Honevo: Everything You Need to Know

To be frank, everything I'm doing for my rosacea helps, but I can have a flare up just as easily. The case studies for a product called Honevo caught my eye. Something as simple as kanuka honey is helping many rosacea patients gain the clearer, healthier skin they crave. While New Zealand, home of HoneyLab Ltd., is a long way from me, I ordered a bottle, waited a few weeks, and have started a trial run that will be featured in future posts. Here's what I can share about Honevo for rosacea so far.

What is Honevo?

Honevo Rosacea is a newer product made from simple ingredients that help fight inflammation and bacteria linked to rosacea. The ingredient list in Honevo is simple. It contains kanuka honey (medical-grade) and glycerin. The ratio is 90 percent honey to 10 percent glycerin. That's it. There is nothing else in this gel. Now, as the first time I put some on my face, my dog went nuts and wanted to lick it off. I did query HoneyLab and Dr. Shawn Holt answered. He informed me that the glycerin that is used is completely safe, so even if my dog sneaks a lick, I do not have to worry.

Honevo looks and smells like honey. It feels like honey. It's sticky and that's the one issue I have so far. When I smear it on my face, it is sticky enough that my skin pulls as I smooth it on. I've been told by my doctor to avoid rubbing or scrubbing the areas of skin affected by my rosacea. Having to pull at the skin to get an even coating isn't ideal, but I'm going to give it a two-week trial anyway and report back after each full week.

Directions on the tube are to apply Honevo to the areas of skin affected by rosacea and let sit for at least 10 minutes. On HonevoHoney.com, it says 15 minutes, and in the case study I read about, it was left on for 30 minutes. I'll be doing the 30 minutes for my personal trial. After the appropriate amount of time passes, you wash it off with water.

The Study With Rosacea Patients

I learned of Honevo Rosacea in an article by the American Academy of Dermatology. A group of 69 adults were asked to use Honevo for a number of weeks, and 68 were asked to use a placebo. Each of these adults had dealt with rosacea for an average of 15 years. As Honevo does have a distinct honey scent, the participants all knew if they had the placebo or not, but a judge who was unaware of who used which product was used for the assessments.

After the first round, 34 percent of the participants using Honevo saw an improvement by the 8th week, while 17 percent of the placebo group saw improvements. In the second round, 7 people using Honevo withdrew as their rosacea had worsened, while 15 from the placebo group withdrew for the same reason. Findings showed that those using Honevo had better outcomes than those who went without.

Where to Buy Honevo for Rosacea

Honevo for rosacea is not sold in stores, but HoneyLab does ship to most countries. My tube of Honevo ended up costing approximately $38 USD, including shipping, at HonevoHoney.com. The same tube of prescription MetroGel that my doctor recommends is over $250. If you do not have insurance or your insurance only covers half of your prescriptions, Honevo may be an affordable alternative to prescription rosacea treatments.