Many of us know honey as this delicious natural sweetener that often tastes fantastic with pancakes, toast and yoghurt. I am also sure many of us know the benefits of honey for the skin. For those who are not aware, honey has been touted as a fantastic ingredient in skincare due to its many benefits including, being a natural antioxidant, a natural humectant, powderful antimicrobial properties and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies have also shown that honey is a fantastic ingredient for wound healing. The benefits of honey are indeed endless, but the wisdom on how honey can be beneficial to the skin has been known for thousands of years now, stemming back to the Greeks and Egyptians who used topical application of honey to treat skin wounds and burns. Traditional Persian medicine has documented honey to be effective in the treatment of wounds, eczema, and inflammation. It is obvious that honey can be extremely beneficial to the skin, and Manuka honey – the honey that is produced by honey bees who gather nectar from the Manuka tree, has shown to be especially successful in fighting bacteria and have also been shown in studies to be anti-inflammatory. In skincare, these two factors alone are desirable as the antimicrobial properties of Manuka Honey are great for those who have acne/blemish prone skin and the anti-inflammatory and soothing nature of the honey is also fantastic for those with sensitive skin or suffer from redness.
Due to honey being touted as such a fantastic ingredient to help the skin, I was very excited about the launch of new skincare brand, Mrs Manuka based in Bondi. The Mrs Manuka range currently boasts three products that involve the infamous Manuka Honey – the Daily Moisturiser, the Detox Mask and a just recently launched Lip Balm. Whilst the range is still in the works to grow, what the girls at Mrs Manuka have created so far, is a beautifully luxe line of skincare that harnesses the powers of Manuka Honey. The range looks beautiful, sleek and incredibly luxurious (I mean have you seen their black and gold packaging…stunning!) and the products in the range also do deliver results. I have been fortunate enough to try the range and here are my first impressions on what the products have been like to use in the span of the last few months.
***Please note, the Mrs Manuka range was kindly gifted to me by Mrs Manuka for review. However, all opinions in this post are my very own, honest opinions!
Mrs Manuka Detox Mask
Out of the two products, The Mrs Manuka Detox Mask is probably my favourite in the range. This mask is a dry powdered clay mask which is activated with a liquid. I haven’t really used many dry powdered masks before, but I do know that it is now a very popular way for masks to be marketed. The reasoning behind is that the ingredients such as clay remain active and are only activated and therefore at its most potent when it is combined with liquid.
The ingredients of the Mrs Manuka Detox Mask is a combination of different clays to help purify, detox and balance the skin as well as botanicals such as Calendula, hibiscus and chamomile to help soothe the skin and act as an antimicrobials. What is perhaps the star ingredient in this mask is the use of Manuka honey powder in which we all know harnesses all sorts of amazing skin benefits. Studies have shown that Manuka Honey in particular, is powerful antibacterial for the skin and also contains wonderful anti-inflammatory benefits. The use of hydrating ingredients such as aloe vera powder and hyaluronic acid powder, help to balance in what potentially could be quite a drying mask (clay masks are quite drying) and help provide the skin with extra hydration.
My favourite way to activate the Detox Mask is actually with some green tea or some chamomile tea as they work so well with this mask to calm and soothe complexion. It also feels so incredibly refreshing and cooling to the skin, making it a great treat for a hot summers day. However, the Mrs Manuka Detox mask can actually be mixed with any liquid of choice – whether it be plain water, aloe vera or raw honey, making it a fantastic mask to customise and make your own depending on the mood.
The results that I do get from this mask have been pleasantly surprising as I was a little unsure about using this dry mask at first. The main reason for this is because I haven’t used dry masks until recently and I am always worried about getting the quantities wrong. I have to say after a few months of using this, I have really enjoyed the Detox Mask as it does help to purify and leave my skin feeling balanced. Like most clay masks, the Detox Mask soaks up any excess oil that is on the skin and helps to clear out my pores. However, unlike some clay masks, the Mrs Manuka Detox Mask does not leave the skin dry and parched. The ladies at Mrs Manuka have really thought this mask out well, as I have found that the addition of honey, hyaluronic acid and aloe vera to be really hydrating and helps to balance out the drying effects of clay. When I wash this mask off, it reveals skin that is clean, hydrated, purified with a subtle glow. The mask works quite well to soak up any excess oil in the skin and it does not leave the skin looking or feeling tight afterwards. Instead, my face feels quite hydrated and my complexion feels quite balanced.
