Emmy’s Inquiry: (after reading our post on Juice Beauty): I like what you’re trying to do with this site, but you seem to have it in for anything labeled organic. Heaven forbid you admit that anything natural and not chemically processed might have beneficial properties – honey for example is medically proven to be anti-bacterial and is included in the Juice Beauty moisturizer, yet you make no mention of that. And since one of the causes of acne is bacteria, couldn’t it be possible that the presence of honey in the formula IS a benefit not delivered by drugstore brands? But of course, that would mean admitting that the chemicals you never fail to hype aren’t the end-all be-all answer to all beauty problems.
The Right Brain replies:
We can understand how you might assume that because we’re scientists that we are “pro-chemical.” The truth is, we’re pro-scientific method. If we find reliable studies that prove natural ingredients work, we mention them. But most of the time, natural claims are exaggerations to try to trick you into buying products. Now, on to your question about honey.
Does honey kill bacteria?
We did find legitimate scientific research that backs up the theory that honey has antibacterial properties. For example, one study in the Journal of Antibacterial Chemotherapy showed that honey (in concentrations between 2.5% and 5%) is effective against staphylococci, a very harmful bacteria. We could not find any studies that tested honey’s effect on p acne, the bacteria that helps cause zits. However, given what we know about the antibacterial mechanism of honey, it is plausible it would work on this bacterium was well.
How does honey work?
Honey appears to work against bacteria in two ways, depending on the type of honey. In most types, the bees add an enzyme that generates low levels of hydrogen peroxide, which is the active ingredient that kills bacteria. In a special honey, known as Manuka honey, the bees feed on nectar of the flowers of the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium), which imparts additional anti-bacterial properties. Both types of honey can be effective but (and this is VERY important) their efficacy can vary greatly from batch to batch. Any given jar of honey may or may not have a high enough antibacterial activity to really work. To ensure efficacy, each lot of honey must be tested for activity before you know it will really work. (Learn more about Manuka honey.)
Should you try Juice?
So, back to the question about Juice Beauty: IF they are buying honey that is certified with the appropriate activity level and IF they’re using between 2 and 5% in their formula, and IF nothing else in the formula is deactivating the enzymes in the honey, then it is possible that their moisturizer really is effective against acne.
We’d love to hear from any of our loyal Beauty Brainiacs who want to try Juice’s moisturizer on their zits.
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I’ve used juice beauty cleanser and moisturizer. I used it for a few months before I realized that was what was irritating my skin. And I meannot just a little bit, but peeling, burning irritation.
I was blaming everything else I was using, because how could an organic, natural product be irritating.
yeah my skin is so much happier since I threw it in the trash.
Well…
According to Amazon’s listing of the ingredients of the moisturizer: Ingredients
Organic juice solution of pyrus malus (apple) juice, vitis vinifera (white grape) juice, punica granatum (pomegranate) juice & aloe barbadensis leaf juice, organic cucumis sativus (cucumber) extract, organic botanical extracts of taraxacum officinale (dan
It is possible the juices mentioned could have been what was causing the problems. Especially if you went out in the sun. I believe the Beauty Brains said it was called Margarita syndrome or something?
Yeah, we did a post on it a little while back. Natural doesn’t always mean safe.
I don’t know about the antibacterial effects, but my vet used a “sugar bandage” on an abscess on my cat recently. She said the sugar, packed into the wound and covered, would aid in granulation. Who’d have thunk it, but after 2 such bandages, the abscess started healing.
The author of the honey question does not seem to appreciate that the authors of BeautyBrains are attempting to educate the public on how they are getting scammed by the cosmetics industry.
Yes honey does have antimicrobial properties (note how it can sit in your kitchen for years and not spoil). However, Beauty Brains made a very important point about the variability of animal products like honey, protein structure, and concentration of said ingredient in the product.
Honey is made by bees from the nectar of angiosperms (flowering plants). There is great genetic variability among plants, even plants within the same species. The same is true of bees. Expecting a consistant level of a particular enzyme in honey is absurd. Different genes result in different proteins or levels of proteins.
And what if you found honey that did have sufficient antimicrobial activity? You have to consider what happens to honey, and the products in which it is used, after it is harvested. Proteins operate at very particular temperatures, pHs, and salt concentrations. If you raise the temperature or lower the pH of a protein’s very narrow optimal range, the protein will become denatured and therefore nonfunctional. I believe that honey is heated before packaging. If the honey itself is not heated, it is possible that the product being made with the honey is being heated sometime during the manufacturing process. Even if it is not, it could be sitting in the back of a delivery truck in the middle of summer. You also have to consider changes in pH. You cannot assume that the optimal pH of these enzymes is maintained in the product on the shelf. Unless you did research about the optimal pH of bee colonies, which I sure Beauty Juice did not, you cannot be sure that you are maintaining a pH in which the enzyme will not denature. There are other chemicals, natural and otherwise, that denature enzymes. Ever try to make jello using fresh pineapple? Pineapple is a natural product, yet it denatures the enzymes in the gelatin, rendering it incapable of hardening. Are you sure the other ingredients in beauty juice are not doing the same?
