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Honey:  
A Therapeutic Agent for Disorders of the 
Skin 

 

Pauline McLoone1, Afolabi 

Oluwadun2, Mary Warnock3, Lorna 

Fyfe3  

 
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, 
School of Medicine, Nazarbayev 
University, Astana, Kazakhstan; 
2Department of Medical Microbiology and 
Parasitology Olabisi Onabanjo University, 
Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria; 3Dietetics, 
Nutrition and Biological Sciences, Queen 
Margaret University, Musselburgh, East 
Lothian, Scotland, United Kingdom 

 

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Abstract 

Problems with conventional treatments for a range of dermatological disorders have led scientists to search for new compounds 

of therapeutic value. Efforts have included the evaluation of natural products such as honey. Manuka honey, for example, has 

been scientifically recognised for its anti-microbial and wound healing properties and is now used clinically as a topical treatment 

for wound infections. In this review, scientific evidence for the effectiveness of honey in the treatment of wounds and other skin 

conditions is evaluated. A plethora of in vitro studies have revealed that honeys from all over the world have potent anti-

microbial activity against skin relevant microbes. Moreover, a number of in vitro studies suggest that honey is able to modulate 

the skin immune system. Clinical research has shown honey to be efficacious in promoting the healing of partial thickness burn 

wounds while its effectiveness in the treatment of non-burn acute wounds and chronic wounds is conflicted. Published research 

investigating the efficacy of honey in the treatment of other types of skin disorders is limited. Nevertheless, positive effects have 

been reported, for example, kanuka honey from New Zealand was shown to have therapeutic value in the treatment of rosacea. 

Anti-carcinogenic effects of honey have also been observed in vitro and in a murine model of melanoma.  It can be concluded 

that honey is a biologically active and clinically interesting substance but more research is necessary for a comprehensive 

understanding of its medicinal value in dermatology.  

Keywords: dermatology, honey, skin cancer, wound healing 

 

Honey:  
A Therapeutic Agent for Disorders of the 
Skin 

 

Pauline McLoone1, Afolabi 

Oluwadun2, Mary Warnock3, Lorna 

Fyfe3  

 
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, School 
of Medicine, Nazarbayev University, Astana, 
Kazakhstan; 2Department of Medical 
Microbiology and Parasitology Olabisi 
Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Ogun State, 
Nigeria; 3Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological 
Sciences, Queen Margaret University, 
Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, United 
Kingdom 
 

Commentary 

Historically, honey has been recognised around 

the world for its healing properties with records of its 

therapeutic use dating back to 2000 B.C. The ancient 

Greeks and Egyptians, for example, used honey to treat 

skin wounds and burns by applying topically on the 

skin.
1
 Honey has been reported to ameliorate a broad 

array of diseases but the focus of this review is on the 

therapeutic properties of honey in the treatment of 

disorders of the skin.  

Traditional medicine in numerous countries 

around the world has described honey as efficacious in 

the treatment of a range of skin disorders. In Malaysian 

tradition, honey is used to treat furuncles, carbuncles, 

diabetic wounds and burns. Persian traditional medicine 

documented honey as effective in the treatment of 

wounds, eczema, and inflammation.
2,3

 In Ayurvedic 

medicine, a traditional medicine native to the Indian 

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subcontinent, honey is used to treat cuts and wounds, 

eczema, dermatitis, burns, skin diseases and Fournier’s 

gangrene.
4-6

 Similarly, Quranic medicine in Pakistan 

recorded honey combined with cinnamon powder as a 

treatment for pustules, eczema, ringworm and a variety 

of other skin diseases and in Burkina Faso, Africa, it has 

been reported that indigenous people use honey as a 

skin cleansing agent and as a treatment for measles 

rash.
7,8

 The uses of honey in traditional medicine are 

still significant today, especially, when we consider the 

fact that most of the population of developing countries 

presently rely on indigenous medicine as their source of 

primary health care.
9
 Honey has also been used 

extensively as an ingredient in cosmetic skin care 

products both in the past and present day.
5,10

  

In clinical practice today, manuka honey 

produced by honey bees (Apis mellifera) feeding on the 

manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) in New 

Zealand is used topically in the management of wound 

infections.
11

 It has been approved for clinical use in 

Australia, New Zealand, Europe, United States of 

America, Canada and Hong Kong and products include 

γ irradiated honey in gels, ointments and impregnated 

dressings. Revamil honey is another medical grade 

honey commonly used in clinical practice for wound 

care.
12

 It is produced by manufacturers in the 

Netherlands in collaboration with the University of 

Wageningen and the Academic Medical Centre, 

Amsterdam. The manufacturers have disclosed that the 

honey is produced in greenhouses but further details 

about the origin of the honey have not been revealed. 

