Beeswax : what it is used for, its properties and uses in cosmetics and the food industry. Info on virgin and natural beeswax.
Beeswax is produced by the activity of the species Apis mellifera, in particular by the so-called worker bees. Honey bees use beeswax to build the cells of the honeycomb where the larvae are raised and the honey is stored. In nature, the color of beeswax varies from white to brownish based on purity.
Contents hide
1 Virgin beeswax
2 Raw beeswax
3 Beeswax: beneficial properties
4 What is beeswax used for?
5 Where to buy beeswax
6 Beeswax Candles
7 Beeswax for wood
Virgin beeswax
Beeswax can have a different color based on its purity and the type of flower collected by the bees ; in general, the beeswax that goes to form the brood combs tends to be more brownish because it is richer in impurities. Virgin beeswax is obtained from the deposits of honey combs. Virgin wax does not undergo any treatment: it is obtained by simply melting with hot water, it maintains a light aromatic odor and is malleable if exposed to the summer sun or if heated with the heat of the hands.
Raw beeswax
The first users of beeswax are the bees that use it to build the small cells where they keep honey, pollen and eggs, called honeycombs. It is obtained from the chemical transformation of nectar, it is produced in the abdominal wax glands of the bees, they themselves detach it with their hind legs and work it with their mandibles to mix it. Then it is ready to be used, by them and also by us. It is still raw beeswax.
Beeswax: beneficial properties
It is rich in benefits but is still less popular than other products that are also the result of the industriousness of bees such as honey, propolis, pollen and royal jelly. Among the properties of beeswax are the analgesic and expectorant ones but there are many others that make it useful in the most diverse sectors.
What is beeswax used for?
In the home and DIY sector, beeswax can be used to make candles, lubricate drawers and windows, polish wood and floors, for natural-based paint and in the cosmetic sector for the preparation of creams, lotions, lipsticks and deodorants.
In the preparation of creams and beauty products, beeswax is softened by dilution with other vegetable oils. For example, in the recipe for DIY deodorant for men and women , beeswax was diluted with coconut oil and shea butter.
Beeswax is of great importance in cosmetics because it can be used as a thickener, density corrector and emulsion stabilizer. The use of beeswax in cosmetics is increasing rapidly, thanks to its properties : a German study found that beeswax can be far superior to the classic mineral oils used today in cosmetics. Mineral oils are obtained from the refining of petroleum and are found in most beauty products, for more information: harmful ingredients in cosmetics .
In cosmetics , beeswax can be used as a fundamental component of lip balm, lip gloss, hand cream, body moisturizers and in the preparation of eye shadow, blush, eyeliner and mascara.
Dissolved in turpentine, beeswax creates a furniture polish.
Beeswax is also widely used in the food industry. Beeswax is used as a food additive and is labeled with the acronym E901, its function is to stabilize the product and prevent water loss. Beeswax is also used to make casings to contain cheese or as a surface covering for fruit (sometimes even paraffin is used to make the fruit shinier and more beautiful!).
In the pharmaceutical field, some natural products recommended for treating colds, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and inflamed gums contain beeswax.
Where to buy beeswax
Ideally, you should purchase beeswax from a small beekeeper; beeswax purchased directly from beekeepers may have different degrees of purity but it would undoubtedly be natural beeswax.
There are many beeswaxes on the market but according to the opinions of users who have tried it, among the best products available on the market we recommend the 200 gram pack of organic beeswax offered on this Amazon page .
This product has been awarded Amazon’s Choice recognition and makes beeswax available in small flake form, suitable for making DIY ointments, soaps, lotions, creams and balms.
With beeswax pellets you can also make scented candles using molds of your favorite shape, so as to obtain suggestive decorations.
Beeswax candles
Beeswax candles are appreciated for several reasons: they burn cleanly, they do not make a mess because the typical dripping along the external surfaces of the candle is absent: beeswax burns almost homogeneously and without smudges. The smoke is barely visible.
All the instructions for making candles with natural beeswax are described on the page entitled How to make scented candles . As an alternative to beeswax , to make candles at home you can use natural soy wax.
Beeswax for wood
Like apples, wood can also be polished with this substance and the results are excellent. When doing restoration and maintenance work on furniture, beeswax helps a lot, the same goes for renovating shoes or floors.
Other applications are in the cosmetics field, thanks to its protective and water-repellent properties: beeswax appears in body products and make-up, in face creams, even DIY. Being very malleable, many use it to create handcrafted works: candles but also preparatory models in goldsmithing and small sculptures.
