Manuka Honey May Be the Next Powerhouse Natural Ingredient

It has impressive healing, soothing, and bacteria-battling powers

February 2017 issue of ELLE.

Honey, that sticky, delicious goodness produced by bees, has been used by humans for thousands of years—and not just to satisfy a sweet tooth. It appears in wound-healing recipes recorded on clay tablets that date back to 2000 BCE; the ancient Roman scientist Pliny the Elder wrote of its efficacy in treating pneumonia, pleurisy, and snakebites; and in both traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, it's been used for everything from fighting infections to quelling nausea to silencing coughs. Modern science has confirmed many of its purported powers: We now know that honey has antioxidant and prebiotic properties when ingested, and antimicrobial activity when applied topically. But there's a big difference between the stuff that comes in that cute, squeezable bear and manuka, the pricey, potent honey that has now begun to transition out of health-food markets and hospitals (more on that in a moment) and into beauty products...