Raw Honey for Wound Care: What Science Says

Before antibiotics existed, surgeons packed wounds with honey. Ancient Egyptian physicians listed honey in wound care recipes carved into papyrus scrolls 4,000 years ago. Greek physicians including Hippocrates recommended it. Roman soldiers carried it into battle. Traditional healers across Asia, Africa, and the Americas reached for honey when wounds festered.

Then antibiotics arrived, honey was set aside as folk medicine, and the world moved on.

But drug-resistant bacteria have changed that calculation. As antibiotic resistance grows into a global health crisis, researchers have returned to honey with modern analytical tools—and what they are finding is remarkable. Raw honey for wound care is not just folk wisdom. It is a scientifically documented phenomenon that many hospitals and wound care clinics are now incorporating into treatment protocols.

This article covers what the research shows, why raw honey works on wounds, how to use it safely, and when to seek professional care instead.

A Brief History of Honey as Medicine

Honey's use as a wound dressing may be the oldest documented medical treatment in human history. The Ebers Papyrus, written around 1550 BCE but containing knowledge from even earlier periods, describes honey-based ointments for wounds, burns, and skin conditions.

Aristotle wrote about honey's healing properties in 350 BCE. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder documented honey treatments for numerous conditions in his Natural History. Persian physicians in the medieval period considered honey essential in their pharmacopeia.

What is remarkable is that all of these cultures—separated by geography and centuries—independently arrived at the same conclusion: honey heals wounds better than leaving them untreated or using other available remedies.

They did not know why. They had no understanding of bacteria, enzymes, or hydrogen peroxide chemistry. They simply observed that wounds treated with honey healed faster, became infected less often, and left smaller scars. The mechanism was a mystery, but the results were consistent enough that honey remained a medical standard for four millennia.

Modern science has now explained the mystery.

Why Raw Honey Works on Wounds

Raw honey heals wounds through multiple distinct mechanisms that work simultaneously. This multi-mechanism action is part of what makes honey so effective—and so difficult for pathogens to resist.

Hydrogen Peroxide Production

Raw honey contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase, added by bees during honey production. When honey contacts wound fluid and becomes diluted, glucose oxidase activates and slowly produces hydrogen peroxide.

This is not the concentrated hydrogen peroxide you might use to sterilize a cut—which can actually damage tissue. Honey produces hydrogen peroxide in low, controlled concentrations that kill bacteria without harming the cells responsible for wound healing.

The sustained, slow release of hydrogen peroxide creates a continuous antibacterial environment. Bacteria cannot establish a foothold because the antimicrobial activity never stops as long as honey is present and slightly diluted by wound fluid.

Crucially, this enzyme is heat-sensitive and is destroyed by pasteurization. Processed commercial honey loses this mechanism. Raw honey retains it fully—which is one of the primary reasons raw honey outperforms processed honey for wound care applications.

Osmotic Effect

Honey contains very high concentrations of sugars—approximately 80% sugars by weight, primarily fructose and glucose. This creates a strongly osmotic environment that draws water out of bacterial cells through osmosis.

Bacteria need water to survive and reproduce. When surrounded by honey, bacteria lose moisture through their cell walls and die. Meanwhile, this same osmotic action draws wound fluid to the surface, a process called debridement, which cleans the wound and removes necrotic (dead) tissue that would otherwise impede healing.

The osmotic mechanism also creates a moist wound environment. Medical research has established that moist wounds heal faster than dry ones—this is why modern wound dressings are designed to maintain moisture. Honey naturally provides this environment while simultaneously fighting infection.

Low pH and Acidity

Raw honey has a notably acidic pH, typically between 3.2 and 4.5. This acidity creates an inhospitable environment for most pathogens, which prefer neutral to slightly alkaline conditions.

Beneficial effects of honey's low pH include:

Direct pathogen inhibition: Most wound-infecting bacteria grow poorly in acidic conditions
Enhanced oxygen release: Lower pH promotes the release of oxygen from hemoglobin, and oxygen-rich wounds heal faster and resist anaerobic bacteria
Collagen synthesis: Slightly acidic environments promote fibroblast activity and collagen production, which are essential for wound repair
Reduced wound odor: Many wound odors come from bacterial metabolites; killing bacteria with acidic honey eliminates these odors

Methylglyoxal and Other Antimicrobial Compounds

Beyond hydrogen peroxide, honey contains numerous antimicrobial compounds. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is present in all honeys to varying degrees and has strong activity against bacteria, fungi, and some viruses.

