This summers’ necessity

By Angeliz Venter

I recently wrote a blog about Apicares’ skincare range, especially their products containing Manuka honey. (Read more here). But for this blog post I want to focus on their Manuka Sun Protect, which is essentially their ‘sunscreen’, but more pure and environmentally friendly.

Since I was a little girl, I hated applying sunscreen and never particularly liked the smell of it, except when I am on a December holiday in Durban, because there are very few things in life that reminds you of the beach like the smell of sunscreen. But fast forward a few years and I still don’t like to apply sunscreen for many reasons including, I don’t like it when my face and skin turns white from the sunscreen and I don’t like the strong smell, as it reminds me a bit of unnatural ingredients, which I am trying to stay clear of. At the same time, I have also heard and read multiple times that a woman needs to apply sunscreen more regularly when exposed to the sun and some experts even claim that you need to wear it everyday to protect you against UV rays and aging. Therefore, I have started looking into finding more natural and light sunscreens for my face specifically and that is when my path crossed Apicares’ path and I mentioned to them that I would love to try their Manuka Sun Protect. I have been using Apicare products for a few months now and I would never buy anything else.

Here’s my honest review of Apicares’ Manuka Sun Protect. At first, I thought there is no way that this will actually protect your skin, because it doesn’t have a strong smell and feels so light on my skin, where I usually feel like my skin can’t breathe and I have breakouts from ‘normal’ sunscreen. BUT I was wrong. I have tried it now multiple times in South Africa, France and in all seasons of the year and it definitely works! I just apply it a little bit more regularly than other traditional sunscreens, seeing that it is so light, due to the fact that it is a natural zinc-based moisturizer with a 100% natural SPF15.

So, what makes this specific product so much better than other sunscreens? The Manuka Sun Protect obviously contains Manuka honey which is produced from the nectar collected by bees from the indigenous Manuka tree in New Zealand. Manuka honey has been tested to have a higher content of 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, diminishes the appearance of blemishes and scarring from acne and stretch marks. It also helps with moisture retention in your skin and hair, while it encompasses antibacterial properties which protects 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.

The other ingredients that stood out for me in this Sun Protect is Zinc Oxide and Jojoba oil. The Zinc Oxide is responsible for the sun protect not feeling thick on your skin and clogging your pores, which evidently causes breakouts. It helps create a barrier without irritating your skin and is also non-allergenic. The Jojoba oil is used for its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory qualities and contains natural collagen. This helps to make this Sun Protect an excellent moisturizer under your make-up or just for everyday wear, without drying out your skin.

Although I still don’t use this moisturizer every day, I use it every time I am exposed to the sun for long periods of time and it is always in my handbag for incase! I definitely would recommend the Manuka Sun Protect if you are looking for a light weight protector that moisturizes at the same time. I also believe that it is best to use it in conjunction with their other products for optimal effect and minimal breakouts.

Visit Apicare South Africa’s website to shop or view their list of stockists.