Since Ciao’s campaign this month has been health products, there’s been the endless reviewing of antiseptic creams, especially Savlon antiseptic cream, a product that is much trusted by many buyers and families. There was a time however when Savlon and other antiseptic creams like Germolene were not available at any other outlet other than pharmacies – and even today if you visit a local, large size newsagents, you’re bound to find Savlon cream as a good and basic antiseptic cream for emergencies. It’s a pity then that growing up I was more or less raised with the smell of Dettol in our home and that awful Jeyes liquid my mum favoured when it came to cleaning. When we first got Savlon antiseptic cream, the smell put me off for life – strange that I’m used to Dettol and even Germolene – but not the smell of Savlon – it just seems to make me feel physically sick, anytime I smell it.
The Magic of Manuka & The Price
My parents discovered Manuka honey almost twelve years ago after my father had read about the benefits of Manuka honey for comforting stomach ulcer pain, when taken two times a day via teaspoon and digested. It would be a few years before he was able to get keyhole surgery to blast the ulcers away and used a combination of Manuka honey and Gaviscon to give him relief. We started to buy in quite expensive Manuka honey products and near December time when the cold weather set in, (and I mean expensive, ranging from prices of £45 to £58!) the Manuka’s magical ingredients coupled with vitamin C supplements seemed to ward off colds, flu and general chill associated with the cold and flu that had gunned for our family. Stomach ulcer pain withstanding, it seems that the supermarket Manuka honey you can buy quite freely, isn’t exactly the same as the medicinal antibacterial type – since there are several factor numbers called “UMF” / “Unique Manuka Factor,” ranging from 0 to 15 plus that indicates the strongest antibacterial content and not all Manuka honey products are the same. The actual UMF process of Manuka is completely different to normal honey. Whereas bees normally collect nectar and change it into honey by adding an enzyme from their bodies, bees that collect Manuka honey from the Manuka bush won’t necessarily always have UMF added – it depends on the flowers that the bees land on and is derived from the nectar from certain flowers from the Manuka bush. Hence the prices range from middle of the road to really expensive – dependent on the UMF factor if there is one at the time of purchase. Also, because the product comes straight from Manuka-land, New Zealand, the prices due to shipping costs are evidently added to the cost price in the UK.
Alongside the Parrs Manuka Body Butter, we also had an alternative antiseptic in the form of Comvita Manukacare 100% Antibacterial Manuka Honey purchased well before the Parrs product. As soon as I could, I set about looking for any of the Comvita products, culminating in the “Manuka Care 18” antiseptic lotion, largely because I had become so dependable on my parents product and the lack of a clinical smell that gave me the bends (unless it’s Dettol) that I had to buy my own!
I bought my original tube in 2009 and it is due to “go off” by its best before date at the end of this year. Originally Manuka Care 18 cost me £11-95 for a 50ml tube and by 2012 pricing, it’s around £10 on Amazon.co.uk to £12-95 for the same quantity at health stores and private pharmacies – but it’s best to phone around or check online for the cheapest prices and make sure that it's the "18" product as there are quite a few different factor number versions available.
The product is suitable for babies, small children and people of all ages.
Scent & Consistency
As this isn’t an antiseptic lotion per se, it is slightly different in its properties. Here you get a golden honey smell, not too strong but the colour of its richness lies in its deep brown colour, similarly the same colour as normal dark brown honey you can find in the shops. The product has a thickness to it, just like honey you and I can eat – and what’s more – despite the medicinal pretences of this tubing, clinical in its green and white banded colour (the tube has now changed to a white and yellow tube), unlike ANY other chemical antiseptic, this product can be eaten straight off your finger – just like any other Manuka honey product alone! It tastes dark, and toffee like with a very distinctive honey taste.
Performance
As it’s name suggests, Comvita Manuka Care 18 has a factor UMF 18 which is one of the highest ratings for antibacterial properties of this Manuka product. Thus, it’s small size tube and narrow diameter makes it perfect, as the Comvita Company suggests, for a first aid kit.
