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What is Beeswax?
How was Beeswax used in the past?
What makes Beeswax special?
How is Beeswax made?
What is the difference between white and yellow Beeswax?
Is Beeswax vegan?
How do you know if Beeswax is pure?
What can you use Beeswax for?
What does Beeswax look like?
How is the best way to store Beeswax?
Where can you buy Beeswax?
Beeswax (INCI: Cera Alba) is a fatty substance that honeybees produce to build their honeycombs. From this, bees create the 'cells' in which honey and pollen are stored.
Beeswax is a firm substance with a high molecular weight. For this reason, Beeswax melts between 62 and 65 °C. This high melting point makes it an ideal product for giving cosmetic products more firmness. But other special properties also make Beeswax a valuable ingredient in care products, among other things.
Beeswax has been used by people from various cultures for centuries. These people used it for all sorts of purposes.
For example, Beeswax was used as far back as the Stone Age to fill cavities in the teeth. Beeswax was soft enough to press into a molar, but after solidifying it was ultimately also hard enough to eat with.
Beeswax was also widely used in shipping. Vikings, in particular, were great enthusiasts of Beeswax. They used the wax to seal cracks and holes in their wooden ships.
In the Middle Ages, it was discovered that you can make candles from Beeswax. Previously, candles were mainly made from animal fat. Beeswax candles were popular because the scent was more pleasant than that of animal-fat candles. In the Middle Ages, Beeswax candles were only seen in wealthy households and in churches because they were very expensive.
Beeswax, like honey, has many benefits for our hair and skin. Beeswax contains hydrating components such as vitamin A. These components help your skin retain moisture, keeping it youthful and firm.
Moreover, Beeswax has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritated and red skin. For example, it also helps against pimples and blackheads. This is because Beeswax is able to nourish and hydrate the skin without clogging the pores. In addition, Beeswax has antibacterial properties that ensure the skin is well cared for. For these reasons, among others, Beeswax is often added to skincare products.
Beeswax also helps against irritating substances from outside. It acts as a sort of protective layer when applied to the skin. In extreme weather conditions, Beeswax can therefore give your skin extra protection.
Beeswax also has many benefits for the hair. The esters, fatty acids and Vitamin A in Beeswax provide anti-inflammatory properties that deeply nourish the scalp and hair follicles. This means Beeswax can promote hair growth. But Beeswax can also prevent hair loss. This is because Beeswax is able to retain moisture in the hair and nourishes it. It is therefore an ideal moisturiser for your hair.
The melting temperature of Beeswax is 60 to 65 °C. Because Beeswax is a natural product, this is a melting range, not a melting point. From as low as 40 °C, Beeswax is soft and malleable.
As mentioned earlier, Beeswax is made by bees. Bees turn this wax into a comb in which they ultimately store honey and pollen. While producing Beeswax and making the combs, the bees eat a lot of honey. They need this because they use a lot of energy during this process. That causes their body temperature to rise, which makes the Beeswax in their body liquid. Through small glands on the underside of the bee, the Beeswax drips out of the bee's little body. Once the wax has left the bee, it gradually becomes a hard substance. Finally, the bees create the typical hexagon-shaped combs with their tiny legs.
Once the bee has done the hard work, the beekeeper takes over the process. With a hot knife, the beekeeper cuts the combs loose. Once enough combs have been collected, they are melted in a large melting pan. Through this melting process, beekeepers can easily separate the wax from the honey. The honey sinks to the bottom during melting. Once everything is melted, the wax is poured into iron containers. These containers are comparable to the baking tins you use to make cakes. In these containers the wax solidifies, so that you ultimately have bars of Beeswax.
These bars are sold to various industries where they are processed into all sorts of products. Think, for example, of candles and cosmetics. The wax is of course refined and purified before being processed.
The video below clearly explains the melting process of Beeswax.
There are different colours of Beeswax. The two most common colours are white Beeswax (Cera alba) and yellow Beeswax (Cera flava). Why the colour differs is very easy to explain.
Initially, Beeswax is colourless. Beeswax is transparent when it comes out of the bee's body. But then bees add pollen and propolis to the Beeswax, giving it a yellow to golden-brown colour. Propolis is a substance made by bees from the buds and sap of plants and trees.
