Product Review: Seven Days Using Honevo Rosacea

Honevo, a facial cleanser from HoneyLab, has been getting high praise from people who have rosacea. Kanuka honey contains strong antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it an excellent choice to help treat the redness associated with the skin condition. Honevo Rosacea, now called Honevo Red, is a product that is supposed to help ease flare-ups and irritation.

My Story

I've had rosacea for decades. It started when I was a teen. I'd be under fluorescent lighting and turn scarlet red. I didn't know it then, but my dermatologist says that was likely an indicator of rosacea. It progressed rapidly in my 30s. Soon my skin was red with pustules. In the winter months, even with regular use of moisturizers, it was cracking and peeling. My doctor and I found that dietary changes in the winter months were not enough, so I started using Metrogel to help control it.

Metrogel worked well for a while. The problem is that it stopped working at all. I could have switched to a new medication, but I was warned that relief with any medication may not last forever. Over time, the medications can become less effective.

Metrogel vs. Honevo Price

One of the first things to look at when it comes to Honevo is the price. Compared to medications, it's far more affordable. Metrogel is the medication that my doctor says is most commonly used to treat rosacea.

If you don't know of Metrogel, it is a topical antibiotic gel that is applied twice a day to the areas where rosacea is the worst. By itself (using pricing from my local pharmacy), Metrogel costs more than $250 per tube. My insurance is pretty good, so I pay $10 per tube with a co-pay. My mother, who also has rosacea, isn't as lucky, and she gets 50 percent off her medications. Before she stopped using Metrogel, she was paying about $130 per tube.

Honevo is only available online. It costs approximately $26 USD per tube (per 2018 pricing). Plus, there is the shipping cost to get it from New Zealand to the United States or wherever you happen to reside. Shipping to my area in the United States (New England) is almost $10 USD (per 2018). That puts the total at around $36, which can be much cheaper than Metrogel.

How Well Does It Work?

One thing I've found about rosacea is that what works for some will not work for others. From the start, I was pretty sure that Honevo would fit well into this. Per the studies, it does work for a high percentage of people, but there was also a percentage who found their skin got worse after using the honey facial cleanser.

The instructions vary. On the tube, it said to apply a thin layer to your face and leave it on for at least 10 minutes. The website said to leave it on for at least 15 minutes. The study I read said participants left it on their face for 30 minutes or longer. I followed the trial and left it on for 30 minutes. You do this twice a day, just like with Metrogel, so I would do it before a shower in the morning and before bed at night.

Before I even started, I stopped using Metrogel for three days. I figured this would clear out any residual effects of the antibiotic gel and start fresh with the Honevo Red.

One thing I noticed within two days is that my skin was itchy. It wasn't enjoyable, and I was afraid I was going to be one of those people who found Honevo Rosacea didn't help. I kept going, however, hoping it would improve. Sadly, it didn't. By day seven, the redness had not improved, though it didn't really worsen. It does say to give it two weeks, but the itching is really bothering me, so I stopped at seven days.

Now, one thing you'll find is that Honevo is a mixture of Kanuka honey and glycerin. I think it's the glycerin that makes my skin so itchy. This isn't the first time a product with glycerin has made my face itchy. If you are not sensitive to skin products containing glycerin, give Honevo for rosacea a try.

I also found a new issue came into play when summer came. In my neighborhood, odorous ants are an issue. Even though I had the Honevo in the bathroom medicine cabinet, the ants found it. I soon had a trail of ants after the honey they found inside the snap-tight lid. I had to get rid of it to get rid of the ants.

What About Manuka Honey for Rosacea?

I was working at Costco for a while. The store started selling Manuka honey for a reasonable price. We had samples available, so I brought some home. I found that those little, sealed packets did more for my skin than Honevo. That's just the plain honey, however. It's a sticky mess to have smeared on your face for half an hour.

You might still want to give it a shot. I don't blame you! Rosacea is maddening, and if you can find something that helps, you should use it. What I have found is that you can easily buy Honevo from the manufacturer or shop at Amazon for a product called Steens Raw Native Bush Honey. It's a great rosacea product for a person on a budget. You get a 12-ounce jar of raw, cold processed Manuka honey for a reasonable price. It won't work exactly the same as Kanuka honey, but some people with rosacea find it helps.

People often say that Kanuka and Manuka are the same. They're not. According to experts, the biggest difference between Kanuka and Manuka honey is that Kanuka contains arabinogalactan proteins, which aid in skin healing. Manuka is rich in dihydroxyacetone, which helps by exfoliating dead skin cells. Manuka honey helps some, but it won't work the same as Kanuka. If it does work, you've found a budget rosacea skin treatment that's easy to acquire.

Have you had any luck with Honevo Red? Some say they've had great luck. I'd love to hear from others who found the rosacea cleanser worked for them.