Study Finds Kanuka Honey Improves Rosacea
Did you hear about the possible breakthrough for an all-natural way to treat rosacea? In March, 2015, New Zealand's HoneyLab, the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, and Callaghan Innovation released the findings of a clinical trial using, of all things, honey to treat rosacea.
The Study
With this study, a large group of rosacea patients tried a new product called Honevo that contains kanuka honey to treat their facial redness. Of the group, more than 6 out of 10 patients saw improvements to their rosacea. For approximately 1 out of every 10 patients, rosacea disappeared. Another 3 out of 10 saw drastic improvements. Per the Science Director of HoneyLab Science, these results are the same or even better than seen in patients taking prescription medications for rosacea.
What is Kanuka Honey?
Kanuka honey is a less common honey created by the pollen from kanuka shrubs. The kanuka is a shrub found in Australia and New Zealand that produces small white flowers. Parakeets commonly use the bark of these shrubs to rid themselves of parasites. It is believed that the anti-parasitic properties of the kanuka is beneficial to rosacea, as some researchers believe rosacea is caused by parasites living within the skin.