In Conversation: Collagen and Mānuka Honey 💋

GN: Let's start at the beginning. Everyone knows that Mānuka honey is probably our most famous ingredient. Does that surprise you?

GC: Now that we won Best Lipstick in the world, it probably shouldn't!  But yes, it does actually. Honey has been used as a food and medicine throughout 8,000 years of human history. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used it and the practices of the Ayurvedic and in Olmec medicine in ancient Mexico! See we were connected by honey even then! 

GN: I always tell you that Mexico is ahead of it's time! 

GC: And chic! Yes you do. And that is the point here. If hundreds of years ago your forefathers knew about this amazing ingredient that is one of the longest standing ingredients in the arsenal of holistic human health, it is a mystery to me that nobody had added potent medical grade honey it to lipstick!!

GN: Well I think that one of the barriers was finding a ways to mix it into a formula. You know that was a big part of our starting year process. 

GC: Yes, absolutely, and we did it!

GN: Yes! Let’s get to good stuff. Does Mānuka honey increase collagen? Or slow the signs of aging on skin and lips? I feel that my lips do look younger and the feedback seems to agree. What do you think? 

GC: Yes. There is absolutely a link to the properties of raw clean Mānuka honey to beauty. You see Mānuka honey is high in methylglyoxal. Yes, it is found in most types of honey in small quantities. However, Mānuka honey contains up to 100 times more MG than normal honey. It is that substance that has shown to increase collagen cross-linking, promoting the structural growth of collagen in skin cells. Healthy collagen can mean healthy, firm, youthful-looking lips and skin.

GN: Is that where the Amino acids come into play?

GC: Yes. Amino acids are the building blocks of collagen, as we know, but they also protect collagen. Raw Mānuka honey and its high potency methylglyoxal levels aid in the cellular regeneration of amino acids and collagen. 

GN: What about moisture? I know we have a lot of other moisture loving ingredients but the honey is so dense and wet when first viewed at the hive. Heavier than water almost.

GC: In its purest form, Mānuka honey helps skin and lips retain moisture, absolutely. That is because Mānuka honey is a natural humectant, drawing moisture into the skin. Hydrated skin looks smoother and more youthful, and heals more quickly. 

GN: I was shocked to see when the first shipment arrived from the hives in New Zealand how dense Mānuka honey is. It really is like a paste not a honey. 

GC: Yes all the goodness needs to live somewhere! 

GN: Does it also sanitize and clean?

GC: Raw Mānuka honey does, yes. I mentioned methylglyoxal. It is extremely antibacterial. It exists because of the conversion of another compound, dihydroxyacetone, that is found in high concentration in the nectar of Manuka flowers. 

GN: Leaving beauty, Mānuka honey has other medicinal benefits correct?

GC: Indeed. In lots of possible ways. A quick research shows you this: to treat burns and wounds, skin irritation, and a large range of ailments. However, the most interesting is how it has been used in cancer research. I was reading about a study from the UAE where the scientific team began an investigation using different cancer cell lines, culturing them with Mānuka honey to see what effect it had on them. 

GB: WOW. What was the result? 

GC: They found evidence that Mānuka honey actually kills some cancer cells at low concentrations. While there doesn't mean our lipstick is a cure for cancer - I want to make that clear - it does show the potency of our magic ingredient. I am so proud we made it happen.

GN: Me too. We've given thousands of women more reasons to love their lips and love life. 

GC: 100%. Here's to you Madame Gabriela!