Why we love Manuka Honey?

Manuka honey has been used for generations and continues to be highly regarded in skincare for its unique natural composition. Rich in naturally occurring sugars and compounds such as methylglyoxal (MGO), it functions as a humectant by attracting moisture to the skin and helping maintain hydration. Rather than relying on Manuka honey alone, we combine it with carefully selected botanical ingredients and modern formulation science to create balanced products that support healthy-looking skin.

Which Manuka Honey we use?

At Rooted Clinical Botanics, we use premium Manuka honey as one part of a thoughtfully balanced formula. Rather than relying on a single "hero" ingredient, we combine Manuka honey with complementary ingredients such as niacinamide, panthenol, botanical oils, and skin-conditioning lipids to create products that feel elegant while supporting healthy-looking skin.Unlike many tallow products that simply stir honey into oils, our Manuka Repair Cream is formulated as a true emulsion. Because honey is water-soluble, science requires it to be properly emulsified into the water phase to ensure even distribution throughout the product. We use professional homogenization to create a stable cream so every application delivers the same balanced formulation.

What Makes Manuka Honey Different than regular honey?

Manuka honey is produced by bees that collect nectar primarily from the Manuka shrub (Leptospermum scoparium), native to New Zealand. It has become well known because of its unique natural composition, which distinguishes it from many other types of honey. Our formulations use high-grade Manuka Honey (UMF 16+ / MGO 573+), selected for its quality and consistency.

Discover the ingredients we use with our Manuka Honey

Manuka Repair is a true emulsified cream with a relatively low water phase and a high concentration of nourishing oils. It brings together moisture-attracting ingredients, botanical extracts, antioxidants, skin-conditioning lipids, and carefully selected active ingredients. Every ingredient is chosen for a specific purpose. Because the majority of this cream is composed of oils, we use a professional homogenizer (a specialized mixing tool similar to a high-powered stick blender) to thoroughly emulsify the oil and water phases together. This creates a smooth, stable cream and helps ensure the ingredients are evenly dispersed throughout the formula, so every application delivers the same balanced blend of beneficial ingredients.

Ingredient	How it helps
Grass-Fed Tallow	Provides rich, skin-conditioning lipids that help soften the skin and support its natural moisture barrier.
Lavender Water	Forms the water phase of the cream and allows water-soluble ingredients, including Manuka honey, niacinamide, panthenol, and glycerin, to be properly incorporated.
Mango Seed Butter	A rich botanical butter that helps soften dry skin and gives the cream a smooth, nourishing texture.
Cetearyl Alcohol and Polysorbate 60	An emulsifying system that helps the water-based and oil-based ingredients remain evenly combined, creating a stable and consistent cream.
Squalane	A lightweight emollient that helps improve spreadability while leaving the skin feeling soft and conditioned without excessive heaviness.
Apricot Kernel Oil	A lightweight botanical oil rich in fatty acids that helps soften and condition the skin.
Vegetable Glycerin	A humectant that attracts moisture to the skin and helps support lasting hydration.
Manuka Honey	A naturally moisture-attracting humectant containing sugars and distinctive compounds such as methylglyoxal. It helps support hydration and a comfortable skin feel.
Niacinamide	A form of vitamin B3 that helps support the skin barrier and improve the appearance of uneven tone and texture.
Jojoba Seed Oil	A lightweight liquid wax with properties similar to the skin’s natural sebum, helping condition and soften the skin.
Coenzyme Q10	An antioxidant that helps support the skin and protect it against the visible effects of environmental stressors.
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate	An oil-soluble vitamin C derivative that provides antioxidant support and helps promote a brighter, more even-looking complexion.
Tamanu Seed Oil	A rich botanical oil traditionally used in skincare to condition and comfort dry or stressed-looking skin.
Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5)	Helps attract and retain moisture while supporting a soft, smooth, and conditioned skin feel.
Beeswax	Helps give the cream structure and forms a light protective layer that supports moisture retention.
Lavender Flower Water	Our lavender flower water is gently infused with marshmallow root and plantain. This botanical infusion helps provide additional skin-conditioning and hydration-supporting properties while complementing the cream's nourishing botanical profile.
Phenoxyethanol and Ethylhexylglycerin	A broad-spectrum preservative system that helps protect the water-containing formula from microbial contamination during its intended shelf life.
Vitamin E	An antioxidant that helps protect the formula’s oils from oxidation while also contributing skin-conditioning benefits.
Calendula Flower Extract	A botanical extract traditionally used to help comfort and condition dry, delicate, or sensitive-looking skin.
Plantain Leaf Extract	A traditional botanical ingredient selected to complement formulas designed for dry and uncomfortable-feeling skin.
Marshmallow Root Extract	Contains naturally occurring mucilage compounds that contribute soothing, conditioning, and moisture-supporting properties.
Rosemary Leaf Extract	An antioxidant-rich botanical extract used primarily to help support the oxidative stability of the formula’s oils.
Frankincense Oil	An aromatic botanical oil included in a small amount to complement the formula’s botanical character and natural scent.

Thoughtfully formulated: Because Manuka honey is water-soluble, it is incorporated into a true emulsion rather than simply stirred into oils. This helps keep the water-based and oil-based ingredients evenly distributed throughout the cream.

Start giving your skin love

We offer a variety of products, but our star Manuka Honey Repair cream is made specially for you.

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Scientific Literature

Manuka honey and atopic dermatitis
This is a small controlled study evaluating topical Manuka honey on atopic dermatitis lesions. Fourteen participants experienced significant improvement in honey-treated areas compared with untreated control areas. Laboratory findings also suggested that Manuka honey may influence inflammatory pathways involved in dermatitis.

Reference
Alangari, A. A., Morris, K., Lwaleed, B. A., et al. (2017). Honey is potentially effective in the treatment of atopic dermatitis: Clinical and mechanistic studies. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease, 5(2), 190–199.
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Honey dressings and chronic wound healing
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis included eight studies and 906 participants. Honey dressings were associated with faster wound-healing time and a higher percentage of wound healing, although the authors noted substantial differences among studies and limitations in the certainty of the evidence.

Reference
Tang, Y., Chen, L., & Ran, X. (2024). Efficacy and safety of honey dressings in the management of chronic wounds: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 16(15), 2455.
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Honey combination therapies for skin and wound infections
Honey is valued for its naturally occurring compounds and has demonstrated antimicrobial activity in laboratory and medical wound-care research.

Reference
McLoone, P., Tabys, D., & Fyfe, L. (2020). Honey combination therapies for skin and wound infections: A systematic review of the literature. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 13, 875–888.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Manuka honey the same as regular honey?

No. Manuka honey comes primarily from the nectar of the Manuka shrub in New Zealand and has a different natural composition than most traditional honeys.

Why do you use a true emulsion?

Honey is water-soluble, while oils and tallow are not. A true emulsion allows these ingredients to remain evenly dispersed throughout the product, providing consistent texture and application.

Why not simply mix honey into tallow without water?

Without proper emulsification, honey and oils naturally separate over time. Creating a stable emulsion helps ensure the ingredients remain evenly distributed throughout the cream.

Can Manuka honey replace a moisturizer?

Manuka honey is an excellent humectant, but we believe it performs best when combined with emollients and skin-conditioning ingredients in a complete formulation.