The skin healing ability of honey has been 

attributed to its antimicrobial properties, its ability to 

modulate the skin’s immune system and promote tissue 

repair.
13,14

 This review explores clinical and scientific 

research investigating the efficacy of honey in the 

treatment of wounds and a variety of other skin 

disorders. A principle aim was to use the scientific 

literature to evaluate the potential efficacy of honey in 

the treatment of a range of dermatological disorders. 

Methods 

The databases Pubmed, Medline and 

ScienceDirect were used to carry out a comprehensive 

search of the scientific literature on the effects of honey 

in the treatment of skin disorders including wounds. 

Some of the key search terms used in combination were 

“honey” “antimicrobial activity” “skin immune system” 

“skin disorders” “wound healing” “seborrheic 

dermatitis” “atopic dermatitis” “psoriasis” “rosacea” 

“acne” “pityriasis versicolor” “cutaneous leishmaniasis” 

“skin cancer” “ Kazakhstan” and “Central Asia”. 

Relevant in vitro and in vivo studies were selected and 

we also searched the reference list of included papers to 

ensure that no important papers were omitted. Texts in 

English, published between 1990 and 2016 were 

included.  

 

Results 

The Efficacy of Honey in the Treatment of 

Skin Wounds 

The ability of honey to aid the healing of skin 

wounds is the most widely researched aspect of honey 

as a therapeutic agent to date. A plethora of in vitro and 

in vivo studies have been performed. 

The Efficacy of Honey in the Treatment of 

Skin Wounds: In Vitro Studies 

In vitro studies have revealed that honey from 

diverse floral origins can kill a wide range of wound 

pathogens, including; methicillin resistant 

Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus 

aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 

Acinetobacter baumannii.
15-18

 As an example, the work 

of Cooper et al, (2002) demonstrated that manuka and 

pasture honey from New Zealand were active against 17 

strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from infected burns 

with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) below 

10%.
19

 The authors concluded that these honeys have 

the potential to be effective treatments for burns 

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infected with P. aeruginosa. Also, Cooper et al (2014) 

later demonstrated the ability of medihoney to disrupt 

the structure and inhibit the growth of P. aeruginosa 

biofilms grown in vitro.
20

  As well as killing microbes, 

studies have shown that sub-lethal concentrations of 

honey can reduce microbial pathogenicity, for example, 

Kronda et al (2013) demonstrated that sub-lethal 

concentrations of manuka honey reduced siderophore 

production, a virulence factor that scavenges iron for 

bacterial growth, in strains of P. aeruginosa.
21

 Even 

more remarkable are the in vitro findings that honey can 

reverse antimicrobial resistance. Jenkins and Cooper 

(2012) reported that manuka honey and oxacillin 

worked synergistically to inhibit the growth of MRSA 

and that manuka honey reversed oxacillin resistance in 

MRSA in vitro.
22

  

 

Table 1. Honey as a therapeutic agent for skin disorders; 

Summary of the key in vitro findings 

 

Importantly, studies have also shown that 

honey from a variety of sources can modulate 

immunological parameters related to the skin immune 

system.
23

 For example, in vitro, honey has been shown 

to stimulate cytokine production by skin cells such as 

keratinocytes and other immune cells such as 

monocytes.
24,25

 It has been proposed that increased 

cytokine production in an early wound could enhance 

wound healing because cytokines such as TNF-α and 

IL-6 play an important role in the early wound healing 

process. Additionally, some studies have shown that 

honey or its extracts can down regulate the production 

of cellular molecules such as matrix metalloproteinases 

(MMPs) and reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs) that 

may contribute to excessive inflammation in the chronic 

wound.
26,27

 It has been suggested that the 

immunomodulatory properties of honey may contribute 

to enhanced tissue repair or reduce chronic 

inflammation in the wound, leading to enhanced 

healing. 

