Adding Manuka honey into your skin care routine is a game changer!

By Angeliz Venter
Editor: Marcelle Jordaan

Skincare is the act of caring for your skin by supporting your skins’ integrity, enhancing its appearance, and relieving skin conditions. Skincare can range from a wide variety of practices, but today I want to focus solely on the products associated with skincare.

Having a skincare routine, is not something I have ever incorporated into my life before and I also cannot say that I have been loyal to a specific brand before. But as the years went by and I got older, I became more aware of the effects of aging, exposure to natures elements and my day-to-day life on my skin. As I am still hesitant to use products specifically for anti-aging too soon, I was very excited to try Apicare’s Manuka honey ranges, which have natural anti-aging properties. Before I heard about Apicare, I have never heard about Manuka honey or even considered the different types of honey.

Manuka honey is produced from the nectar collected by bees from the indigenous Manuka tree in New Zealand. Manuka honey has been proven to have higher anti-bacterial activity compared to other honey. Manuka interacts with your skin cells differently and more intensely than normal honey. It speeds up your skins healing process and diminishes the appearance of blemishes and scarring from acne and stretch marks. It also helps with moisture retention in your skin and hair, while the antibacterial properties protect your skin from developing fungus, infections, and inflammation. On all Apicare products containing Manuka, you will see a UMF (unique Manuka factor) rating and stamp, this refers to whether it has been tested for higher anti-bacterial activity and the rating it received in terms of strength. One of the most important factors to look at when buying a product containing Manuka is the content of honey, the higher it is the better. Another factor that is worth considering is if the honey is sourced from a sustainable bee farm and it just so happens that Apicare’s is!

The Apicare brand does their best to stay sustainable and environmentally friendly in more ways than one. First, they shred all their unwanted papers to use in their packaging, pop starch is used to pack all their orders (which is 100% compostable), they use rainwater and sterilize it with an ultraviolet light, all their packaging is recyclable and only contains vegetable ink and water based aqueous seals. They also do not use micro plastic beads in their exfoliating products, instead they use jojoba and bamboo beads.

What are the benefits of having a good skincare routine with Apicare?
• Slows down the effects of ageing and protects against constant exposure to nature’s elements.
• If your skin looks good, you are going to feel good and have a confidence boost.
• Once you get into the habit of a regular routine, it is easier to maintain.
• It will save you money in the long run if you do not have to do “damage control” later.
• You can see fast and lasting results if you stick to the routine.
• Using the correct products can lessen the damage on your skin.

Regarding my own skincare journey, during lockdown in 2020, I switched over from my “buy the product on special at the grocery store” routine to one specific, very expense brand, thinking it would help with my stress related acne (not to mention the acne from wearing a mask). It helped, but it did not improve my skin to a flawless level. So, a few weeks ago I switched over to Apicare’s Manuka range. I will be honest and admit that I was intrigued by the reviews on social media, but a small part of me thought, “This is too good to be true, it’s just honey”. But once I started using it, within a week a scar on my nose that I gathered from picking at a pimple, disappeared (click here to see the before and after on my Instagram). WHAT! My skin was also glowing within a few days and had a soft and smooth feel to it that other products did not give my skin. My breakout on my chin, from wearing a mask, disappeared. I will mention that it takes a consistent effort- when I wear a mask and sweat, my skin still wants to break out, and I must apply my Apicare products religiously.

My routine with Apicare looks as follows: I use the exfoliating wash most of the time, especially after I have worn a mask. I love this product, because it makes my skin feel so smooth and not as irritated after exfoliating as other products. This is because Apicare does not use plastic micro beads in their exfoliator, but rather jojoba micro beads. I then switch over to their creamy cleanser, which has such a silky feel to it, and I also use this as a make-up remover if needed. Both cleansers also tone your skin, so no need to buy an extra toner. So, I wash my face in the morning with either of these cleansers and after my skin dries, I apply the Manuka Natural Vitamin E Day Crème. It has a lightweight, anti-ageing formula which contains Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and Manuka honey. Even though it can be used as a day and night crème, I prefer to use it in the morning as it makes my skin glow almost instantly. If I go out into the sun during the day, I will apply their Natural Sun Protect, which is a natural zinc-based moisturizer with a 100% natural SPF15, that does not leave any white residue behind. In the evening I cleanse my face again with either of the cleansers and afterwards I apply my absolute favorite product in the range, the Manuka Night Shift Serum! If I can send a bottle to every reader, just to smell it, I would! It has the most amazing smell and leaves my skin feeling so soft and revitalized. I want to go as far as saying (even though it is not a proven fact at all) that this smell even makes me sleep better. It contains a blend of natural plant oils, licorice extract and UMF 15 Manuka honey, which improves your skin tone, reduce redness, and diminish the signs of ageing while you sleep. It also contains Hyaluronic acid, which in conjunction with the Manuka honey attracts and holds moisture in your skin, and camellia oil that aids the rejuvenation of your skins cell growth. It contains sea buckthorn oil to help revitalize dry and sun damaged skin, with licorice extract to even out skin discoloration. The latter is a factor that a lot of pregnant women should consider when opting for a skin care routine during pregnancy, as this will help with hormonal related breakouts and pigmentation spots.

There are many more products in Apicare’s Manuka honey range, such as the Natural Rich Day Crème, Natural Restorative Rich Night Crème, Natural Eyes Right, Natural Even Brighter and the Therapy 30% Honey. Even though all our skin is different, and I cannot guarantee the results on your skin, I would recommend it, as I have seen the results on my own skin.

Visit Apicare South Africa’s website to shop or view their list of stockists. Use the discount code JUN15 for 15% disocunt online.