Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, Florida 2023
Editors Note:Even in the various pockets of wild Florida, you can find colonies of bees. The Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge is where I took this photo. The refuge has various trails that you can hike, or you can drive around to observe wildlife. You are permitted to get out of your vehicles, as there are pockets you can pull off to to get your shots of birds, or anything you'd like to capture. Like most wildlife photographers, I like to go before sunrise to watch the world wake up. Towards the end of my trip at the refuge was where I saw these bees buzzing around some wild plants. Most people would consider them weeds. But what is a weed really? I think it's all about perspective, because weed or not, this plant still bloomed a pretty flower, and clearly gives the bees a pollen source. All these bee talk brings us to our article about Manuka Honey, and all it's amazing properties. -Stanley |
Oh, honey! You add it to your tea. You cook and bake with it. You may even keep a fresh jar in the medicine cabinet to use on minor burns and other wounds.
People have relied on honey’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties for millennia, and twenty-first century scientific research backs up the traditional uses. You’ll now also find honey on the ingredients list of many skin care products.
Why Manuka?
Although pure honey of any kind may have some healing properties, quality and concentration vary. The blossoms of the manuka shrub (Leptospermum scoparium), plentiful in New Zealand and Australia, produce a superior antibacterial honey.
How It Works
In addition to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and healing properties, manuka honey is a humectant, which means it helps the skin retain moisture. It also acts as an antioxidant, taming free radicals to protect the skin from premature aging.
The enzymes in raw manuka honey make it a natural exfoliant. You don’t need grit to remove dead skin cells and reveal smooth skin.
Alone or in a Combo
Use pure, raw manuka honey by itself as a cleanser or face mask. Health coach and beauty blogger Elizabeth Rider suggests spreading honey on clean skin and letting it work for 20 minutes before rinsing off.
Or try manuka honey in combination with other ingredients in facial and body cleansers, masks, serums, and moisturizers. You’ll find manuka honey paired with fruit enzymes such as apricot and papaya or with skin favorites aloe vera, vitamin E, shea butter, and even cannabidiol (CBD).
Cautions
If you have an allergy to bee stings or to pollen, consult your dermatologist or healthcare provider before trying manuka honey skin preparations.
Until the age of 12 months, little ones may be susceptible to developing infant botulism from ingesting honey. To be safe, avoid using manuka or any honey on an infant’s skin.
“Dermatologists say manuka honey is a powerful force against acne” by Melanie Rud, www.byrdie.com, 1/27/20
“Honey: A biologic wound dressing” by Peter Molan and Tanya Rhodes, Wounds, 6/15
“Manuka face mask benefits + how to do it” by Elizabeth Rider, www.ElizabethRider.com
“Therapeutic manuka honey: No longer so alternative” by Dee A. Carter et al., Frontiers in Microbiology, 4/16
This article originally appeared on TasteForLife.com.
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