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Authentic mad honey comes from the Himalayan cliffs of Nepal, where Apis laboriosa colonies nest at altitudes up to roughly 4,000 meters, and the Black Sea coast of Turkey, where mad honey is produced through managed, ground-level rhododendron apiaries rather than wild cliff hives. Nepal's version is typically wild-harvested; Turkey's is typically farmed.

Reference: Wikipedia — Mad Honey

Traditional Nepalese honey hunters scale 300-foot cliffs using handmade rope ladders and bamboo poles. Harvesters create smoke fires below hives to calm aggressive bees, then cut honeycomb sections. This dangerous practice occurs twice yearly (spring/autumn). Turkish harvesting uses conventional beekeeping near rhododendron forests. Single expeditions yield 60-80kg of honey.

Reference: Mad Honey Guide

Mad honey's color and texture vary primarily due to the floral source (like Rhododendron), which dictates nectar compounds, but also by geography, season, and processing, influencing its tint (light to dark) and fluidity (runny to thick), making each batch unique. Because it's a wild product rather than a standardized commercial one, no two batches are identical- variation is a sign of authenticity, not inconsistency.

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

No. Our mad honey is 100% raw and unprocessed- nothing is added, blended, filtered beyond a basic mesh strain to remove big wax particles. What's in the jar is exactly what the bees produced: raw honey and the naturally occurring compounds from wild rhododendron nectar. No sugar, syrup, preservatives, or additives of any kind.

Reference: What is Raw honey? What makes it different from Mad Honey?

Like all raw honey, mad honey's low moisture content and natural acidity mean it doesn't spoil in the way most foods do when stored properly — sealed, at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. Crystallization may be common as it is a wild honey which should not be considered a sign of spoilage. We still apply a best-by date of one to three years for quality assurance, but this reflects freshness standards rather than a safety cutoff.

Reference: National Honey Board – Honey Storage

We don't recommend it. Like all honey, it's high in natural sugars and will raise blood glucose. There's no research supporting safe use in this group, so it's best avoided.

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

No. Like any regular honey, mad honey isn't recommended for infants under 12 months due to botulism risk, so mad honey should never be given to children of any age. Moreover, mad honey has grayanotoxin and children's developing nervous and cardiovascular systems can be more sensitive to it at much lower doses than adults.

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

No. Grayanotoxins can lower blood pressure and slow heart rate, and medical literature documents cases of complications in pregnant women after mad honey exposure. This risk applies at any stage of pregnancy, so it should be avoided entirely, and any unusual honey product should be discussed with a physician first.

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

The best mad honey for you is generally raw, local, and unfiltered honey, as it retains beneficial enzymes, pollen, and antioxidants, but the "best" depends on your goal- for health, choose raw/local; for smooth, clear liquid, a filtered, pasteurized one works, while Medicinal Mad Honey offers specific antibacterial benefits, and always check for a single ingredient (just honey).

Reference: National Honey Board

The name comes from the effects of grayanotoxins in the honey- its higher amounts can cause dizziness, disorientation, or a heavy, "drunk" sensation, which is where the term originated. In careful, small amounts as that present in Medicinal Mad Honey, most people instead experience a mild warmth or light-headed calm rather than anything close to what "mad" implies. The name is a legacy of its more intense uses, not a description of how it's meant to be taken today. 

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

Regular honey comes from bees foraging across many flower types, with the nectar being concentrated from different general flowers. Mad honey comes from bees foraging almost exclusively on rhododendron and alpine and subalpine flowers during a short bloom window. The honey contains neurotoxin called grayanotoxin from rhododendrons requiring careful, limited dosing, while regular honey doesn't carry any of these considerations. It's also more earthy and considerably more expensive due to its limited, seasonal, high-altitude harvest.

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

Mad honey should be used in a very small amount- roughly a quarter to a half teaspoon- taken on an empty stomach, either directly or dissolved in warm (not hot) water or tea. Avoid heating it above about 95°F (35°C), which can degrade its natural enzymes. Most people take it in the morning or early afternoon rather than before sleep, and wait at least two hours before considering any additional amount. It should never be combined with alcohol or medications without first checking with a doctor.

Reference: NCBI – Grayanotoxin Poisoning

Orders within the US ship from our US warehouse via tracked USPS express delivery, typically arriving within 3–5 business days. International orders ship via DHL Express with full tracking, typically arriving within 4–7 business days.

Please note any import duties or taxes applied once your order reaches your country are the responsibility of the recipient.

Yes, to a wide range of destinations worldwide. To confirm shipping to your specific country, add an item to your cart and proceed to checkout- you'll be able to select your country from the shipping list. If your country isn't supported, checkout will show "no shipping options available.

