close up of Three Peaks Honey jar
Blog Post,  Skincare

Have you tried Three Peaks Manuka honey yet?

When Three Peaks reached out to me to review their Manuka honey I was ecstatic. They sustainably source their honey in the heart of New Zealand. Specifically, the Tongariro Nation Park, a rare UNESCO World Heritage Site! (One of my closest friends from college lives in New Zealand. Her pictures of this region look surreal!

In 2017, Three Peaks purchased 2,500+ hives from Ross Apiaries with the goal to bring New Zealand’s best Manuka honey to their global customers. I also love that all of their bee keepers are listed by name on their website. A small though really nice touch for small businesses.

I also appreciate that sustainability and positively contributing to biodiversity is important to the brand. If they are not good shepherds of the land, they jeopardize their honey. When your product is a single ingredient, harvesting sustainably is vital. In addition to sustainable sourcing, some of their honey is sold in gorgeous glass jars with a plastic lid. Their UMF+12 is pictured above.

It takes 375 New Zealand bees and 8 Manuka plants to produce The Tongariro Jar pictured. Manuka honey MUST be made in New Zealand to be considered authentic and certified. Manuka forests also thrive in diverse ecosystems and are unique to New Zealand.

What does UMF mean?

Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). The UMF grading system appraises natural makers found in Manuka honey and assures purity and quality. The number actually represents the unique signature compound characteristics of the Manuka honey. Three Peaks tests and certifies the UMF grade of honey by a third party, Analytica Laboratories.

honey texture
The Manuka honey is a deep gold and gorgeous thick texture.

My review:

Like the color of the Manuka indicates, the taste is very rich. It is unlike any honey I have ever tried before.  The taste was so strong on it’s own I most enjoyed it with food. As shown above, on figs and sprinkling chili pepper flakes on top. If you are the type of person to put it on cheese I bet it would be delicious on a cheese board! I have a cheese addiction so I try to limit how much I have in the house. Wish I was kidding…

I also wear it as a luxurious face mask. While obviously sticky, I can comfortable wearing it for close to an hour. I recommend washing it off in the shower as it’s a bit of a pain and messy trying to remove over the sink. Hello wet floors.

The skin benefit I notice are a glow within minutes and my rash on my neck is way less noticeable! This must be due to the natural antibaterial and antimicrobial properties of Manuka honey (scientifically proven)! Though my pores did not look smaller, my skin looks healthier so I will certainly continue to use this as a face mask.

The two downsides of this product are the price and packaging. In order to have their honey in a glass jar, the costs was nearly three times the price of a lesser quality honey in plastic. I am not saying the large 7 oz or 200g jar is not worth the money, especially given it’s unique sourcing, just noting it is a financial barrier in Sustainable Clean Beauty. I did love that the glass bottle was not packed in plastic within their box, however the branded box was wrapped in bubble wrap and used plastic tape. Would love to see new packaging.

Proven scientific benefits of Manuka honey

Genuine Manuka honey contains over 200 compounds not found in other honeys. In particular, the medicinal trilogy of leptosperin, dihdroxyacetone (DHA) and methylglyoxl (MGO) are the signature compounds that are measured in the UMF rating given to each jar of Three Peaks Manuka honey. The higher the UMF rating, the higher the proportion of unique signature compounds found in that honey.

Hydrogen peroxide gives most honey its antibiotic quality. The major antibacterial component found only in Manuka honey is methylglyoxal. Natural version of this occur in Manuka, though synthetic version are also created and lack the same benefits.

The potency of the honey is something scientists are still working to understand. They do at least know it arises from a combination of climate, soil, plant species and of course the magic of the bees.

There are immune and digestive benefits to eating a teaspoon of Manuka honey a day. Some people take it in their tea or warm water as well. I hope to be one of these people so be on the look out for this in my Instagram stories!

How other customers use Manuka honey:

  • Support the respiratory system
  • Promote digestive and gastrointestinal health
  • Ease coughs and colds, or soothe the throat
  • For healthy teeth and gums – check out Ivyees, love her toothpaste! Black-owned, small business!
  • Act as an anti-inflammatory agent
  • Assist as a daily wellness boost
  • Provide a natural energy boost
  • Apply topically for skin healing and health
  • As a luxurious face mask

Use the code 15OFF3PEAKS to save 15% off your order via Three Peaks. Three Peaks is also available at Amazon.

Moira Holistic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.