I'm nearing the end of my allotted amount of time for Project Pan 2013, and I'm back with a review of a product on my list that grew on me the more I used it: the Wild Ferns New Zealand Manuka Honey Exfoliating Facial Scrub. I bought this product as a souvenir for myself while in New Zealand last year, along with some other facial products by Wild Ferns for my relatives.

If you haven't heard of Manuka honey before, it's a honey produced in New Zealand and Australia that's known for its heightened antibacterial properties. I'm not exactly sure how this translates to skincare, honestly, unless you have wounds or maybe acne, but the Wild Ferns company (along with a few others) has a line exclusively devoted to Manuka honey.

Manuka honey is sold and labelled according to its potency. According to WebMD, to be considered potent enough to be therapeutic, the honey must have a minimum rating of UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) 10. Anything with a 10 or greater UMF rating can also be marked "Active Manuka Honey."

How does this factor into the Wild Ferns New Zealand Manuka Honey Exfoliating Facial Scrub? It is labelled "Active AAH 650+" which the company says means it contains "pure Active Manuka Antibacterial Antioxidant Honey 650+." The product's claims:
At 3.38 ounces/100mL and about $11 USD at the time, this wasn't a cheap facial scrub. But I loved it.

First of all, it doesn't contain any mineral oils or parabens. Secondly, it has a fresh honey fragrance that isn't cloying and isn't too sharp. The texture itself is a little runnier than I thought it would be -- runnier than honey and most facial scrubs I've used before, but not to the point that it made application difficult. My favorite thing about this scrub, however, was how incredibly soft it made my skin. I think honey on its own can soften your skin, but honey made into a scrub probably doubled or tripled the results. You could probably try to make your own honey scrub at home, but what I liked about the Wild Ferns product was that it wasn't sticky at all, something that often holds me back from mixing honey into my skincare routine.

It does utilize apricot seed kernels to exfoliate, which some say is more damaging to the skin than not, but I haven't really noticed any lacerations or blemishes from this (or any apricot seed kernel) scrub. A little bit of this scrub goes a long way because it's runnier and more spreadable, and it lasted me over a year with at least one application a week. I think the $11 was worth it, and I've seen the scrub go for cheaper on Amazon.com


If you're interested in honey products which, in general, are supposed to be quite healing and replenishing, I definitely recommend this scrub, and I recommend checking out the Wild Ferns line of skincare and bath products. A saleswoman I spoke to in New Zealand said that because the Wild Ferns line is mostly natural, the longevity of these products is shorter than other brands, but I haven't found that to be a problem with this scrub at all. In fact, the expiration date for the scrub is listed at March 2015, and nearly 3 years after the date I bought it.

Extra information on the Wild Ferns New Zealand Manuka Honey Exfoliating Facial Scrub, 3.38 oz/100mL ...

Made in New Zealand. Paraben free. No mineral oil. Not tested on animals.

Ingredients: Water, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate, Polyethylene, Manuka Honey, Acrylates C/10-30 Akyl Acrylate Cross Polymer, Triethanolamine, Apricot Seed Kernels, Perfume, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Color CI12490, CI11680.