As well as its antimicrobial and 

immunomodulatory properties, honey has been shown 

to promote re-epithelialisation and angiogenesis in in 

vitro models of wound healing. Ranzato et al (2012) 

demonstrated that acacia, buckwheat and manuka 

honey, purchased at an apiculture centre in Okayamo, 

Japan, increased re-epithelialisation rates in scratch 

wounds induced in keratinocyte (HaCaT) monolayers.
28

 

Furthermore, the mechanism was shown to be due to 

honey induced activation of pathways that regulate cell 

locomotion and cell proliferation. Barui et al, (2013) 

demonstrated that a honey alginate fibrous matrix 

induced faster re-epithelialisation than an alginate only 

matrix in a keratinocyte (HaCaT) wound model; E-

cadherin protein was enhanced in the honey alginate 

model which may have promoted increased cell to cell 

adhesion.
29

 Rossiter et al, (2010) reported that the 

medicinal honey Activon containing 100% manuka 

honey, the honey based ointment Mesitran as well as a 

supermarket honey (Rowse) promoted angiogenic 

activity in a rat aortic ring assay in vitro.
30

   

In conclusion, in vitro studies have revealed 

that honey has some remarkable scientific properties 

that, plausibly, could promote the healing of wounds.  

The Efficacy of Honey in the Treatment of 

Skin Wounds: In Vivo Studies 

Ideally, a wound will heal early but sometimes 

wound healing is delayed and this can be the result of 

systemic disease, malnutrition and infection of the 

wound leading to excessive inflammation. Indeed, 

excessive infiltration of neutrophils has been associated 

with deficient wound healing.
31

 Micro-organisms can 

sometimes attach to the wound bed and form a biofilm 

which is disruptive to the healing process. Wound 

infections exacerbate illness, cause anxiety and increase 

patient morbidity and mortality. Surgical wound 

infections lengthen hospital stay and chronic wounds 

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require considerably more dressings. Hence, effective 

prevention and management of wound infections will 

impact positively on both patient health and cost. 

 

Table 2. Honey as a therapeutic agent for skin disorders; 

Summary of the key in vivo findings 

 

There are a plethora of in vivo studies 

investigating the efficacy of honey in the treatment of 

wounds;
32-55

 many of the findings are controversial. 

However, a recent Cochrane based review by Jull et al, 

(2015)
56

 concluded that there is quality evidence that 

honey heals partial thickness burn wounds more quickly 

than conventional treatments and infected post-

operative wounds more effectively than gauze or 

antiseptics. It was concluded that other studies 

comparing honey with conventional methods in wound 

healing were of insufficient quality to form any 

definitive conclusions.  

Larger, well designed, double blind, clinical 

studies are required for a fuller understanding of the 

efficacy of honey in the treatment of different types of 

wounds.  The mechanism of the skin healing properties 

of honey in relation to burn wounds is not fully 

understood but may, at least partially, be due to the 

antioxidant content of honey. There is evidence for free 

radical activity and reduced antioxidant scavenging 

capacity in burn wounds leading to oxidative stress.
57

 

Honeys that are rich in antioxidants are likely to 

increase the antioxidant capacity of burn wounds and 

mop up free radicals leading to reduced oxidative 

stress.
58

 Of course, the antimicrobial and 

immunomodulatory properties of honey may also 

positively encourage the wound healing process in burn 

wounds.  

Mode of administration and combination 

therapy with other agents such as antibiotics or other 

natural products could be considered. Techniques such 

as checkerboard and time kill studies are currently being 

used to determine the synergistic effects of 

antimicrobial agents (personal communication; 

Oluwadun A. & Akinduti P., Olabisi Onabanjo 

University). 

The Efficacy of Honey in the Treatment of 

Other Disorders of the Skin 

In Vitro Studies 

In vitro studies have revealed that honey can 

inhibit the growth of a range of dermatologically 

important microbes. As well as inhibition of microbes 

responsible for wound infections, honey has been shown 

to inhibit the growth of dermatophytes a cause of tinea 

infections, Candida albicans a cause of cutaneous 

candidiasis and Propionibacterium acnes a cause of 

acne.
16,59-61 

Many studies have demonstrated the 

antimicrobial effects of honey from a variety of sources 

against S. aureus. As well as wound infections S. aureus 

is an important cause of furuncles, styes and impetigo 

and super-infection with S. aureus is common in atopic 

dermatitis.
62`

 Research should continue to investigate 

the in vitro effects of honey against other 

dermatologically important microbes such as 

Malassezia species, human papilloma virus and Bacillus 

oleronius. 

Some skin disorders such as contact dermatitis, 

atopic dermatitis and psoriasis have been classified as 

immune mediated skin disorders. Although the 

aetiology of the majority of immune mediated skin 

disorders are not fully understood the immune system is 

believed to play a significant role in the pathogenesis of 

the disease. Such disorders commonly respond to 

treatment with immunomodulating agents such as 

corticosteroids or ultraviolet radiation therapy. 

