What Is Beeswax? Benefits and Uses

What Is Beeswax and How Is It Obtained?

Beeswax is a product made by honey bees and other bees from the honeycomb. Bees consume roughly eight times as much honey, and fly around 150,000 miles, to build one kilogram of beeswax. Pollen oils mixing into the honeycomb wax turn white wax yellow or brown. Beeswax is generally available as yellow, white or bleached. Yellow beeswax comes straight from the honeycomb, while white and bleached beeswax are derived from yellow beeswax. Man-made versions of beeswax are produced to look like natural beeswax.

Beeswax's Place in Skin Care and Home Use

1. Traditional Use on Skin: Nappy Rash, Psoriasis and Eczema

Beeswax is an excellent choice for many skin conditions. A mixture of honey, beeswax and olive oil is beneficial in treating nappy rash, psoriasis and eczema.

2. Moisturises the Skin

Beeswax is a great way to moisturise the skin and is commonly found in skincare products and cosmetics. It can help protect and repair rough, dry or cracked skin because of its ability to lock in moisture.

Besides being a natural moisturiser that cares for dry skin, you can use it daily to keep skin from drying out in the first place.

3. Protects the Liver

Researchers carried out a study using a beeswax-alcohol mixture to assess its safety and effectiveness in people with fatty liver disease. The study ran over a 24-week period and produced positive findings on liver values.

4. Lowers Cholesterol Levels

Very-long-chain fatty alcohols obtained from plant waxes have been reported to lower cholesterol in humans.

5. Soothing Properties

Beeswax has been scientifically examined in this area and has mild anti-swelling effects.

6. Clears Up Acne

Beeswax is one of the best-known home remedies for acne. It's known for its antiseptic and soothing properties, and its vitamin A content makes it a preferred choice in skin care.

It's also an excellent skin softener and emollient that helps maintain a smooth skin texture after blemishes have cleared. Combining skin care practices with healthy eating and daily exercise is the best way to control and prevent acne.

7. Use on Dry and Cracked Lips

The natural moisturising agents in beeswax make it an excellent lip balm. If you suffer from dry or cracked lips, topical applications of beeswax along with a few other ingredients can provide much-needed relief. It's easy to make your own lip balm by combining it with coconut oil, honey, vitamin E oil and your favourite essential oils such as orange, mint, lavender or lemon.

8. Reduces Stretch Marks

Stretch marks can be embarrassing and may keep you from wearing some of your favourite summer styles, so if you're wondering how to get rid of stretch marks, you might want to try beeswax. Because of its skin-protecting and water-retaining properties, it can have a positive effect on these unsightly marks.

9. Traditional Use for Fungal Skin Complaints

Athlete's foot and fungal skin infections are certainly bothersome, and beeswax is traditionally used for these complaints. Because it's anti-inflammatory, it helps reduce the pain associated with athlete's foot and fungal skin infections, while also providing moisturising benefits that help reduce itching.

Early research suggests that applying a mixture of beeswax, honey and olive oil to the affected area three times a day for four weeks may provide relief from these complaints.

10. Reduces Stress and Promotes Relaxation

When you think of beeswax, it's common to think of beeswax candles. That's a good thing, because candles made from paraffin can endanger your health and your family's health due to the soot given off by burning paraffin wax, which can be inhaled. It can also cause serious damage inside your home, to things like computers, electrical appliances and air ducts.

Choose these natural candles instead, which work well as a stress reliever. If you're making your own candles, you'll want to check the labels to make sure you're getting organic beeswax, since it contains no toxins. If you're buying ready-made beeswax candles, choosing 100% beeswax candles with a cotton wick is definitely the best choice.

The three main beeswax products are yellow beeswax, white beeswax and absolute beeswax. Yellow beeswax is the raw product obtained from the honeycomb. White beeswax is made by bleaching yellow beeswax, and absolute beeswax is made by processing yellow beeswax with alcohol.

For hair, beeswax is an ingredient frequently used by people looking to develop dreadlocks, because it moisturises the hair while providing a good firm hold, without an oily look or feel.

If you're using it for food preparation, the easiest way to work with it is to put it in the freezer for a few hours and then grate it. In many foods and drinks, white beeswax and absolute beeswax are used as hardening agents. In manufacturing, yellow and white beeswax are used in cosmetics as a thickener, emulsifier and hardener. That said, it's used mostly in external applications, for making ointments and moisturisers.

Absolute beeswax is generally used as a fragrance in soaps and perfumes. White beeswax and absolute beeswax are also used for polishing pills. Yellow beeswax, because of its natural state, is our favourite form. Whatever the case, make sure to check the ingredients and instructions before using any form, and don't use it if you have a related allergy.

How Should Beeswax Be Stored?

Beeswax is solid at room temperature and, when stored correctly, doesn't spoil for years. It should be kept in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, in a sealed container. Direct sunlight causes it to lose colour and scent; because it starts to melt around 62–65°C, it shouldn't be left near a stove or radiator.

Over time, a whitish film can form on the surface of beeswax. This isn't mould — it's a natural crystalline layer called "bloom," and it disappears when wiped with a soft cloth or gently warmed.

Frequently Asked Questions