Ingredient & Product Questions

Our manuka honey is sent to an independent laboratory where it is tested using the non-peroxide technique – this gives the most accurate measurement of MGO activity.  For more information on manuka honey click here

Yes, we believe that it is very important to ensure the safety of our products.  We use safe and proven preservative systems at the minimum amount needed to adequately preserve the formulation.  We use Vitamin E and Rosemary Leaf Extract as natural antioxidants.

No we do not, please see the ingredient list (supplied on each product page) for the preservative system used in a specific product.

We use an emulsifier in some of our products that you will see listed as wheat straw glycosides (and) cetearyl alcohol, the method used to produce this ingredient removes gluten, however doing a patch test is recommended.

Some Apicare products contain soy extract/oil and nut oils and butters.  Any allergens should have been removed during the extraction process however we cannot guarantee that no trace is present.  For this reason we recommend consulting your medical professional and/or preforming a patch test prior to use.

Full ingredient lists are available on our product packaging and on our web site.

Yes you can - our products contain manuka honey and may also contain beeswax, pollen, royal jelly and propolis but they do NOT contain bee venom.  If in doubt please consult your medical professional or perform a patch test prior to use.

Because of the number and volume of natural ingredients we use the colour of the finished product may vary.  For example, every batch of honey and beeswax harvested will be a slightly different colour depending on the time of year, the area in which the hive is located etc.

Apicare products last for 12 months once opened.  Look for the 'best after opening' symbol on the back of the packaging.  Expiry dates are printed on the base of our bottles and in the top back crimped area of the tube.

None of our products contain ingredients at levels which should cause concern during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant. However, certain products contain ingredients such as essential oils that some women choose to avoid entirely during pregnancy. If you have any concerns at all we advise you to consult your GP or pharmacist and show them the ingredient list before using the product. Our ingredients lists are available on our website. (Just select the product you are interested in and you'll see a drop down menu to click on for the ingredient listing).

Apicare Lip Butters, use a Zinc physical sunscreen. Physical sunscreens work by reflecting the UV rays away from the skin, shielding the skin from the sun. They are very safe and effective.  Physical sun screens like micronised zinc allow you to apply and go into the sun straight away.

Chemical sunscreens require you to apply and wait for around 20 mins whilst they absorb into your skin, before going out into the sun.

A lot of you will remember zinc oxide from years ago, when it was thick, white paste, often used by surfers on their nose and ears.  Since then a lot has happened to Zinc Oxide. Zinc has become micronised, which has made the particles smaller and less prone to the white, ghostly look.

You have probably heard the terms micronised and nano.  These terms refer to the particle size. Nano particles are incredibly small, they range from between 1 and 100 nanometres in diameter.  Micronised zinc is a larger particle and does not penetrate into the skin.

Apicare use Micronised Zinc Oxide in all our sun screen products except for Protect me lipbalm, which uses a chemical sunscreen.

As a general rule we would recommend using a small amounts of as few products as possible on very young children that do not have sensitive skins or dry skin conditions. Apicare do produce products that are free from synthetic fragrance, petrochemicals, sulphates, synthetic colours, animal ingredients, parabens or other potential irritants and so are particularly suitable for children. If your child has any particular allergies or skin conditions then you should consult your GP or pharmacist as appropriate.

Why does my product sometimes smell a little different to the previous one I purchased?

We use essential oils in our First aid from the hive therapeutic products (unless they are fragrance free), our Manuka Natural face products and our Beeswax Balms.   Fragrances are used in our bath and body products.  Essential oils are used in our products for their therapeutic benefits and their fragrance.

Our essential oils are sourced from the best possible crops globally each year. Soil conditions, climate, harvest time of day, and geographical region, these are all factors that can cause variation in plant growth and are difficult to control. 

Variations in growing conditions create variations in the plant's growth, which in turn affects the naturally occurring chemical components in that plant. For example, you may end up with a citrus oil that is high in limonene due to more sun than normal when it was grown.  Even factors during distillation process can create variations in chemical components from batch to batch.

Essential oils in products - these  will also vary a little from batch to batch and over time the smell may not be as strong as a new product batch.

Is there a way to change the smell if I don't like it?

Apicare take enormous pride in the essential oil blends we use. We use 100% pure essential oils and before we commit a blend to a product, we will have done many variations of the essential oils and then tested  this blend in the product.

We appreciate that not everyone likes the same smell, some people prefer next to no smell and if you are one of those people we recommend our fragrance free products.

However for a small percentage of people won't like the essential oil mix we have used and may find the smell a bit strong for them.

If you have received an Apicare product and you find the essential oil smell a bit strong or a bit weak you can make some small changes. Leave the pot lid off for 24 hours, this can help reduce the fragrance.

If like a sweeter smell you can a drop or 2 of Ylang Ylang essential oil, if you like a more earthy scent, you can add a drop or two of patchouli oil.