About Luacee

We chose to build our first product in New Zealand, and to build only one — a single face cream, made properly, rather than a collection made quickly.

Luacee was founded on a straightforward idea: high-performance skincare doesn't need to overpromise. We'd rather tell you exactly what's in the jar, exactly where it came from, and exactly what it will and won't do.

Three products of one hive

Our formula brings together three things bees make, alongside two of the most dependable ingredients in modern skincare.

  • Manuka Honey — from the wild Leptospermum scoparium blossom. A natural humectant: it pulls water into the skin and holds it there, leaving skin comfortable and dewy.
  • New Zealand Bee Venom — purified and precisely dosed. The hive's most concentrated active, and the ingredient this formula is built around.
  • Propolis Extract — the resin bees use to seal and protect their hives. Rich in flavonoids and naturally antioxidant.
  • Niacinamide — one of the most studied ingredients in modern dermatology, used to support the skin barrier and the appearance of even tone.
  • Squalane — near-identical to the oil your skin already makes, which is why it absorbs instead of sitting on top.
A honeybee on white manuka blossom in New Zealand
A New Zealand beekeeper opening a Luacee hive at dusk

Not one bee is harmed

We work with New Zealand apiculturists who share our standards. Our venom is collected on a glass plate carrying a light electrical current. Bees sting the glass, leave a trace of venom on the surface, and fly away with their stingers intact.

It is slow, it yields very little, and it is the only method we will use.

Made to a standard you can check

Our cream is formulated and manufactured in New Zealand, in a facility certified to ISO 22716 Cosmetics Good Manufacturing Practice by both Cosmetics New Zealand and IANZ. It has passed accelerated stability testing and independent laboratory testing for safety and preservative efficacy.

These aren't marketing words. They're certificates with numbers and expiry dates, and we're happy to be asked about them.

Manuka honey and honeycomb
Hive Cream jar on the bench

What we won't print

We will not publish a claim we cannot substantiate. That means you won't find percentages on this site until we've run our own consumer panel, and you won't find comparisons to medical or cosmetic procedures at all.

What we can tell you today is what the cream is, what's in it, where it's made, and how it feels to use. When we have our own study, we'll publish the numbers and the methodology alongside them.

What's not in it

Formulated without silicones, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, PEGs or EDTA.

Scented naturally with lavender and ylang ylang essential oils. No synthetic fragrance or dye. If you're sensitive to essential oils, this is worth knowing before you buy.

Before you use it

This product contains bee venom, honey and propolis. If you have a known allergy to bees, bee stings or bee products, it isn't for you — and no discount changes that. Everyone else should patch test on the inner forearm and wait 24 hours before first use. Full guidance is on our FAQ page.

Questions? Talk to us — we answer every message ourselves.