How to use Manuka Honey on Burns
Manuka honey has a range of benefits from combating pesky coughs to soothing sore throats and aiding in reducing inflammation, you can’t go wrong with the delicious and effective honey. You might be surprised to learn that on top of Manuka honey’s many uses you can also use it to help treat mild burns. Have you ever accidentally burned yourself and didn’t know how to take care of it? Manuka honey has you covered! It’s important to note, however, that Manuka honey is best used on mild burns and that more serious burns should be seen by a medical professional. Fun fact: Ancient Egyptians used honey to treat wounds as a topical ointment!
How Does Honey Help Burns?
Before we get into how to use Manuka honey on burns, we’ll first explain how, exactly, honey helps burns. For starters, honey has wound healing properties such as antioxidant, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Manuka honey, in particular, is abundant with antibacterial properties. In one of our previous blog posts, Manuka Honey Benefits For Coughs And Sore Throats, we stated that Methylglyoxal, or MGO, is another chemical compound unique to Manuka honey. MGO is what makes Manuka honey such a powerful antibacterial source. On every jar of Manuka honey, there is an MGO rating which indicates how much Methylgloxal is in the honey. The higher the number, the higher the antibacterial potency. At Kiva, every jar of our Manuka honey is MGO certified and always traceable from hive to jar.
Another important factor to keep in mind when choosing Manuka honey to help mild burns is the UMF™, or the Unique Manuka Factor. The Unique Manuka Factor is a rating system created by the UMF Honey Association that ensures the product is exactly what the consumer expects it to be. This means the Manuka honey you purchase is genuine, high quality, and that the supplier has met the association's rigorous standards. Anything above UMF™ is considered to be medical grade honey. This means that the higher the number on your jar of Manuka honey, the higher the potency (and price tag). When applying Manuka honey to burns, it’s recommended to use a jar with a higher UMF™ number to ensure you have a higher concentration and antibacterial properties to treat the wound as best as possible for a home remedy.
How to use Manuka Honey on Burns?
Now that we’ve covered how honey aids in healing burns, let’s dive into how to use Manuka honey on mild burns.
Step 1: Ensure your burn has been cleaned by applying saline solution to the wound area.
Step 2: Next, scoop an applicable amount of Manuka honey from the jar and spread it onto your wound. It’s important to apply the Manuka honey on all areas of the mild burn to maximize its healing properties.
Step 3: After you’ve applied the Manuka honey to your mild burn, cover it by wrapping dry and sterile gauze around the wound to protect it.
Step 4: It’s recommended to change your gauze every couple of days with a clean, sterile dressing and monitor your mild burn.
The AAD, or American Academy of Dermatology Association, also recommends applying cold water to your first-degree burn as the first thing to do before applying any honey: “Cool the burn. Immediately immerse the burn in cool tap water or apply cold, wet compresses. Do this for about 10 minutes or until the pain subsides.” The AAD also states that “although first-degree burns aren’t as serious as higher-degree burns, they can hurt quite a bit and can leave a scar if not properly treated.” So it’s important to take proper and immediate action once you’ve accidentally burned yourself.
How Effective Is Honey On Burns?
Some studies have found through clinical trials that symptoms of inflammation were reduced after applying honey to the wounds. “When wounds were dressed with honey, there was a decrease of exudates, which is a good sign for managing inflamed wounds. The anti-inflammatory action of honey also reported decreased scarring. In histological studies, honey resulted in a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells present in burned tissue and in full-thickness wounds. These results clearly indicate that components of honey other than sugar are involved in an anti-inflammatory effect.” As we mentioned earlier, Manuka honey boasts anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, one of the main components of Manuka honey is Leptosperin, which is a chemical compound that aids in reducing inflammation. Leptosperin is specific to Manuka honey and is not found in other honeys.
There is also evidence published in the National Library of Medicine that shows that honey is effective when used to treat other wounds aside from burns: “Honey is gaining acceptance as an agent for the treatment of ulcers, bed sores and other skin infections resulting from burns and wounds. The healing properties of honey can be ascribed to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound environment that promotes healing, and has a high viscosity which helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection.” All of the evidence found in these studies help demonstrate how effective this superfood can be for helping to treat mild burns.
Kiva Manuka Honey For Burns
As stated earlier in the article, it’s best to choose a jar of Manuka honey with a high UMF™ rating to maximize the high potency and antibacterial properties when treating your mild burn. Lucky for you, Kiva offers Manuka Honey with UMF™ 20+ (Ultra Premium Grade) and UMF™ 24+ (Superior/ Rare Grade). Next time you find yourself with a mild burn, you don’t want to miss out on treating it with an authentic and high quality jar of Manuka Honey. At Kiva, we take pride in the fact that you will never have to question whether or not you are consuming pure Manuka honey. Our promise to our customers is that every jar of Manuka honey is raw, UMF certified, MGO certified, and always traceable from hive to jar.
References:
Hadagali, M.D., Chua, L.S. The anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties of honey. Eur Food Res Technol
Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011