Honeybush
Cyclopia genistoides
Indigenous polyphenol antioxidant, mangiferin-rich
Honeybush is in the same family as rooibos but distinct in chemistry. It is endemic to South Africa's Eastern Cape and produces a sweet, honey-scented herbal infusion when brewed. The leaves contain mangiferin and isomangiferin, polyphenols with well-documented antioxidant activity.
Honeybush has been called “rooibos’s quieter cousin” — equally interesting chemically but less commercially established. The Cape Honeybush Tea Company is one of the larger growers and processors, working with both wild-harvested material from the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma mountain ranges and cultivated stands.
The science
Honeybush extract has been studied for both antioxidant and oestrogenic effects (the mangiferin content is structurally similar to phytoestrogens). For topical cosmetic use, the relevant property is its antioxidant capacity, which exceeds that of rooibos on a polyphenol-equivalent basis. A 2010 study in *Phytomedicine* found significant inhibition of UV-induced erythema in topical formulations.