Manuka honey from New Zealand is famous for exceptionally high methylglyoxal content, but research shows that wildflower honeys—including California wildflower varieties—contain meaningful concentrations of methylglyoxal and other antimicrobial phenolic compounds. The diversity of floral sources in wildflower honey actually results in a broader range of antimicrobial compounds than single-source honeys.

Other antimicrobial compounds in raw honey include:

Bee defensin-1: An antimicrobial peptide that bees produce and add to honey. This compound has broad-spectrum activity against bacteria and fungi. Like glucose oxidase, it is heat-sensitive—another strike against processed honey for wound care.

Flavonoids: Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), quercetin, kaempferol, and other flavonoids contribute antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity.

Phenolic acids: These compounds disrupt bacterial cell membranes and interfere with bacterial biofilm formation.

Anti-Inflammatory Compounds

Wound healing progresses through distinct phases: inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. The inflammatory phase is necessary—it signals the immune system and clears debris—but excessive or prolonged inflammation delays healing and causes tissue damage.

Raw honey's extensive array of flavonoids, phenolic acids, and other compounds suppress the overproduction of inflammatory cytokines (molecular signals that drive inflammation). Research shows honey-treated wounds progress more efficiently through the inflammatory phase without becoming stuck in chronic inflammation—a major problem in hard-to-heal wounds.

This anti-inflammatory effect also explains why honey-treated wounds are less painful. Inflammatory mediators sensitize pain receptors; reducing them reduces pain.

Promoting Tissue Regeneration

Beyond killing bacteria and reducing inflammation, honey actively promotes the cell activities necessary for wound healing:

Stimulates angiogenesis: Honey promotes the growth of new blood vessels into healing tissue, improving nutrient and oxygen delivery.

Accelerates fibroblast migration: Fibroblasts are the cells that produce collagen, the structural protein of healed skin. Honey draws fibroblasts to the wound and promotes their activity.

Enhances epithelialization: The growth of new skin cells across the wound surface (epithelialization) is the final step in healing. Research shows honey accelerates this process.

Reduces scar formation: By promoting orderly tissue regeneration rather than the chaotic repair that leads to excess scarring, honey-treated wounds often heal with less scarring.

What the Research Shows

The scientific literature on honey for wound care is extensive. Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies have examined honey's effects on wound healing, and the results are consistently positive across multiple wound types.

Burn Wounds

Burns are among the most studied applications for honey. A landmark systematic review published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews—one of the most respected sources in evidence-based medicine—examined 26 randomized controlled trials involving over 3,000 participants with burns treated with honey versus other treatments.

The review found that honey healed partial-thickness burns significantly faster than conventional wound care, with median healing times approximately four days shorter. Honey-treated burns also showed reduced rates of infection.

Additional research has found honey particularly effective for infected burns and burns where conventional antibiotics have failed.

Chronic Non-Healing Wounds

Diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers (bedsores), and venous leg ulcers are among the most challenging wounds in medicine. They often become infected with drug-resistant bacteria and fail to heal for months or years, sometimes resulting in amputation.

Multiple clinical trials have shown honey effective for these difficult wounds. A study in the Journal of Wound Care found honey dressings promoted healing in diabetic foot ulcers, including some infected with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a notoriously dangerous drug-resistant bacterium.

Research in Wound Repair and Regeneration found that honey provided superior results to conventional wound care for venous leg ulcers, with faster healing and reduced infection rates.

The World Health Organization has acknowledged honey as a legitimate wound care treatment with established evidence behind it.

Surgical Wounds

Multiple studies have examined honey for post-surgical wound care. Trials involving abdominal surgeries, C-sections, gynecological procedures, and orthopedic surgeries have found honey dressings reduce infection rates, improve wound appearance, and in some cases allow infected surgical wounds to heal without additional antibiotics.

Activity Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria

This is perhaps the most clinically significant research area. Laboratory studies have consistently demonstrated honey's effectiveness against bacteria that resist conventional antibiotics:

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus): No established resistance to honey; honey kills MRSA effectively
VRE (vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus): Honey inhibits growth effectively
ESBL-producing bacteria: Honey shows activity against these drug-resistant strains
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A common wound pathogen that is often drug-resistant; honey inhibits it
Acinetobacter baumannii: One of the most dangerous drug-resistant hospital bacteria; honey shows activity

Critically, researchers have been unable to induce resistance to honey in bacteria even after prolonged exposure. Bacteria rapidly develop resistance to individual antibiotic compounds, but honey's multi-mechanism action—targeting bacteria through simultaneously operating pathways—makes resistance development essentially impossible through normal mechanisms.