Finally, I doubt that the makers of beauty juice are putting enough honey in their product to be effective. Unless honey is at the top of the ingredient list, you’re probably not getting enough.
Hello beauty brains;)
I am a honey farmer from Canada, I must say that I was a skeptic of honey until I married a honey farmer. I now only ever use 100% pure natural unprocessed raw honey and it is great for everything! I read the post the lady left about her vet using a sugar poltice for an injured cat…my aunt used a pure natural honey poltice for her dying fathers bed sores, it worked miracles. You say the there is medical proof that honey has antibacterial properties, I would say it is more so in unprocessed honey. I would also like to say that pastuerized honey is not only heated but quite a bit of water is added to help the honey keep it’s liquid form, so I’m assuming that the process removes alot of the natural benefits of the honey while also watering it down. I would also like to say that in Canada and the USA there are laws that govern our products, we go through tests from the FDA and the CFIA yearly to certify our honey, so if a consumer is looking for a safe healthy product go down to the local farmers, chances are the honey is cheaper, free of chemicals and more tastey! raw honey is hard kind of like lard but if it’s kept at room temperature it syrupy like molasses. Also a good quality honey will keep forever and never crystalize. Oh I also use the stuff on all scrapes, cuts etc.. works wonders:) Hey brains I can send you a sample of real honey. Vanessa
Re: “reliable studies that prove natural ingredients work,” the problem is that there just haven’t been as many studies on the efficacy of natural ingredients as there have been on man-made ingredients. One of the biggest reasons for this is that many studies are funded by manufacturers of products which contain existing man-made ingredients or would contain new ones. These studies often lack objectivity & don’t use a large enough test-subject base to yield truly reliable results. Such studies are referred to in product advertising over & over, in an effort to lend the product scientific authority. Another reason is that the attitude of the cosmetics industry is that there’s more money to be made with mysterious multi-syllable ingredients than there is with natural ingredients. Whatever the reason, there’s just more interest in & scientific activity involving man-made ingredients.
How would it be, I wonder, to start with an assumption the opposite of the one you seem to work from, that there would be no reason not to use a man-made ingredient in a natural product if there was adequate reliable scientific research on it’s safety & effectiveness?
Hamsa,
As a person who works in the cosmetic industry, I know that cosmetic companies would much rather use natural based ingredients than anything synthetic. It’s just much more saleable these days than synthetics. Marketing departments hate the multi-syllable words. It’s so 1990′s.
Very interesting article. I’ve never thought of trying honey for acne.
does honey cure acne scars and do u have to mix a bit of cinnamon power in it? please reply……thanks
Yes, Honey does have anti bacterial qualities… but that is only ONE of the (smaller) reasons it helps fight acne. Honey is a very mild exfoliant and moisturizer – for those reasons alone it helps fight acne. And of course, by itself, not in a bought cosmetic. It’s CHEAP, so it’s very simple to just try it. I find that it immediately soothes redness, tightens pores and calms inflamed skin. Of course you can mix it with other things like oatmeal, alvacado or banana – all are proven exfoliants. People, nothing is stopping you from trying these things, its cheap, its easy. And unless you are allergic – its harmless.
Sorry, I am slightly confused, is manuka honey the only good type of honey for skincare, or does all honey have the same antimicrobial benefits?
I usually mix some honey in with plain yogurt as a face mask and i find it helps brighten my skin, but should i be using manuka honey?
Thanks,
Honey works for me! I put it on my face for 30 min everyday before I go to sleep.
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Honey does make the skin soft and smooth and helps alleviate dry patches etc but takes ages to heal acne scars. One has to be really persistent and patient in using honey for the sole purpose of healing acne scars. Using honey as a mask twice weekly for an hour each time would help keep skin hydrated and moisturized. Not too sure if it would completely halt acne growth tho esp when acne is caused by hormonal problem (like me!).
All honey has anti bacterial properties in that it creates hydrogen peroxide. Active Manuka honey has addition anti bacterial properties that are much more powerful and not lessened after the hydrogen peroxide has been used up. It is well worth the money for an active +15 Manuka honey jar as a little goes a long way. You will find that Manuka honey is much more expensive and the higher the active rating the more expensive it gets. Manuka honey will repair the damage to the skin and it washes off quickly and cleanly.