Recently, in vitro studies have revealed that honey is 

able to modulate the immune system, for example, a 

study by Majtan et al, (2010) demonstrated that acacia 

honey from Slovakia stimulated TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-1β 

and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) mRNA 

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expression by human primary keratinocytes isolated 

from human foreskin.
24

 Subsequently, Majtan et al, 

(2013) reported that an aqueous extract of fir honeydew 

honey from Slovakia inhibited TNF-α induced matrix 

metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) protein and mRNA 

production by human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells.
27

 

Since the role of the immune system in skin disorders is 

complex, it is difficult to infer what effects honey will 

have in the treatment of immune mediated skin 

disorders without further investigation. It is likely that 

both the origin of the honey and the microenvironment 

of the skin disorder will influence clinical outcome.  

Clearly, more research is necessary for a better 

understanding of the immunomodulatory properties of 

honey and their relevance for skin disease.  

The Efficacy of Honey in the Treatment of 

Other Disorders of the Skin: In Vivo Studies 

The majority of clinical studies performed to 

date have investigated the efficacy of honey in the 

treatment of skin wounds. There is a paucity of clinical 

studies investigating the effects of honey on other types 

of skin disorders; however, some of the studies that 

have been carried out have produced positive results. 

Al-Waili (2001) reported a remarkable improvement of 

symptoms in patients with seborrheic dermatitis (n=30) 

following topical application of a diluted crude honey 

(90%).
63

 The same researcher, later reported that a 

honey mixture containing natural honey of multi-floral 

origin from Lootah Farm, Al-Theed City, United Arab 

Emirates, olive oil and beeswax (1:1:1) markedly 

improved the symptoms of patients with atopic 

dermatitis (n=21) and psoriasis (n=18).
64

 Some of the 

psoriatic and atopic dermatitis patients received a honey 

mixture treatment in combination with corticosteroids 

and this allowed the concentration of corticosteroid to 

be reduced over time without exacerbation of 

symptoms. Al-Waili, (2003) suggested that the anti-

microbial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties 

of honey may explain the observed therapeutic effects. 

The same honey mixture was found to cure the 

symptoms of the fungal skin infections pityriasis 

versicolor in 79% of patients (n=14), tinea cruris in 71% 

of patients (n=14) and tinea corporis in 62% of patients 

(n=8).
65

 In 2005, Al-Waili reported that the same honey 

mixture significantly reduced mean lesion scores in 

infants with diaper dermatitis (n=12); the presence of C. 

albicans was found to be reduced in some patients 

treated with the honey mixture.
66

 In a small study 

(n=16) by Al-Waili (2004) it was reported that honey 

was more effective than acyclovir in the treatment of 

patients with labial and genital herpes simplex lesions, 

suggesting that honey could potentially be effective in 

the treatment of oral herpes simplex lesions.
67

 

 

Table 3. Studies investigating the efficacy of honey in 

the treatment of skin disorders (excluding wounds) 

 

Acasia honey (Yamada bee farm, Japan) and 

the bee product Brazilian green propolis (BPE) have 

also been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of 

tinea infections in vivo.
68

 Two hundred and forty two 

Congolese school children with either tinea capitis or 

pityriasis versicolor were treated with either 2% 

Miconazole (positive control), BPE (100mg/ml or 

50mg/ml), acasia honey or Vaseline. The results showed 

that acasia honey, BPE at both concentrations and 

Miconazole significantly improved erythema, 

desquamation and pruritis in tinea patients in 

comparison to Vaseline.   

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin disorder, 

characterised by facial redness, papules, pustules and 

telangiectasia. The bacterium Bacillus oleronius isolated 

from the Dermodex folliculorum mite has been 

implicated in the aetiology of the disease. A recent 

study by Braithwaite et al (2015) has shown that kanuka 

honey from New Zealand was efficacious in the 

treatment of rosacea.
69

 Their study included 138 

participants with a diagnosis of rosacea and a Global 

Assessment of Rosacea Severity Score (IGA-RSS) of ≥ 

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2.69. Sixty nine participants were treated with topical 

Honevo (90% kanuka honey and 10% glycerine) for 8 

weeks. The other 69 participants were treated with the 

control cream Cetomacrogol, a moisturising cream, 

commonly used as a vehicle for delivering topical 

medications. The results showed that 34.3% in the 

Honevo group and 17.4% in the control group had a ≥ 2 

improvement in the IGA-RSS at week 8. The 

researchers concluded that Honevo is an effective 

treatment for rosacea and that future research should 

compare Honevo with other conventional treatments, 

such as topical Metronidazole and Azelaic cream, both 

of which have limited efficacy. The mechanisms of the 

therapeutic properties of kanuka honey in the treatment 

of rosacea are not fully understood but both the anti-

bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties have been 

considered.  

