How Honey Helps Acne
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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Skin Care » Blog Archive » How Honey Helps Acne Says:
[...] Find the link to this great post here [...]
me Says:
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.
Noki Says:
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?
thebeautybrains Says:
Yeah, we did a post on it a little while back. Natural doesn’t always mean safe.
Lauri Says:
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.
Meredith Says:
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.
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Vanessa Guerin Says:
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
thebeautybrains.com » Blog Archive » Broccoli: A Natural Sunscreen That Really Works Says:
[...] Nadine, it looks like broccoli joins our list of natural cosmetic ingredients that really work. According to Science Daily, broccoli extract can protect skin from UV [...]
Hamsa Vicerra Says:
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?
thebeautybrains Says:
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.
The Beauty Brains » Blog Archive » How Honey Helps Hair Says:
[...] Right Brain responds: Ally, we’ve blogged before about the beneficial antibacterial properties of honey for your skin. But what about honey for hair? Good [...]
Clear Skin Acne Says:
Very interesting article. I’ve never thought of trying honey for acne.