This is why honey is attracting serious interest as antibiotic resistance becomes a global crisis. As a World Health Organization report on antimicrobial resistance noted, we need alternative approaches to infections. Honey may be one of them.

Medical-Grade vs. Raw Honey for Wound Care

It is important to distinguish between medical-grade honey products and raw honey from the grocery store or a local beekeeper.

Medical-grade honey products like Medihoney (derived from Manuka honey) undergo sterilization with gamma radiation to eliminate potential contaminants while preserving antibacterial properties. These products are FDA-cleared for wound care and are appropriate for use in hospital settings on serious wounds.

Raw honey from quality local sources has documented antibacterial properties and is appropriate for home first aid treatment of minor wounds. However, raw honey has not been sterilized and should not be used on deep, serious, or puncture wounds without medical guidance.

For the purpose of everyday first aid—minor cuts, scrapes, burns, skin irritation—quality raw honey performs well and offers meaningful benefits over basic bandaging alone.

The quality of raw honey matters. Honey from diverse wildflower sources tends to have broader antimicrobial activity than monofloral honeys. Locally sourced, unheated, unfiltered honey retains maximum enzyme and antimicrobial compound content. This is consistent with what the science on raw honey's enzymes and antioxidants shows about how processing degrades bioactive compounds.

How to Use Raw Honey on Minor Wounds

For cuts, scrapes, minor burns, and skin abrasions, here is a practical approach:

What you need

Raw, unprocessed honey
Clean gauze pads or non-stick wound dressing
Medical tape or bandage
Clean hands or gloves

Step-by-step application

1. Clean the wound first. Rinse thoroughly with clean running water for at least 1-2 minutes to remove debris. Do not skip this step—honey works best on clean wounds, not as a substitute for cleaning.

2. Pat dry gently. Use a clean cloth or gauze to blot moisture from the surrounding skin. The wound itself does not need to be perfectly dry—a little moisture is fine.

3. Apply honey directly. Spread a layer of honey approximately 1/8 inch (3mm) thick directly onto the wound or onto a gauze pad that you will place over the wound. Thicker application is generally better than thinner.

4. Cover with a dressing. Apply a clean gauze pad or non-stick dressing over the honey. Secure with tape or bandage. The covering prevents honey from dripping off and maintains contact with the wound.

5. Change the dressing regularly. Change dressings once or twice daily, or more often if the dressing becomes saturated. When removing the dressing, moisten it first if it sticks—honey dressings rarely adhere to wounds the way some conventional dressings do, which makes changes less painful.

6. Monitor healing. Normal healing progresses with gradual closure of the wound and reduction in redness around the edges. Signs of worsening infection—increasing redness spreading outward, warmth, swelling, pus, red streaks, fever—require prompt medical attention.

For minor burns

For minor burns (small, superficial burns that do not involve the hands, face, genitals, or large body areas):

Cool the burn immediately with cool (not cold) running water for 10-20 minutes
Do not apply ice, butter, or toothpaste
After cooling, apply honey as described above
Cover with a clean non-stick dressing
Change daily

Burns more than 3 inches in diameter, burns involving the hands, face, feet, genitals, or major joints, or burns that appear deep (white or brown, little pain) require emergency medical care.

For skin abrasions (road rash)

Flush thoroughly with water to remove embedded debris
For embedded gravel or debris you cannot remove, see a healthcare provider
Apply honey and cover
Change dressing daily until healed

When NOT to Use Honey on Wounds

Raw honey is appropriate for minor home first aid. It is not appropriate to use as a substitute for professional medical care in these situations:

Deep wounds requiring stitches (wounds with gaping edges, wounds through all layers of skin)
Puncture wounds (potential for deep contamination)
Animal bites (high infection risk, potential rabies exposure)
Signs of serious infection (spreading redness, red streaks, significant pus, fever)
Wounds in people with known honey allergies
Wounds in infants under one year (honey contains botulism spores safe for adults but dangerous for infants)
Wounds that have not improved within a week of consistent honey treatment

If you have any doubt about wound severity, seek medical care. When in doubt, get it checked.