A recent study involving 136 participants with 

acne (Investigators Global Assessment (IGA) score of ≥ 

2.68 aged between 16 and 40 years was carried out to 

investigate the efficacy of topical kanuka honey in the 

treatment of acne.
70 

 Sixty eight of the participants were 

randomised to a treatment regime which involved 

applying Protex, a trilocarbon-based antibacterial soap 

twice daily for 12 weeks whilst the other 68 participants 

applied the anti-bacterial soap treatment followed by 

application of Honevo directly after washing off the 

bacterial soap, twice daily for 12 weeks. The results 

demonstrated that 4 out of 53 patients (7.6%) in the 

honey treated group and 1 out of 53 (1.9 %) patients in 

the anti-bacterial soap only treated group had a ≥ 2 

improvement in IGA score. The authors concluded that 

there was no evidence that adding Honevo to standard 

anti-bacterial soap treatment for acne is more 

efficacious than anti-bacterial soap alone. The authors 

however did raise concerns about treatment compliance 

due to the young age of many of the participants and the 

high rate of withdrawal. Medical grade kanuka honey 

has also been tested for its efficacy in the treatment of 

eczema and psoriasis.
71,72

 No evidence of effectiveness 

in the treatment of eczema above that of an aqueous 

control cream was reported. The study involved 15 

participants with bilateral eczematous lesions on the 

limbs; medical grade kanuka honey was applied to a 

representative lesion on one side and aqueous cream BP 

to the other, every night for 2 weeks.  Aqueous cream is 

not a recommended treatment for eczema and therefore 

represented a negative control. The authors concluded 

that their study did not demonstrate any evidence that 

kanuka honey is an effective treatment for eczema, 

however, the small sample size and incomplete blinding 

were acknowledged as limitations of the study. The 

same study design was also used to investigate the 

efficacy of kanuka honey in the treatment of psoriasis. 

The results showed that kanuka honey was of similar 

efficacy to aqueous cream; a recommended treatment 

for psoriasis but with lower efficacy than 

corticosteroids. Medical grade kanuka honey has also 

been tested for its efficacy in the treatment of cold sores 

and compared with Acyclovir.
73

 The study showed that 

Kaplan-Meier estimates of median healing time were 

similar for honey and Acyclovir. However, limitations 

of the study were that participant size was small with 

only 15 patients; the authors proposed that a larger 

clinical study should be conducted.   

Naidoo et al (2011) tested the efficacy of 

manuka honey as a prophylactic treatment for dermatitis 

in a phase II randomised controlled trial involving 

patients undergoing radiation therapy for breast 

cancer.
74

 81 patients were enrolled in the study; 43 of 

which were treated with manuka honey and 38 with 

standard aqueous cream. The results showed that there 

was a lower incidence of grade >2 dermatitis in the 

patients treated with honey (37.2%) compared with 

those treated with aqueous cream (57.8%). When > 

grade 2 dermatitis did occur the duration was shorter in 

the honey treated group in comparison to the group 

treated with aqueous cream.   

One study also investigated the therapeutic 

value of honey in the treatment of cutaneous 

leishmaniasis.
75

 In this study, 90 patients with cutaneous 

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leishmaniasis were allocated to a treatment regime; 45 

patients were treated for 6 weeks with topical honey 

soaked gauze twice daily and intra-lesional injection of 

glucantime weekly. The other 45 patients were treated 

with intra-lesional injection of glucantime only.  By the 

end of the treatment more patients had complete cure in 

the glucantime only treated group (71%) than in the 

glucantime and honey treated group (51.1%), suggesting 

that the honey used in this study is not of therapeutic 

value in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.   

The aforementioned studies investigating the 

efficacy of honey in the treatment of other types of skin 

disorders are relatively small scale and several of them 

have been carried out by the same researcher, 

nevertheless, they support the possibility that honey 

may be therapeutic in the treatment of other types of 

skin disorder such as fungal skin infections and 

inflammatory skin conditions. Systematic reviews are 

important for evidence based method and this approach 

has been adopted by Jull et al (2015)
56

 to evaluate the 

efficacy of honey in the treatment of wounds. Clinical 

studies investigating the efficacy of honey in the 

treatment of other types of skin disorders are more 

limited and we have described all published findings 

irrespective of the quality of the study design. It is 

important that all future studies carried out follow 

international standards for clinical trial reporting. 

