Honey's natural antioxidant and anti-microbial properties help to protect the skin from the damage of the sun's rays, supports the skin's ability to rejuvenate and refresh depleted skin, leaving it feeling silky soft and supple. One of the most common skin benefits of honey is related to minor acne treatment. Honey absorbs impurities from the pores on the skin, making it an ideal cleansing agent. With the wide-ranging of honey and skin care recipes, it is no wonder that there exists a huge number of honey products in the market for hair care, baby care, skin care for sunscreen, hand lotions, facial scrubs and moisturizers.

For years this powerful natural medicine was treated as a quaint home remedy not to be taken too seriously. This was because the medical profession where committed to the use of antibiotics. However as the effectiveness of certain types of antibiotics have waned due to overuse the health profession has been forced to look at all other possible alternative treatments uncovering Manuka Honey benefits as a viable replacement.

Benefits:

1. Honey is the only sweetener that isn't man-made and has healing effects.

2. With about 18% water and a pH of 3-4, honey is very stable and can last for literally centuries when stored properly.

3. While empty calories from refined sugar contribute health issues and obesity, honey reduces fatty accumulations in our cardiovascular system.

4. Unlike refined table sugar or sucrose, honey does not ferment in our stomach to pose any danger of bacterial invasion.

5. Honey is a monosaccharide, the simplest form of sugar that cannot be further broken down, passing directly from the small intestine into the blood stream without causing any irritancy to our digestive system as sucrose does.

6. The most ideal fuel for burning our body fat stores during sleep due to its 1:1 ratio of fructose and glucose.

7. As the most superior burn treatment, honey relieves pain effectively and heals wound faster with minimal scarring.

8. Honey contains vitamins and antioxidants; in fact one unique antioxidant called "pinocembrin" is only found in honey.

It's unbelievable how many benefits honey has for your skin. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. Once I began doing research into the idea of using a honey facial, I discovered that it's been used for hundreds of years. Its even documented that Cleopatra used honey to give her skin a "deep glow." A honey facial can give your skin the nutrients it needs to stay smooth and reverse the damage done by free radicals, making your skin glow.

Here is a more detailed explanation of manuka honey benefits:

• Wash away the old, herald the new. Active manuka honey increase cell growth - nature's way of healing.

• Collagen, a protein whose loss of structural integrity results in wrinkles, gains a big boost from active manuka honey products. Bovine injections are no longer needed, just stock up on active manuka honey and lather up.

• Active manuka honey contests oxidative stress by lowering free radical activity in the epidermis. Antioxidants are essential for fighting free radicals and maintaining overall health.