The first port of call that this antibacterial formula excels in, is cuts on my hands and wrists due to cutting down rose bushes in the garden. I don’t know how I manage it even when I’m wearing gloves, but I always seem to get razor line cuts across my knuckles as if I’m fighting with demons. A quick wash under a cold tap and apply Comvita Manukacare 18 straight away. Generally where directions are concerned, Comvita suggest keeping the nozzle away from the cut to ensure that no dirt is present after washing the wound and to have at least a 3mm thickness over the wound. There’s no stinging with this product when it is applied to an open wound, just a slight numbing sensation as the honey sinks into the cut and then suddenly the wound begins to tighten up, almost as if the skin is already starting the regrowth process and the Manuka starts its magic of healing the wound.
On midge bites, Manuka Care 18 does a good job but it doesn’t reduce the spot swelling straight away. It does however manage to get rid of the itch and if a head has appeared in the middle of the bite, where midges have left their business after sucking out your blood, Comvita Manukacare 18 again tightens up the surrounding area and doesn’t cause a scab to form. Time it takes to heal? Well if you don’t touch the bite and cover it with a plaster, three days! I was quite amazed the first time I used this product – it’s certainly a lot faster than conventional methods and at the most, Manukacare 18 can take up to 7 days for the healing process to occur and repair – but it very much depends on the type of abrasion you might have.
Compared to a few bite creams like Anthisan that needs constant topical applications, Manuka Care 18 only needs to be applied once to a bite or cut unless it is deep, in which cases you should always refer yourself to a doctor or hospital. Manukacare 18 is merely a good alternative to chemically based antiseptic creams as the product is 100% antibacterial and kills germs upon contact with broken skin.
Luckily though, Manukacare 18 isn’t as sticky as normal honey and it can be easily washed off – although it can stain bright clothing due it being honey. The stickiness factor plays a double edged sword though – you’ll find you’ll have to wash your hands when you apply the honey as you would normally with antiseptic cream anyway – but you’ll also find that the stickiness comes in really handy if you don’t have any bandages around that have self adhesive tabs on them. Comvita suggest not using sticky plasters and the reason is plainly obvious! In theory, then it means bandages or poorly adhesive plasters should stick to the skin thanks to the Manuka honey content, but the honey can interfere with the sticky adhesiveness, causing the plaster or bandage to fall or slide off.
When I cut the back of my heel last summer when riding a bike and the pedal kept banging off my foot, the moment I got home and washed the wound, I put Manukacare 18 on it, covered it with a non-adhesive cushioned plaster and made sure I kept my socks on for most of the evening, to keep the plaster close to the wound. When I took my socks off I was surprised that the plaster didn’t slide off with the rest of the sock and then I remembered the honey’s natural stickiness! When it came to changing the plaster, my wound was no longer red and bloody, but crystalised brown with a fresh skin already forming over the wound. The bandage just peeled off easily without pulling any of the new skin that was growing and healing – something that I can’t say has happened with conventional means of antiseptic lotions that allow wounds to form scabs.
Downsides
There’s no denying it – this product is very expensive. But then again, it also has a long shelf life between 3 to 5 years dependent on the UMF factor and has a lot of extra bonus uses, like being able to be used on dry skin. However, for buyers who are allergic to honey generally– this product must obviously be avoided.
The more obvious downside to this product isn’t just the fact that it’s a privately owned company product that you’ll only find in selected pharmacies, or more to the point, health food shops – with it being a natural honey, it can become a sticky process when applying to skin – and that can be disconcerting if you’re not used to the feeling.
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt I think Comvita Manukacare 18 is by far one of the more versatile antibacterial products I have in my first aid kit at home. Handy for bites, dry skin, minor cuts, boils, spots and even sun burn, no wonder Manuka honey is at last becoming more acceptable and this little tube is a must if you pride safety in your family above all else. Yes it is expensive, but when you see the miracle healing it can do, plus its 100% all natural additives, it's worth a second look. Thanks for reading! ©Nar2 2012
www.comvita.co.uk
Savlon May Be Your Saviour But Manukacare Is My Miracle! 
