When nature meets innovation, magic happens. Antipodes’ newest addition – Aura Gold Mānuka Honey Radiance Mask – is the evolution of a cult classic natural face mask. Building on the legacy of their beloved Aura Mānuka Honey Mask, this luxurious new mānuka honey skincare formula harnesses high-performance actives and vitamin C to deliver your brightest, most radiant skin yet.
What’s inside: star ingredients for radiant skin
Aura Gold isn’t just about honey – it’s a symphony of active ingredients designed to exfoliate, brighten, hydrate, and strengthen the skin barrier.
- Kakadu plum extract – A natural source of Vitamin C (with 100x more than oranges) to brighten skin and combat oxidative stress
- Lime caviar AHAs – Gentle fruit acids that exfoliate and polish the complexion, revealing smoother, more luminous skin
- Ceramides – Skin-identical lipids that replenish and reinforce the skin barrier, locking in moisture
- Plant hyaluronic acid – Delivers lasting hydration and helps plump the skin for a youthful glow
- Grafters’ mānuka honey – Deeply hydrates, soothes sensitive skin, and restores balance
Together, this potent mix creates a golden, creamy, hydrating face mask that looks and feels indulgent and delivers visible results.
Mānuka honey: a skincare superpower
At the core of Aura Gold is New Zealand mānuka honey, renowned globally for its natural skin benefits.
This rare honey is not just a natural hydrator – it’s also a powerhouse of antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity. Its humectant properties draw vital moisture into the skin, while its potent MGO content helps fight blemish-causing bacteria and calm irritation. The result? Skin that feels deeply nourished, soothed, and visibly glowing.
What makes mānuka honey truly exceptional is its unique composition. It contains over 2,000 natural compounds – twenty times more than regular honey – including three key bioactives:
- Methylglyoxal (MGO) – known for its powerful antimicrobial action
- Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) – a compound that converts to MGO as the honey matures
- Leptosperin – a plant polyphenol (antioxidant) with proven skin soothing properties.
With an MGO rating of 383, the honey in Aura Gold is among the most potent you’ll find in mānuka honey face masks and skincare in general.
Aura Gold Mānuka Honey Radiance Mask vs original Aura Mānuka Honey Mask
Both of these Antipodes’ masks are powered by the skin-loving properties of mānuka honey, but their functions and formulas are distinct:
- Purpose: Aura Gold is designed to brighten skin and provide anti-ageing skincare benefits, while the original Aura mask focuses on nourishment and hydration.
- Key active ingredients: Aura Gold features high-performance actives like Kakadu plum (vitamin C), lime caviar AHAs, and ceramides. The original Aura mask includes natural-origin ingredients such as avocado oil, Vinanza® grape, and New Zealand pohutukawa.
- Texture and appearance: Aura Gold offers a luxurious, golden, shimmery texture with ethically sourced mica, whereas the original Aura has a creamy, natural finish.
The story behind the glow: Grafter’s Honey
The heart of Aura Gold lies just next door. Quite literally. The mānuka honey used in Aura Gold is sourced from Sam and Vanessa, founders of Grafter’s Honey and next-door neighbours to Antipodes founder and CEO Elizabeth Barbalich.
This boutique Wellington-based bee farm is a labour of love. With over 650 hives scattered across remote mānuka-rich bushland, Sam and Vanessa work tirelessly to support millions of bees and craft the highest grade of mānuka honey possible. But it’s not just about the honey – it’s about the bees.
“From our outdoor patio overlooking acres of mānuka forest, we love to watch Sam and Vanessa’s bees make thousands of journeys from their hives to the mānuka flowers and back again,” says Elizabeth. “We watch their journey and know first-hand how happy, busy and healthy these bees are.”
Each batch of Grafter’s Honey is independently tested to meet Export Grade standards – the latest batch used for Aura Gold shows a remarkable MGO rating of 383, far above the minimum requirement of 80 for certified mānuka honey.
Sustainable beekeeping: bees first, always
Sam and Vanessa believe in doing things differently. While many commercial beekeepers overharvest and replace bees annually, Grafter’s philosophy is rooted in respect for the hive.
Bees rely on honey as their food source during winter. Taking too much honey from the hive threatens their survival. That’s why the Grafter’s ensure their bees are well-fed and supported year-round, using organic methods, steering clear of harmful chemicals, and providing diverse forage from their own land.
Their sustainable approach to beekeeping allows the bees to flourish – and when bees thrive, their honey holds more potency and power.
Glow with gold
The Aura Gold Mānuka Honey Radiance Mask is a true celebration of nature and innovation – from the manuka flower to the bees that harvest it, to the scientists who refine its benefits into skincare gold.
Luxurious, ethical, and powerfully effective, it’s skincare alchemy in a tube!
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