Delivery estimates on our shipping page are just that — estimates, not guarantees. Delays can occur once a package enters your country's customs system, which is outside our control. If your order hasn't arrived within a reasonable window past the estimate, contact us at support@medicinalmadhoney.com with your order details and we'll investigate.

Import regulations differ significantly by country, and some products on our site may be restricted in certain jurisdictions. We do our best to flag known restrictions on our shipping page, but we can't guarantee awareness of every country's rules. Any import duties, taxes, or customs holds are the customer's responsibility, and we're not able to offer refunds or replacements for shipments confiscated by customs.

Email support@medicinalmadhoney.com to start a return. Return shipping costs are covered by the customer.

Contact us as soon as you receive it, and include a photo of the damaged item, the batch number from the jar, and your order number. This lets us open an investigation with our shipping carrier quickly and helps us prevent it from happening again.

If you need to cancel your order, contact us as soon as possible with your order number. We're unable to cancel orders that have already been dispatched.

We accept PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard through a secure payment system. We never store customer credit card information.

Shipping is free within Nepal. For international orders, cost depends on order weight and is calculated on the checkout page- full details are on our shipping policy page.

Once your order ships, you'll receive tracking updates by email along with a tracking number. You can also track your order directly through our tracking portal. Questions about a shipment can be sent to support@medicinalmadhoney.com anytime.

Subscriptions default to a 30- or 60-day delivery cycle, adjustable when you place your first order or anytime afterward from your customer dashboard.

Cancel anytime from your customer dashboard. Cancellations must be made at least 4 days before your next scheduled order to avoid being charged for that shipment.

Yes- from your customer dashboard, select "edit subscription" to change your product or add a one-time item to your next delivery.

Yes, you can skip any upcoming delivery from your dashboard if you're traveling or still have honey on hand enough until the next purchase.

Go to your dashboard and select "edit my details" to update your address. Changes must be made at least 7 days before your next delivery to avoid it shipping to your old address.

Subscribers get 20% off every jar, automatic delivery so you never run out, and full access to promotions- you can still add discounted items to any upcoming delivery through your dashboard.

Recycled paper, plastic wrap, and cardboard- chosen to protect the bars from contact or contamination before purchase while keeping packaging biodegradable.

Our soaps are fully natural. The oils are plant-derived (vegetable-based), and we use natural colorants and fragrances rather than synthetic ones.

Our soaps are human-tested but recommended only for children 7 and older.

Yes, though you should avoid contact with eyes or mouth. If contact occurs, rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Every bar is hand-poured, hand-cut, and made in small batches, so slight variation in shape, texture, and appearance between bars is normal- a result of the handcrafted process, not a flaw.

Yes. All ingredients are natural and sourced from Nepal's hills and mountains, including mad honey bee-derived ingredients sustainably sourced through our honey-hunting partners.

All of our products are manufactured in Nepal, through our in-house team.

Yes, many customers layer it under lip color, use it alone, or apply it as an overnight lip mask.

Normal and ordinary lip balms are made with a lot of chemicals that are bad for your lips. However ours is formulated with mad honey beeswax and propolis, both of which naturally hydrate and help protect the lips.

Full ingredient lists by flavor are available on our ingredients page, so please visit it for exact information.

Yes. Every batch is tested in Nepal's government food laboratories and independently re-verified in the USA before it reaches customers.

No, honey and beeswax are core ingredients in everything we sell, which makes our products unsuitable for a vegan diet.

We don't recommend our mad honey products to pregnant group of people or while breastfeeding without first discussing it with your physician.

Absolutely not!

Yes, we use sustainable packaging materials across our product line.

They're not certified organic, but we prioritize using natural ingredients in all processes of sourcing and production.

Honey is collected in small quantities across multiple regions in Nepal and stored properly at our packaging facility. Soap and lip balms are made in small batches to stay as fresh as possible at time of sale. Shelf life after opening is printed on each product label.

Yes. Mad honey is generally in stock year-round. Soap and lip balms use a cold-process method requiring 4–6 weeks to cure, so custom orders for those need to be finalized about a month in advance. Bulk orders should be placed at least 3 weeks ahead if stock isn't already on hand.

We partner directly with over 84 honey-hunting communities across Nepal to source our mad honey and beeswax. Beyond sourcing, we collaborate with local communities and government partners on conservation initiatives aimed at protecting Himalayan giant bee populations and their cliff habitats each year.

Our premium mad honey jars use food-safe, BPA-free 100% recycled plastic (rPET)- after comparing full lifecycle environmental impact, we found it to be the more sustainable choice over glass for standard packaging.

Our limited reserve batches ship in glass, chosen for its ability to preserve purity and potency over longer storage periods. Every jar we use, glass or plastic, is fully recyclable.