Undoubtedly, further research is necessary, 

incorporating in vitro, animal and clinical studies to 

determine the medical value of honey in the treatment 

of a range of dermatological disorders. Even if honey is 

found to be an ineffective treatment for certain skin 

diseases such studies are important because the 

knowledge will inform patients and clinicians 

considering alternative therapies for dermatological 

disorders.  

Honey and Skin Cancer 

Recently, Fernandez-Cabezudo et al, (2013) 

reported that manuka honey could inhibit the 

proliferation and induce apoptosis in three cancer cell 

lines, one of which was the murine melanoma cell line 

B16.F1.
76

 Additionally, Pichichero et al, (2010) 

reported that acacia honey inhibited proliferation of 

murine and human melanoma cells by inducing cell 

cycle arrest at G0/G1.
77

  In vivo, a murine melanoma 

tumour model treated with intravenous manuka honey 

displayed a significant reduction in tumour growth.
76

 

Some of the mice received co-administration of manuka 

honey and the chemotherapeutic drug taxol and this 

resulted in a significant inhibition of the growth of the 

tumour and improved overall animal survival suggesting 

that manuka honey, as well as having anti-tumourogenic 

properties, may reduce chemotherapy induced toxicity. 

No changes in haematological and chemical markers 

were observed in the mice treated with intravenous 

manuka honey suggesting that it is safe to administer 

honey in this way.  In another study, tualang honey from 

Malaysia was shown to protect murine keratinocytes 

(PAM 212 cells) in vitro from the immunomodulatory 

and photocarcinogenic effects of UVB radiation.
78

 UVB 

irradiated keratinocytes treated with honey exhibited 

reduced expression of COX-2 and NF-κB activation in 

comparison to UVB only treated cells. Furthermore, 

UVB irradiated keratinocytes treated with tualang honey 

displayed a marked reduction in DNA damage in the 

form of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers and 8-oxo-7, 8-

dihydro-2-deoxyguanosine compared with UVB 

irradiated controls. Tualang honey may therefore be 

able to protect the skin against the immunomodulatory 

and photocarcinogenic effects of sunlight exposure.  

The ability of honey to inhibit the proliferation 

of tumour cells is thought to be due to the various 

flavonoid and phenolic compounds present in honey. 

Evidence for this comes from the work of Pichichero et 

al, (2010; 2011) showing that chrysin, a flavanoid found 

in acacia honey inhibited proliferation of melanoma 

cells via cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
77,79

 Honey has 

also been shown to regulate expression of p53, the 

tumour suppressor protein and down regulate Bcl-2 an 

anti-apoptotic protein, found at high levels in numerous 

cancers.
80

 The anti-inflammatory effects of honey may 

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also contribute to its anti-carcinogenic properties, 

particularly as inflammation has been shown to 

contribute to the progression of cancer.
81

 

The anti-carcinogenic properties of honey 

observed to date are promising but more research is 

necessary, particularly in vivo, for a fuller understanding 

of the potential efficacy of honey in the treatment or 

prevention of skin cancer.  

  

Discussion 

The ability of honey in vitro to kill skin 

relevant microbes, alter microbial pathogenicity, reverse 

antibiotic resistance, modulate immunological 

parameters, promote tissue repair, inhibit tumour cell 

growth and protect against UV induced DNA damage is 

really quite remarkable considering it is a scientifically 

unaltered, purely natural substance produced by bees. In 

vitro studies have sparked excitement amongst 

researchers about the therapeutic potential of honey for 

clinical practice. Some of the properties observed in 

vitro are particularly relevant today when the current 

global crisis of antimicrobial drug resistance has 

rendered many infectious diseases, including wound 

infections, untreatable and malignant melanoma 

incidence is increasing faster than any other cancer.
82,83

 

Skin Cancer is also a significant problem in Central 

Asian countries; in Kazakhstan for example, incidence 

figures from the Ministry of Health (2013) show that 

skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer 

along with lung and breast cancer.
84

 Furthermore, a 

particularly high incidence of basal cell carcinomas was 

recorded around the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site 

in Kazakhstan.
85 

There are countless varieties of honey being 

produced worldwide and some may have superior 

healing abilities that are yet to be discovered. Central 

Asia possesses a unique biodiversity with open steppe, 

deserts and high mountains; honey production is 

abundant in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and 

Tajikistan. Beekeeping trailers enable honey producers 

to reach diverse locations in the region, despite this, the 

regions honeys have not been fully examined for 

potential biomedical uses. Other local bee products, 

such as propolis could also be investigated for their 

medicinal value as research has demonstrated 

antimicrobial,
 

anti-carcinogenic and wound healing 

properties.
86-88

 The development of locally produced 

honeys into medical grade honeys suitable for use in 

clinical practice could be economically advantageous 

for the country concerned. 

