour to. Let the melted oils cool as much as possible (think: barely lukewarm but still soft) before adding the honey. If you still see separation, you can always use an electric hand mixer to blend the oils with the honey, once the balm has completely cooled, then spoon it into your containers.

More Lotion, Body Butter + Body Oil Recipes

Colloidal Oatmeal Hand Cream is a soothing hand cream that helps relieve dry and irritated skin. The recipe requires ½ cup of shea butter, ¼ cup of colloidal oatmeal, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 10 drops of lavender essential oil. To make the hand cream, melt the shea butter and coconut oil in a double boiler until fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in the colloidal oatmeal and lavender essential oil. Pour the mixture into a jar and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whip the mixture using an electric mixer for a few minutes until it becomes fluffy. Store the hand cream in a cool, dry place. When most people think of honey and health, using it to provide relief for a sore throat springs to mind. However, using Manuka honey for sore throats can help in more ways than one due to its antibacterial properties. DHA is naturally produced by the Manuka bush and stored in its nectar. It then goes through the Maillard reaction to form the MGO (Methylglyoxal) which is key to Manuka honey’s antibacterial benefits.

A note about choosing scents: This time of year, something wintery is always a good choice. Try adding eucalyptus essential oil or something simple and classic like lavender and vanilla . I would stay away from cinnamon because, while it smells super warm and festive, it can be rather irritating on the skin. To a lesser degree, peppermint falls into this category, too—a little goes a long way. When searching for the right Manuka honey product for you, it’s inevitable that you will come across the terms monofloral Manuka honey and multifloral Manuka honey. You’ll see an MGO rating on most Manuka products and this is simply telling you the level of methylglyoxal in honey and how strong its antibacterial properties are. The Manuka honey Holland and Barrett sells ranges from MGO 40to MGO 1000– so you can decide on what strength best suits your needs. If you would like a creamier, more spreadable balm, add more oil. It’s a rather forgiving recipe, so feel free to play around with it until you find the texture that is right for you. Another benefit of Manuka honey is it’s moisturising and soothing properties when applied directly to the skin. You can even mix it up into a face mask!Sometimes a few of the more adventurous bees will go and collect nectar from other floral plants, but Manuka honey will always be made mostly from Manuka bush nectar. All Manuka honey has to contain four specific naturally occurring chemicals and a DNA marker that are unique to New Zealand Manuka honey. As the name suggests, monofloral means that the honey comes from bees that have predominantly collected nectar from the Manuka bush. There is vigorous testing surrounding this bold claim, and two of the four chemical manuka markers in the final honey product must meet a higher level than those in multifloral honey. The sugars in honey act as natural humectants [ source ], meaning they help increase moisture in the skin and reduce dryness, even after being washed off. High in nutrients and antioxidants

Shea Butter Hand Cream is a moisturizing hand cream made with natural ingredients that provide instant relief and protection to dry skin. The recipe calls for ½ cup of shea butter, ¼ cup of jojoba oil, 2 tablespoons of rose wax, and 10 drops of vitamin E oil. To make the hand cream, melt the shea butter, jojoba oil, and rose wax in a double boiler until fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vitamin E oil. Pour the mixture into a jar and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, whip the mixture using an electric mixer for a few minutes until it becomes fluffy. Store the hand cream in a cool, dry place. Yep! Any liquid-at-room-temperature oil should work. Can I use other butters in place of the shea butter? Because it’s slightly acidic, honey helps regulate skin pH [ source ], thus promoting skin healing and regeneration. Natural moisturizer