Bees are wondrous. Everything they produce has potent nutritive, health-promoting properties, and beeswax is no exception.
Wax is secreted by worker bees by special glands in their abdomen to create honeycombs. Honeycombs are their storage homes and nurseries; it’s where they keep honey and provide protection for baby bees. In the early stages, beeswax is white, but when it’s exposed to honey and pollen oils, it develops its beautiful golden hue. The longer the exposure, the deeper its color and fragrance.
Beeswax has been used for many purposes for centuries, including: for mummification in old Egypt, as a multi-purpose adhesive, as an ingredient of artistic materials and musical instruments, for varnishing and polishing, and in candle-making. There are records of its cosmetic and medicinal uses in ancient Egypt, Greece, and China. According to one of China’s most well-known medicine books, The Shen Nong Book of Herbs (1-2nd BC), beeswax is considered one of the top medicinal ingredients for the skin for treating wounds, beauty enhancement, and its anti-aging properties.
Beeswax acts as a shield, creating a protective layer for the skin while still letting it breathe. Its complex composition includes over 300 components! Vitamin A, esters, and fatty acids give it excellent emollient properties. Beeswax locks in moisture and improves the skin’s elasticity, helping it stay soft and hydrated. It helps heal dry, chapped skin and lips without clogging pores, making it a perfect ingredient for lip balms, salves, diaper-rash ointments, and anti-itch balms.
More recently, beeswax’s antimicrobial and antifungal properties have been given attention. While more studies are needed to prove its effectiveness, early studies show that it soothes irritated skin and prevents bacterial and fungal growth when combined with olive oil and honey. It has also been demonstrated to be far superior in formulations for clinically diagnosed sensitive skin over synthetic ingredients. Beeswax is the least allergenic of all bee products, with very few cases of contact allergy reported.
At Sallye Ander we only use top-quality beeswax from happy honeybees. It’s an ingredient in many of our products, including:
- Honey & Beeswax Soap
- Black Soap
- All Sallye Ander Shave Bars
- All Sallye Ander Lip Balms: Shea & Olive Oil, Winter Ice, Apple Crisp, Tea Tree & Lemon, Candy Cane
- No-Bite-Me Bug Repellent Cream
- Heavy Duty Foot Therapy Cream
- Heavy Duty Hand Therapy Cream
- Baby Balm
- Rescue Me Intensive Care Balm