If, like us, you’ve neglected the skin on your body all winter and spring, it’s probably feeling pretty blah right about now. Luckily, we happened upon the best manuka honey body butter ever from Kiwi Botanicals, and it’s transformed our skin (which, score, because #summer). Thanks to their star ingredient, manuka honey, our rough patches are smoother, the ashiness on our elbows and knees have vanished, and our skin feels velvety soft.
As it turns out, there’s science to the benefits of manuka honey. “Manuka honey has been a healing agent and beautifying ingredient since the ancient Egyptians,” explains board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban. “It soothes skin, repairs damage, and helps the dermis retain water.” There's also the added plus that the formula is made without the unnecessary additives like sulfates, parabens and phthalates. Here, five more really great reasons why these body butters will be the sweetest treat for your skin all year long.
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It Nourishes Skin—Fast
“Body butters tend to be richer in consistency than traditional creams,” says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner. “I look at them like a hybrid between a balm and a lotion.” That means they’re going to seal in moisture and quickly get scaly skin back to baseline. But body butters are not only for when your skin needs some extra TLC. Using one like Kiwi Botanicals Nourishing Body Butter daily will ensure your skin stays hydrated and will keep dryness, itchiness, and irritation at bay—super important all the time.
It Can Slow Down Aging
Raise your hand if your skin regimen typically ends at your décolletage. Well, that all ends now. “There is a direct correlation between body moisturizing and the appearance of aging skin,” says Shamban. “Dry and dehydrated skin increases the existence and appearance of lines and wrinkles and presents as dull, scaly, or even flaking skin. Ample hydration helps support the skin barrier function, which naturally weakens as we age; when the barrier is less effective there is more cellular damage and there are more visible signs of aging.” Basically, hydrated skin is supple, radiant skin. Noted!
It’s Soothing And Anti-Inflammatory
Things like stress, pollution, and UV rays all take a toll on skin, causing inflammation that can lead to irritation, eczema, and signs of premature aging. Kiwi Botanicals Soothing Body Butter is going to be one of your best weapons of defense against all of those things. Its potent blend of inflammation-quelling manuka honey and chamomile can counter the effects and repair existing damage. And besides being mega moisturizing, there's also another benefit to the formula’s luxe, frosting-like consistency: “Thicker body formulas create additional protection from environmental damage, pollutants and free radicals,” says Shamban. This one harnesses much of its richness from shea butter, “a natural oil and one of the best emollient ingredients we have in skin care,” says Zeichner. “It acts by forming a protective seal as it softens rough cells on the surface of the skin.”
It Can Help Clear Acne
Body acne is more common in warmer months thanks to steamy temps and increased sweating, but the manuka honey's antibacterial properties in this body lotion can assist in healing. “It’s great for balancing the pH of the skin, and it helps to gently clarify and exfoliate, sloughing away dead skin cells to keep skin and pores clean and clear,” adds Shamban.
It's Not Sticky Or Greasy
We get it. The last thing you want right now is to feel stifled by a heavy layer of body lotion. But, believe us when we say that despite how creamy the body butter looks, it's not going to sit on top of your skin. It soaks in fast, especially if you smooth it on post-shower. "Studies have shown that moisturizers give the best benefits if they are applied within five minutes of getting out of the shower," says Zeichner. "This helps them lock in hydration." He recommends the "connect the dots" method: "Apply dots of the moisturizer all over skin, then connect them as you rub it in." This will prevent you from slathering on too much at one time, which can make it difficult to rub in. Now do yourself a favor and go grab a tub. Your skin will thank you for it.