To make white Beeswax, the yellowish Beeswax is purified and bleached.
Using:
Activated charcoal is able to absorb the yellow colour of the pollen and propolis from the Beeswax. In this process, activated charcoal is therefore added to Beeswax, so that the Beeswax ultimately turns white.
It is also common to bleach Beeswax with sunlight. You can essentially do this at home too. To do so, you place the Beeswax in a spot where it is exposed to plenty of sunlight throughout the day. You will see that the yellowish colour of the Beeswax fades more and more. Depending on the strength of the sun, the bleaching process can take 1 to 5 weeks. In the Netherlands and Belgium it will probably take a bit longer given the limited sun.
Sometimes chemicals are also used. This is a quick and easy way to bleach Beeswax. Chlorine or peroxide is used for this. These two substances are well-known bleaching agents and are often used to bleach all sorts of different products.
Beeswax is bleached so that it can also be used in food and medication. The only difference for use in cosmetics is the colour. White Beeswax is easier to mix with products that have a colour. If you want to make a natural red lipstick, for example, it is better (and easier) to use white Beeswax.
In short: White (bleached) Beeswax is decoloured yellow Beeswax.
Although Beeswax is a natural product, it is not vegan. This is because Beeswax is made from a fatty substance that bees produce. It is therefore an animal product. There are, however, various alternatives to Beeswax that you can use to make plant-based cosmetics, for example.
Alternatives:
Soy wax
Candelilla wax
Sunflower wax
Carnauba wax
Naturally, these alternatives do not have 100% the same properties as Beeswax. For example, the melting point is not at the same temperature. But for making lip balms, ointments and other cosmetic products, the above alternatives are very usable.
Because the number of beekeepers is declining, it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain pure Beeswax. To make Beeswax faster and easier, pure Beeswax is sometimes mixed with synthetic wax (paraffin).
Pure Beeswax has a typical scent. The scent is not very strong, but has a slightly sweet aroma and faintly resembles honey.
You can also tell whether a block of Beeswax is pure by the way it breaks. Pure Beeswax has a fracture surface that is not perpendicular to the surface. The break of pure Beeswax is rather slanted and a little 'dull'. If a broken block of Beeswax shines, it can be a sign that it contains paraffin.
Beeswax is used in many different cosmetic products because it makes a product easier to use.
Beeswax is ideal to use as an ingredient in homemade lip balms and lotions. It makes your product easier to use because it becomes a bit firmer and thicker. This is because Beeswax only melts at higher temperatures (around 65ºC).
But Beeswax also consists of valuable substances that are ideal for our skin. Beeswax contains hydrating components that help your skin and lips retain moisture. This means you are less likely to suffer from dry skin or chapped lips.
Moreover, Beeswax gives the skin and lips an extra protective layer so that cold, wind and rain are kept out. Combined with a nourishing butter and oil such as shea butter, coconut oil, argan oil or jojoba oil, it is a perfect match for lip balm.
In the video below, we explain step by step how to make lip balm with just three ingredients, one of which is of course Beeswax.
Beeswax must first be heated and melted before you can use it in care products. Do this au bain-marie so that the wax does not get too hot. Once the wax is liquid, add the other oils you want in your product and heat everything for a little longer. Then pour into a glass jar, bottle or lipstick container and let it cool down. After that, your product is ready for use.
Are you curious why lip balm with Beeswax is better than ready-made lip balm? Then be sure to read our extensive blog about lip balm here:
With Beeswax it is possible to make candles yourself. All you have to do is pour the melted Beeswax into a glass jar with a wick and let it harden. For a nice scent, you can optionally add drops of essential oil with some coconut oil.
The video below visually shows how to make candles with Beeswax.
Depending on where and how Beeswax is produced, the colour can vary from (light) yellow, beige or brown. Beeswax is sometimes also bleached, which can give it a white colour.
Beeswax has a light scent that is somewhat reminiscent of sweet honey. The more often you melt Beeswax, the less strong the scent becomes.
Beeswax is best stored in a resealable container. Unblended, Beeswax generally keeps for 36 months, but usually even longer. If you mix Beeswax with other ingredients, the product keeps for a shorter time. The exact shelf life depends on the other ingredients.
