Our Summary
Honey has been used medicinally for skin care since the earliest recorded civilizations, but this 2013 review by Italian researchers Burlando and Cornara, published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, examined the modern scientific evidence behind those ancient practices. Honey is far more than a simple sugar solution: it is a complex mixture of fructose, glucose, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and a range of biologically active compounds that together give it properties highly relevant to dermatology. Chief among these is its antimicrobial activity, which operates through multiple mechanisms including the enzymatic release of hydrogen peroxide, low water content that inhibits bacterial growth, acidic pH, and in the case of manuka honey specifically, the presence of methylglyoxal, an especially potent antibacterial compound. These properties make honey particularly well suited as a wound and burn dressing, where it creates a moist healing environment, prevents infection, reduces inflammation, and promotes tissue repair, capabilities that have led to the development of regulated medical-grade honey products for clinical use. Beyond wound care, the review documents evidence for honey's effectiveness in a broad range of skin conditions including pityriasis, tinea (fungal infections), seborrhea, dandruff, diaper dermatitis, psoriasis, hemorrhoids, and anal fissure. Honey has also been used historically and increasingly in modern cosmetics as a moisturizing and soothing agent given its humectant properties. The authors conclude that honey's combination of antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and skin-conditioning properties positions it as a genuinely versatile and scientifically supported ingredient in both therapeutic dermatology and everyday skin care.
PMID: 24305429
DOI: 10.1111/jocd.12058
Abstract
Honey is a bee-derived, supersaturated solution composed mainly of fructose and glucose, and containing proteins and amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, minerals, and other minor components. Historical records of honey skin uses date back to the earliest civilizations, showing that honey has been frequently used as a binder or vehicle, but also for its therapeutic virtues. Antimicrobial properties are pivotal in dermatological applications, owing to enzymatic H2 O2 release or the presence of active components, like methylglyoxal in manuka, while medical-grade honey is also available. Honey is particularly suitable as a dressing for wounds and burns and has also been included in treatments against pityriasis, tinea, seborrhea, dandruff, diaper dermatitis, psoriasis, hemorrhoids, and anal fissure. In cosmetic formulations, it exerts emollient, humectant, soothing, and hair conditioning effects, keeps the skin juvenile and retards wrinkle formation, regulates pH and prevents pathogen infections. Honey-based cosmetic products include lip ointments, cleansing milks, hydrating creams, after sun, tonic lotions, shampoos, and conditioners. The used amounts range between 1 and 10%, but concentrations up to 70% can be reached by mixing with oils, gel, and emulsifiers, or polymer entrapment. Intermediate-moisture, dried, and chemically modified honeys are also used. Mechanisms of action on skin cells are deeply conditioned by the botanical sources and include antioxidant activity, the induction of cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase expression, as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition in wounded epidermis. Future achievements, throwing light on honey chemistry and pharmacological traits, will open the way to new therapeutic approaches and add considerable market value to the product.
Keywords: acacia honey; antimicrobial action; cosmetic and dermatological formulations; manuka honey; phytocompounds; skin cells; skin disease and aging; traditional medicine; wound healing.
