Economic potential of stingless bee honey in cosmetics: a systematic review of its technical, commercial, and productive viability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/eh3pd076Keywords:
Honey; Bees; Cosmetics; Technological Development; Quality Control.Abstract
Stingless bee honey has a distinctive composition and bioactive properties that may support its incorporation into cosmetic products, while its variability and the scarcity of commercial evaluations restrict its productive application, to analyze the technical, commercial, and competitive outcomes associated with the innovation of cosmetics formulated with stingless bee honey, Materials and methods: a systematic review was conducted through searches in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for original studies published from 2021 to 2026, eligibility criteria were defined according to the PICOC framework, and a structured narrative synthesis of 15 studies was performed because of heterogeneity in species, methods, and outcomes, the evidence showed antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective activity, together with feasibility for incorporating honey into nanoemulsions and hydrogels, likewise, composition and performance varied according to bee species, origin, season, production system, processing, and storage, whereas the studies did not directly report sales, profitability, market access, or willingness to pay, stingless bee honey is a promising raw material for differentiated cosmetic products, therefore, its development requires authentication, standardization, quality control, stability testing, dermatological safety assessment, instrumental efficacy, and sensory acceptance, thereby enabling future research to determine whether its technical advantages translate into competitiveness and stronger local production chains
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