Raw Honey vs. Other Home Wound Treatments

Honey is one of several home wound care options. How does it compare?

Antibiotic ointments (Neosporin, Bacitracin): These are effective against common bacteria but do not work against drug-resistant strains and contribute to antibiotic resistance with repeated use. Honey avoids both issues. For simple minor wounds, both work reasonably well.

Hydrogen peroxide: Often recommended in older first aid guides, but modern wound care research has established that concentrated hydrogen peroxide can damage the new cells growing at wound edges. Honey's slow, low-level hydrogen peroxide production avoids this problem.

Iodine solutions (Betadine): Effective antimicrobials but also cytotoxic to healing cells in high concentrations. Better for pre-wound skin preparation than for wound treatment. Honey is generally gentler on healing tissue.

Plain bandaging: Protects the wound and maintains moisture, but provides no antimicrobial action. Adding honey significantly improves outcomes.

For minor wound care at home, raw honey compares favorably to most alternatives. For serious wounds, professional medical care is always the right choice.

The Skin Health Connection

Wound healing overlaps significantly with everyday skin health. The same mechanisms that help honey heal wounds—antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory effects, moisture retention, tissue regeneration promotion—also explain honey's benefits for skin conditions like acne, eczema, and general skin aging.

Research on raw honey for skin shows similar mechanisms at work. The phenolic compounds that reduce inflammation in wounds reduce it in inflamed skin conditions. The antimicrobial properties that fight wound bacteria also fight acne-causing bacteria. The enzymes that support wound healing support skin cell renewal.

Understanding honey's wound care properties provides useful context for its broader role in skin health.

Why Raw Honey Is the Right Choice

The research consistently shows that raw, unprocessed honey outperforms processed honey for antibacterial and wound healing applications. This makes sense mechanically:

Processing destroys key active compounds:

Glucose oxidase (hydrogen peroxide source) is heat-sensitive and is inactivated above 105-110°F
Bee defensin-1 (antimicrobial peptide) is heat-sensitive
Various other enzymes degrade with heat
Ultra-filtration removes pollen and may affect other compounds

What survives processing:

The sugar content and osmotic properties
Some phenolic compounds (though reduced by heat)
The acidic pH

Raw honey retains the full complement of active compounds. The immune-supporting properties of raw honey depend on many of the same compounds as its wound care properties—further evidence that minimal processing preserves the most benefit.

When choosing honey for wound care or any health application, opt for raw, unfiltered, unheated honey from a source you trust.

A Note on Honey's Future in Medicine

The medical community is increasingly interested in honey as drug-resistant infections become harder to treat. Research is ongoing in several areas:

Synergy with antibiotics: Studies show honey combined with conventional antibiotics can reduce the antibiotic concentrations needed to kill bacteria, potentially making treatments more effective
Biofilm disruption: Bacterial biofilms in wounds are notoriously resistant to antibiotics; honey shows promising ability to penetrate and disrupt biofilms
Wound care dressing development: Medical device companies are developing standardized honey-based wound dressings for clinical use
Anti-cancer applications: Early research on honey's effects on cancer cell growth; not wound care specifically, but related to honey's bioactive compounds

The field is moving quickly, driven by the urgent need for alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Honey—one of humanity's oldest medicines—may turn out to be one of its most important tools in the fight against drug-resistant infections.

The Bottom Line

Raw honey is a scientifically validated wound care treatment with thousands of years of practical use behind it. Its multi-mechanism antibacterial action, anti-inflammatory effects, tissue-regeneration support, and moist wound environment properties make it genuinely effective for minor wound care.

Modern research supports what traditional healers knew intuitively: honey heals. The science behind raw honey's enzymes and antioxidants provides the molecular explanation for what practitioners observed empirically for millennia.

For minor cuts, scrapes, and burns, raw honey from a trusted source is a legitimate first-aid tool—one that works through mechanisms that bacteria cannot easily resist. Keep a jar in your medicine cabinet alongside your bandages and consider reaching for it next time you need to treat a minor wound.

Just make sure it is raw. That distinction makes all the difference.

The raw honey in our pantry comes from California wildflower sources, never heated, never ultra-filtered. Use it in your kitchen—and keep a jar in your first aid kit. Shop California Raw Honey.