My only gripe with the Mrs Manuka Detox Mask is it’s packaging – I am not a fan of the resealable sachet and would much prefer to have this in a jar rather than a bag. I feel that ingredients don’t feel quite secure in the pouch and that it is sometimes a little harder to scoop the power out as the sachet is quite ‘deep’. Other than that, the product itself performs wonderfully and I love the fact I can customise this mask using a different liquid to suit my own skincare needs.
The Mrs Manuka Detox Mask can be purchased from the Mrs Manuka website and comes in a 100g resealable pouch and retails for AUD$45.
Mrs Manuka Daily Moisturiser
The Mrs Manuka Daily Moisturiser was something that I was really excited to try but once I had actually tried it, I wasn’t sure if I quite liked it. On first impressions, when I opened up my gorgeous gold and black jar (this packaging is so beautiful, I love it), the moisturiser looked a little rich and not as smooth as I had hoped due to the fact it looked a little ‘clumpy’ with fine grain like bits in the moisturiser. Once I had a little play, and tried the moisturiser on the back of my hand, I noticed that these ‘bits’ melted away effortlessly into the skin. The uneven texture is most likely due to the fact that the Mrs Manuka moisturiser prides itself on being 100% natural, with some ingredients being certified organic and being a predominantly natural product, uneven textures are quite normal and therefore didn’t really bother me at all.
Speaking of ingredients, the Daily Moisturiser does contain a cocktail of hydrating oils such as Argan oil, Jojoba oil and Camelia oil as well as some richer oil/butters such as coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter to help moisture and hydrate the skin. Some active ingredients such as antioxidant rich Kakadu Plum and Green Tea are included in this beautifully packaged formulation to help protect the skin from free radical damage from environmental stressors but also to help boost and improve the skin in terms of brightening. The addition of Manuka Honey in the formulation of the Daily Moisturiser not only acts to help soothe the skin and as an antibacterial but also works as a natural humectant as it works to attract and retain moisture in the skin. This characteristic of honey makes it fantastic ingredient to add in a moisturiser as after all, the role of a moisturises is to help lock moisture into the skin, keeping it hydrated and plump.
For me personally, I have found the Mrs Manuka Daily Moisturiser just a little bit too rich for my skin (it gets quite oily in summer) for the day time and I much prefer to use this in the evening as a night time moisturiser or when my skin needs a little bit more TLC. It does contains some hydrating oils such as Argan oil, Jojoba oil and Camelia oil which are well known to nourish the skin and be rich in fatty acids. The use of coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter is perhaps what makes this moisturiser a bit more richer than I would have liked. Those with more blemish/acne prone skin may want to be a little extra careful with this due to the fact that these butters/oils may not sit well with your skin. In saying that though, I think the Mrs Manuka Daily Moisturiser would be a great moisturiser choice for those with dry skin or for those colder winter months when the skin needs that extra bit of hydration and nourishment. Due to this, I am really looking forward to using this more in the colder months as my skin can get really dry. I think this moisturiser will not only protect the skin, but inclusion of its nourishing oils and honey will help to soothe, heal and keep my skin hydrated in the Australian winter.
The Mrs Manuka Daily Moisturiser can be purchased from the Mrs Manuka website and comes in a 30g jar and retails for AUD$45
Overall Thoughts
The Mrs Manuka range is a really exciting new Australian skincare line that harnesses the power of Manuka honey in its natural formulations. The products in the Mrs Manuka line are still expanding (with a lipbalm that has just been released) but what the brand has offered so far is a really solid clay mask that not only works to detox and purify but also hydrate and create a beautiful glow, as well as a decadent moisturiser that works quite well to nourish dry skin. I love the inclusion of honey in the range and those who love honey in their skincare routine will most definitely appreciate the Mrs Manuka line. I find that the prices of the line extremely reasonable (at AUD$45 for a 100g pouch or 30g moisturiser) as the ingredients used are not only 100% natural but also the products do what they are supposed to do. There are no false claims, no crazy promises, the line just delivers to help detox and purify the skin via a mask or help to nourish, hydrate and moisturise the skin via a daily moisturiser. It will be interesting to see how the Daily Moistursier performs in the colder months and I absolutely do love the Detox Clay Mask as it is. I love the philosophy of this brand and where it’s heading is quite exciting. I can’t wait to see what this Bondi based brand comes up with next!
Check out Instagram for an exciting GIVEAWAY of the Mrs Manuka range! It’s open internationally as well! GOOD LUCK!
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