A recent review has highlighted that there is no 

statistical monitoring on the prevalence of chronic 

wounds in Kazakhstan and no approved protocols for 

wound care.
89

 The authors described that wound care 

products made from plant extracts have been developed 

in Kazakhstan although they have not been officially 

approved for clinical use. The review did not list honey 

as a treatment used for wound care in Kazakhstan 

despite its approved use in other parts of the world.  

In conclusion, research has demonstrated that 

the bioactive properties of honey and the aetiology of 

skin diseases are complex and that there are 

considerable gaps in our knowledge and understanding 

of both. Innovative research that can maximally exploit 

the bioactive properties of this natural substance may in 

the future lead to the production of a medicinal product 

that is highly valued in dermatology.  

 

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Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 5, No. 1 (2016)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)  |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2016.241  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 

 

Table 1: Honey as a therapeutic agent for skin disorders; Summary of the key in vitro 

findings 

Key References 

 

Key Findings (in vitro) 

14-17,59-61,90,91 Honeys from around the world have potent antimicrobial activity 

against skin relevant microbes. 

  

22 Honey can reverse antimicrobial resistance. 

  

21,92-94 Pathogenicity of skin relevant microbes is reduced by honey. 

  

23-25,95-99 Honey modulates cytokine production by cells of the skin immune 

system.  

  

26,27,58,100 Anti-inflammatory effects of honey are observed in vitro. 

  
28-30

 Honey promotes re-epithelialisation and angiogenesis in in vitro 

wound models. 

  

76-78 Honey induces apoptosis of a murine melanoma cell line and 

protects keratinocytes from the photocarcinogenic effects of UVB 

radiation. 

 

  

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CENTRAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH 

 

 

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 5, No. 1 (2016)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)  |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2016.241  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

  

 

Table 2: Honey as a therapeutic agent for skin disorders; Summary of the key in vivo 

findings 

Key References 

 

Key Findings (in vivo) 

56 Clinical studies suggest that topical application of honey is more 

efficacious than conventional treatments in healing partial thickness burn 

wounds. 

  
34,36-38,43,45,46,53

 The efficacy of honey in the treatment of non-burn acute wounds and 

chronic wounds is controversial. 

  

 63-66,68,69 Limited human studies suggest that honey is therapeutic in the treatment 

of some inflammatory skin disorders and fungal skin infections. 

  

76 Honey reduces tumour growth in a murine melanoma model. 

 

  

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MCLOONE 

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States License. 

 

This journal is published by the University Library System of the University of Pittsburgh as part  

of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 5, No. 1 (2016)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)  |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2016.241  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 

 

Table 3: Studies investigating the efficacy of honey in the treatment of skin disorders 

(excluding wounds) 

Population Honey Application Outcome Ref. 

37 patients; 14 with 
pityriasis versicolor, 8 
with tinea corporis, 14 
with tinea cruris and 1 
with tinea faciei 

Honey mixture containing honey, olive oil 
and beeswax (1:1:1) applied to the lesions 
3 times daily for a maximum of 4 weeks. 
Honey was multi-floral from the United 
Arab Emirates. 

Complete cure obtained in 79% of 
patients with pityriasis versicolor; 
71% of patients with tinea cruris and 
62% of patients with tinea corporis.  
Patient with tinea faciei obtained 
clinical cure 3 weeks after start of 
therapy.  

65
 

242 Congolese school 
children with either 
tinea capitis or 
pityriasis versicolor 

Treated with either 2% Miconazole, 
Brazilian green propolis extract or acasia 
honey (Yamada bee farm, Japan) or 
Vaseline. 

Acasia honey (p < 0.05), Brazilian 
green propolis extract (p < 0.05) and 
2% Miconazole (p < 0.01) 
significantly improved erythema, 
desquamation and pruritis in tinea 
patients in comparison to Vaseline.  

