The use of honey in skin care products is becoming increasingly more popular as reports of its effectiveness are published.

There may be no better way to bring a smooth glow to your skin than by using skin care products containing honey. Honey's ability to absorb and retain moisture make it an ideal ingredient in many cosmetics as it helps keep skin hydrated and fresh. In fact, history shows that ancient beauties regularly applied a mixture of honey and milk to the face to keep their skin looking young, radiant and smooth.

Honey's natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties help to protect the skin from the damage of the sun's rays while supporting the skin's ability to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin. One advantage to using honey as a natural skin care ingredient is for the treatment of acne. Honey absorbs impurities from the pores in the skin, making it an ideal cleansing agent. There is also an increasing number of honey products being introduced to the market for hair care, skin care, hand lotions, facial masks, moisturizers, wound care, etc.

One company that is capitalizing on the use of honey in skin care products is Honeymark International, which utilizes a special kind of honey found only in the New Zealand region. Honeymark uses Manuka Honey in its skin care products, which is naturally produced by bees who gather nectar from the Manuka tree, indigenous to the pollution-free environment of New Zealand. Manuka Honey has special plant-derived components that make its effectiveness in skin care many times greater than standard types of honey. In addition to hydrogen peroxide, which is found in all types of honey, Manuka Honey's unique components are Methylglyoxal and UMF. Manuka Honey also has a variety of nutrients and vitamins that contribute to its effectiveness in skin care.

Now that research and clinical studies have revealed that bacteria are the cause of infection and other skin conditions, Manuka Honey has become accepted as an extremely valuable resource. Manuka Honey has very powerful antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that create an environment that is impossible for bacteria to survive. Even the resilient MRSA bacterium has not been able to develop a resistance to Manuka Honey. This has become of increasing interest among medical professionals as Staph infections plague our hospitals and communities.

"Honeymark takes the sticky mess out of using honey topically on the skin," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. "We import Manuka Honey from New Zealand and blend it into our medicated creams and lotions for a much more desirable and user-friendly application." Honeymark currently has Manuka Honey products that are effective in treating wounds, burns, eczema, psoriasis, ringworm, etc. Honeymark also plans on increasing their line of Manuka honey-based products later this year to include an acne cream, anti-aging serum, hand sanitizing gel, antiseptic spray, shampoo, conditioner, liquid hand soap and a moisturizer. Buonanotte has also indicated that the company is working on the development of facial masks and bandages that have Manuka Honey infused into a coconut fiber material that can be applied directly to the skin, allowing for more efficient diffusion into the depth of skin tissue.