Manuka Honey Based skincare with Au Natural Skinfood

I feel like since I’ve moved to Arizona my skin has gone through an array of changes just trying to adapt to the change in temperature and humidity.  I’ve never minded visits to the desert in the past because it usually meant great hair days but I don’t really remember what I did for makeup or skincare since I’d only go for a couple days at a time. Now that I live here permanently I must adjust to the super dry heat that makes me sweat (and sometimes breakout) like no other. 

The brand Au Natural came across my desk and I was very intrigued. Why? It’s main ingredient focus was New Zealand Manuka honey, an all-natural healing ingredient that can improve skin and gut health. I have already gone through jars and jars of Manuka Honey in the past and even shared about another manuka honey-based brand that found recently here. If you need a recap, Manuka Honey has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits to it, so much in fact that it’s even used in hospitals today!

What makes Manuka Honey so different from all the other honey out there is that therapeutic Manuka Honey is native to New Zealand and comes from the Manuka flower. It is harvested only at specific times and requires special care, and has those special antibacterial properties that come from hydrogen peroxide (found in most honey) as well as it’s an unusually high level of methylglyoxal (MGO). 

The key to getting good Manuka honey is using one with a UMF rating or a MGO rating for you to compare it against the rest. UMF (unique manuka factor) and MGO (methylglyoxal) are two numbers used to give users an idea of the strength of the honey. The UMF will tell you how much methyglyoxal, leptosperin and DHA the honey has — in short, the higher, the better! As the concentration increases, so does the price so I usually stay in the UMF 10 to UMF 20 range due to cost.

But back to Au Natural Skinfood! Their products include Manuka Honey with a UMF 16 rating which can help heal the skin and help fight acne. I’ve been trying a range of their products and wanted to see if their sustainably-sourced, eco-friendly line could really produce products that do well for my skin. So many natural products fall short in one way or another yet I had high hopes for this one since I believe in the power of Manuka Honey.

I was able to sample their Discovery kit and On the Spot Treatment kit (for acne).  I did still incorporate some other products into my routine such as hyaluronic acid and exfoliating powder cleanser, but wanted to give my skin a couple of weeks with this all-natural brand. 

The Discovery kit contains their Remove Cleanser, Prepare Lotion (toner), AM Day serum & PM Night serum. I loved the Remove Cleanser as it felt super gentle on the skin and quite unique with it’s lotion-like consistency. There are no suds at all, just a smooth lotion that you massage into the skin leaving it feeling very moisturized and well balanced. A little goes a long way too since it easily spreads across the skin. 

The Prepare Lotion is actually a toner. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the fine (but wide) mist this little bottle does. I find it really refreshing to spritz on throughout the day with its slight citrus scent due to the kiwi fruit in it. I usually do two spritzes after cleansing just to add a hydrating layer before moving into moisturizers. I truly love using facial mists so it’s a shame this was a smaller size because I really wanted to use it WAY more than I could! LOL! I’d love one of these for my gym bag as well. The spritz is said to brighten the skin, balance the skin microbiome while strengthening the skin barrier. 

I was a bit confused by serums actually being moisturizers and toners being called lotion so I laughed a bit to myself when I found two lip balm like tins housing the AM serum and the PM Night Creme. The AM serum is the daytime moisturizer which also felt very hydrating upon application. It contains Ponga Seed Fern Oil which is high in Omega fatty acids and Magestem to help tighten and lift the skin. A little goes a long way and you really only need a dab to work for the whole face. At first it feels a bit heavy for day time usage in hot Arizona weather but dries down nicely within a minute or two.

The PM Night creme almost appears like a paste in the tin but applies silky smooth. I like to pat on an extra layer around my eyes and lips for added moisture. I don’t find any detectable scent in the night creme where the AM serum has a hint of lime scent in the background — almost undetectable to my nose which has to sniff it really closely to figure it out. The heat has been intense out here in Arizona so anything that feels thicker has to be set aside until cooler weather sets in, otherwise, I sweat it off within minutes if the air conditioning isn’t blowing right on my face. Unfortunately, it gets really hot in my bathroom so the sweating sets in quick. 

Because I also deal with breakouts, they sent me the On The Spot Treatment kit which includes their On The Spot gel cleanser, On The Spot Moisturizer, and On The Spot spot gel. I think my skin faired better with the On The Spot gel cleanser simply because I have been feeling so hot and greasy lately. Its liquid gel formula emulsifies with water to help loosen blackheads, unclog pores, and reduce any inflamed breakouts. In addition to the Manuka honey, it also has Kanuka leaf oil to kill acne-causing bacteria for clearer skin. 

The On The Spot moisturizer feels extremely lightweight on the skin further confirming the Discovery kit is better for me in the cooler months. It dries down quickly without any tackiness, and also contains the powerhouse combo of Manuka honey and Kanuka leaf oil and salicylic acid to keep pimples under control. I really enjoy how this moisturizer completely disappears into the skin doing it’s work without me thinking that I have anything on my face. 

I think the most interesting and successful product out of the entire lot was the On The Spot spot gel. This mud-like cream comes in pump form but is dabbed on over any existing white heads to reduce it in size and redness. I had a hard time with the pump so I would unscrew the top and use a skincare spatula to scrape some out and apply where needed with my hands. The combination of Manuka honey, Kanuka leaf oil, Glacial clay and salicylic acid work together in a potent form and I definitely would notice shrinkage and redness reduction when I would keep it on overnight. Just make sure it dries before you hit the pillow or you might end up with a mud smear! Most of the time I was able to peel off the treatment like a mini mask and reveal a less severe blemish underneath. 

I enjoyed all the products with the Prepare Lotion, On The Spot Gel Cleaner and On the Spot Spot gel being the favorites out of the bunch. I feel like all Au natural products can be used pretty sparingly which is great for reserving cost and product packaging overall. I think it’s great that everything is housed in aluminum containers that you can buy refills and use them as long as you like. I think my skin did well with both systems, but I do like to mix and match with other products that fit how my skin is acting that day. I will always believe that Manuka Honey based products make my skin healthier. 

Au Natural Skincare is cruelty-free, non-nano formulas, organic-based and offers eco-friendly refills for their products and recyclable packaging. You can find them at www. Aunaturalskinfood.com