68
 

10 patients with atopic 
dermatitis 

Lesions on the right side of the body 
treated with vaseline. Lesions on the left 
side of the body treated with a multifloral 
honey mixture, containing honey beeswax 
and olive oil in a ratio of 1:1:1 for 2 
weeks. Each treatment was applied three 
times daily. Honey was from the United 
Arab Emirates.  

Significant improvement was seen in 
lesion scores on the left side of the 
body in 8 out of the 10 patients.  

64
 

8 patients with 
psoriasis 

Lesions on the right side of the body were 
treated with paraffin and lesions on the left 
were treated with honey mixture (as 
described above), 3 times daily for 3 
weeks. 

Significant improvement was seen in 
lesion scores on the left side of the 
body in 5 out of 8 patients.  

64
 

12 infants with diaper 
dermatitis 

Topical application 4 times daily with a 
multifloral honey mixture containing 
honey, beeswax and olive oil in a ratio of 
1:1:1 for 7 days. 

Mean total rash score at baseline was 
2.91 ± 0.79. Decreased to 0.66 ± 0.98 
at day 7. At the end of the study 10 of 
the 12 infants had either mild or no 
diaper dermatitis. 

66
 

81 patients undergoing 
radiation therapy for 
breast cancer 

Prophylatic treatment: 43 treated with a 
pure sterilized manuka honey UMF=18. 
Thirty eight patients treated with standard 
aqueous cream. Topical treatments were 
applied twice daily starting on day 1 of 
radiation and continued until 10 days post 
treatment.  

Lower incidence of > grade 2 
dermatitis in the patients treated with 
honey (37.2%) compared with those 
treated with aqueous cream (57.8%). 
When ≥ grade 2 dermatitis did occur 
duration was shorter in honey treated 
group.  p = 0.08 

74
 

138 patients with 
rosacea (IGA-RSS)  ≥ 
2.69 

69 patients treated with topical application 
of Honevo (90% kanuka honey and 10% 
glycerine) for 8 weeks. 69 patients treated 
with the control cream Cetomacrogol.  

34.3 % in the Honevo group and 
17.4% in the control group had a ≥ 2 
improvement in the IGA-RSS at 
week 8. p = 0.02 

69
 

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CENTRAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH 

 

 

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 

 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 

Volume 5, No. 1 (2016)  |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online)  |  DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2016.241  |  http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

  

 

136 patients aged 16-
40 years with acne 
IGA ≥ 2.68 

68 participants applied Protex, a 
trilocarbon based antibacterial soap twice 
daily for 12 weeks. Another 68 
participants followed the antibacterial soap 
treatment regime and applied Honevo 
(90% kanuka honey and 10% glycerine) 
directly after washing off the anti-bacterial 
soap, twice daily for 12 weeks.  

4/53 (7.6%) of participants in the 
honey group and 1/53 (1.9%) in the 
control group had a ≥ 2 improvement 
in IGA score at week 12. Trial did 
not show evidence that adding 
Honevo to the antibacterial soap 
regime was more effective than soap 
alone.  

70
 

15 patients with 
bilateral eczematous 
lesions on the limbs 

Medical grade kanuka honey was applied 
to a representative lesion on one side and 
aqueous cream BP on the other, every 
night for 2 weeks.  

Kanuka honey was not more 
efficacious than aqueous cream BP in 
the treatment of eczema. Aqueous 
cream BP is not a recommended 
treatment for eczema. 

71
 

15 patients with 
psoriasis with bilateral 
lesions on the limbs. 

Medical grade kanuka honey was applied 
to a representative lesion on one side and 
aqueous cream BP on the other, every 
night for 2 weeks.  

Efficacy was similar to that of the 
aqueous cream which is a 
recommended treatment for psoriasis.  

72
 

15 participants aged 16 
or over with recurrent 
Herpes Simplex 
Labialis 

Participants applied either medical grade 
kanuka honey or acyclovir to the lesion 5 
times per day until the lesion resolved.  

Kaplan-meier estimates of median 
healing time were similar for honey 
and acyclovir.  

73
 

90 patients with 
cutaneous 
leishmaniasis 

45 patients treated with topical honey 
twice daily along with intra-lesional 
injection of glucantime once weekly for a 
maximum of 6 weeks. 45 patients treated 
with glucantime only.  

More patients had complete cure in 
the glucantime only treated group 
(71%) than in the glucantime and 
honey treated group (51%). p = 0.04 

75
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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