I also used Juice Beauty products for my skin. It becamse a little red and unhappy so i contacted the people at the company. they were really helpful and said just wait it out because its so naturally your skin needs to get used to it. They were right. I waited for a while and my skin is amazing now. Its just like switching to natural hair products,since u get so much build up from all of the “fake” ingredients you have to get used to the nautural part of it. Try Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Collection its another must have in my medicine drawer. My fav!
Yes people i would like to share my story with using manuka honey, excuse my grammar, but im just trying to help somebody out . I have been suffering with acne/boils,. Ok you”ll might think im somebody that works for a honey company, lol. I don’t . I must tell you tho. this is not a miracle but its pretty close to it for me anyways. I was using mankuka honey for my back for 2 days and i didn’t see nothing. I was like oh weill i tried, Well by the 3rd day i seen about a 50% difference . The honey dried up the all the acne on my back and left nasty lil scars. I showed my mom the scars and she was like you going to have that on your back for a long time. will i put some more manuka on my back and went and worked outside in the sun with it on me . Well about 8 hours later i kid you not the red marks was almost vanished . So im been applying the manuka honey on now for a lil over a week and i am so amazed at how much clearer my skin is and feels. Ive treid everything on the market, from b.p.s to retina a , saclyic acid, you name it i have tried it . Well i wanna say in 7-9 days my skin has cleared up a good 70-80 %. I have done a lot of research about this manuka honey and its the best honey you can buy . Scientist still dont no a lot about this honey but they have found traces of 7 diff. antibiotics in this honey , something no other honey has in it. If you want to get some i would recommend manuka honey with a u.m.f. of at least 16 but no higher than 20 , u.m.f. stands for the unique manuka factor. anything under 10 your prolly waisting your money . You also want to make sure its raw honey and make sure it comes from newzealand . This honey has been proven in science. studies to kill staph, heal acne, heart burns , its used in alot of hospitals in diff. countryies for numerious diff. things. Im not a dr. at any mean but if you have been suffering from acne like i have since a kid i would highly recommend you give it a try. The honey i have is sold by a company called synergy, another great manuka company that has the real deal is called medihoney, and weatherspoon. You can go on amazon read the reviews from people that used weatherspoon brand honey and they all give it 5 stars from what they have used it for . bed sores, colds, mrsa., acne, heartburn, blah blah blah. list goes on and on . Well i hope i could just help out one person on here and im sure you will have great results with it like i have . The Honey is kinda over priced it runs anywheres from $20-60. But i have spent thousands of dollars on antibiotics, creams, soaps, derm. visits . Well i guess im a leave on that note and if anybody needs something or has any questions you can e-mail me at [email protected] and i will try to respond back 2 you . Thanks . people.
I have read your article or whatever and is so interesting and i wish to ask if honey is only good to use externally on the body or can it be use internally that is could be taken with tea in place of sugar? If yes which kind of honey is good and can honey from different parts of the world or just from NewZealand.
The antibacterial properties of honey are primarily due to osmosis. Sugar bandages operate on the same principle: that is, if you have a large concentration of solutes (like sugar of any variety) and place such a solution around an area where bacteria are present then the water inside the bacterial cell will pass through the membrane in order to try to reach an equilibrium. Since the bacteria have no vascular tissue which can attempt to counter this shift in the equilibrium then they cells end up shriveling and dying. This is how sugar and honey bandages work.
Raw honey is reported to work better, but I would imagine this has to do with the added water in pasteurized honey, and very little to do with the actual components of said honey. This is the same reason that sugar bandages work on wounds with antibiotic resistant bacteria.
There are allegedly some types of honey which have additional antimicrobial properties, but at the end of the day if the concentration of solutes on the outside of the membrane is greater than the concentration of solutes on the inside of the membrane, then osmosis will occur and the bacteria will die.
The misinformation about honey and sugar bandages is astounding. It would be nice if someone would open a science book before they shoot their mouths off.
I have had pimples from time to time (but not as worst as it used to be when i was in highschool)… due to work, pressure and stress lately, some nasty pimples were beginning to show up… and going to those several years back, i’ve tried going through diamond peeling, facials and even have had several anti-pimple agents that i’ve tried.. unfortunately nothing works… hydroquinone for me worsens the growth of pimples… after taking the honey and sugar as facial scrub to thought seriously , it just amazed me on how effective it was… although i did take afaxin 50000iu at the side. still, the results are just as amazing compared to taking afaxin alone
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