If you've spent any time reading honey labels, you've probably noticed there isn't just one "special" honey. There's a whole world of them, each tied to a specific tree, region, and tradition. Two that come up together a lot are Jarrah and Manuka. If you've wondered what actually separates them, or which one belongs in your routine, here's the plain answer.
Where Do Jarrah and Manuka Honey Come From?
Both are Australasian in origin. Manuka honey comes from bees foraging the Manuka tea tree, native to New Zealand and parts of Australia. Jarrah honey comes from the Jarrah eucalyptus tree, found in the forests of Western Australia. Neither honey can be reliably reproduced anywhere else in the world: the tree has to be there, and the bees have to work it during a short flowering window each year. That scarcity is part of why both carry a premium price and a loyal following.
What's the Actual Difference Between Them?
The difference comes down to chemistry. Manuka honey is known for its high concentration of methylglyoxal, or MGO, a compound that forms naturally as the honey matures and is responsible for its well-documented antibacterial reputation. It's also the most heavily studied honey in the world, which is part of why so many skincare and wellness brands, including us, build around it.
Jarrah honey takes a different route. It's naturally higher in general antioxidant content and gets its antimicrobial properties largely from hydrogen peroxide activity rather than MGO. Some people find its flavor smoother, with a caramel note that's less sharp than Manuka's earthy profile.
Neither is strictly "better." They're just built differently, the way two firm, tart apples can still taste completely different from each other.
Which One Should You Choose?
If you're picking a honey to eat off a spoon, this really comes down to taste: Jarrah's caramel smoothness versus Manuka's earthier, more medicinal edge. If you're picking a honey to put in a skincare or wellness product, the question changes. Manuka's MGO content is stable, measurable, and graded (you'll often see it labeled MGO 100+, 400+, and so on), which makes it easier to formulate around consistently, batch after batch. Jarrah doesn't carry that same standardized grading system yet, which makes it a wonderful honey to enjoy on its own, but a harder one to build a repeatable formula around.
Rarity plays a role too. Because Jarrah trees only flower every two to four years, true Jarrah honey can be harder to source consistently than Manuka, which has a more established, if still limited, supply chain after decades of New Zealand beekeepers specializing in it.
Why We Build Our Formulas Around Manuka
We didn't choose Manuka honey by accident. Its MGO content is well-studied and consistent, which matters when you're using it in a balm that touches sensitive skin or a spray that touches the back of your throat. Consistency is what lets us make a real claim instead of a vague one: this honey is rich in MGO, and that's part of why it's known for supporting skin and soothing irritation.
That's also the honey behind both of our current formulas: the Manuka Honey + Tallow Balm, where it pairs with tallow's fatty acids to support the skin barrier, and the Manuka Honey + Propolis Throat Spray, where it works alongside propolis to calm a scratchy throat.
A Wider World of Honey
Part of what got us started wasn't Manuka at all. It was Melipona honey, the rare honey made by stingless bees in the Guatemalan highlands, a tradition that goes back generations in our own family. That search for honey worth paying attention to is what eventually led us to Manuka on the other side of the world. Jarrah is a reminder that the search doesn't end there. There's always another forest, another tree, another honey worth knowing about.
A Few Common Questions
Is one honey healthier than the other to eat? Both are nutritious raw honeys with their own antioxidant profiles. Neither should replace medical treatment for any condition. They're food, not medicine.
Can I use Jarrah honey the same way I'd use Manuka in skincare? In theory, its antioxidant content makes it an interesting candidate, but it hasn't been studied or formulated for skin the way Manuka has, so we can't speak to how it would perform in a balm or spray.
Why don't more brands carry Jarrah honey? Limited flowering cycles and a smaller beekeeping industry around the Jarrah forests keep supply tight, which is part of why it's less common on shelves than Manuka.
Nature knows best, and it turns out nature has been perfecting more than one honey at a time.
Products related to this post:
- Manuka Honey + Tallow Balm ($29.99)
- Manuka Honey + Propolis Throat Spray ($13.99)
