Ingredient glossary
Honey
On your shelf ✓What Honey does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Mel
In short: Honey delivers hydration and antimicrobial, suits dry and sensitive skin best, and the evidence behind it is strong.
- What it does
- Hydration, antimicrobial
- Best for
- Dry, Sensitive skin
- Evidence
- Strong
The Glow take
Genuinely worth a spot in your routine.
When your goal is deep, lasting hydration, Honey pulls genuine weight, and the research properly backs it up. It tends to suit dry skin best.
— Maya
What it does
- hydration
- antimicrobial
- wound healing
strong evidenceCase reports small RCTs and in vitro work show medical and selected honeys improve healing and infection control in ulcers burns atopic dermatitis and other dermatologic wounds with good safety.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- sensitive
- compromised barrier
- acne prone
Approach with care
No specific group flagged to avoid it.
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskLow
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationNeutral
- OilyNeutral
- SensitiveSuits
Often chosen for compromised barrier, acne prone.
Where it fits in your routine
Plays well with
- panthenol
- beta glucan
- centella
Honey, answered
Is Honey safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Honey is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Honey?
No specific group is flagged to avoid Honey. It is well tolerated by most skin. Still, introduce anything new one product at a time.
What concentration of Honey actually works?
Its concentration is rarely printed on the label, so use the ingredient list as your clue: near the top third it is likely doing real work, near the bottom it is more of a sprinkle.
This, for every label you own
One ingredient is easy. A full label is where it gets confusing. The Ingredient Decoder reads any product and tells you the honest truth, ingredient by ingredient.