Ever wonder who was first to try something or recognize what it could be used for?  I wonder how the earliest man/ or women came to realize that natural beeswax could be used for so many purposes?  Beeswax is a natural product made by bees, I know very little about bees, hives and all that BUT I do love  using beeswax in creams, salves, lip balms and lotion bars. 

Beeswax may be purchased in several forms.  You can buy beeswax that needs to be cleaned, it will contain debris which needs to be filtered out.  I never do that, life is too short for me to spend my time fishing out bee legs from my beeswax!  I buy my beeswax already cleaned.  It comes in several forms, large slabs, smaller bars or my favorite little rice size pellets.  The color can also vary from white to a darkish ivory, some has no fragrance while some has a distinct honey aroma.  If you buy it in a large slab, it can be melted in a double boiler and poured into ice cube trays for ease in using smaller amounts. Or pour melted beeswax in very thin layers into a disposable pan or tray and then crumble up the thin layers. When I first started using beeswax I bought tiny amounts, now I get large bags as it is one item that will never go bad or get rancid.  Beeswax has been found in the tombs of the Pharos still recognizable and pliant.

To use beeswax you must melt it to combine or shape it.  Everyone is familiar with candles made from beeswax , so when you are working with it you never want a pan or container that becomes a giant candle.  I always melt this wax in a double boiler, or in a can set in a pan of boiling water or for large amounts a metal wax pitcher.  I never heat it directly in a pot as I have been told it can flash into flames.  I don’t use the microwave because I like to see it in the pan and have more control.

So what is the easiest item to make from beeswax ~~~ try a lotion bar.  Lotion bars have the goodness of lotion or cream without the water.  They are solid but melt onto  the skin and are just great.  The most basic formula is one third beeswax, one third butters and one third oils.  As with any truly wonderful simple item you can play with this for years!  To get started here’s my simplest way.  I take a clean soup can and press the edge to make a pouring sprout.  I measure the amount of beeswax that I want to use into it and set it into a pan of boiling water.  As this melts, measure out an equal amount of butters, combining  hard and brittle at room temperature like cocoa butter with softer ones like shea or mango butter.  I remove the can from the water and stir in the butters.  I use a wooden stick ( from the packages you buy to make shish-ka-bobs) and stir it in and replace in the simmering water to melt  Finally I add the oils.  After it cools a bit you can add essential oils or fragrance oils. (use sparing amounts as a little goes a long way here!)  I pour it into very small containers.  You can use bathroom size paper cups, I use condiment cups. After it cool just pop it out.

The same basic procedure is used with different proportions to make lip balms, salves and a great substitute for petroleum jelly.  Try different combinations of oils and butters, try infusing the oils first with various herbs.  If you don’t like the end result you can always gently remelt it and adjust.  Keep good notes and you can customize your own products.  Here are some proportions to start with:

 

Lip balms 

20 % beeswax
40 % butter (if you are using all butters like cocoa butter that are hard and brittle at room temperature then either reduce the amount of beeswax or add a bit more oil.  I like to keep my butters at 15%  hard and 25% soft)
40 % oils

 

Use the same procedure as above but pour into lip balm pots or tubes.  Remember to use only lip safe essential oils or flavor oils.

 

Natural Substitute for Petroleum Jelly 

1 cup of olive oil ( I infuse mine with chick weed and calendula)
1 oz of beeswax
1 oz of a butter( shea, coca or mango)
A touch of lavender eo (optional)
A splash of vit. E

 

Follow the same procedure for lotion bars but when the mixture is cooling stir it gently to keep it easily spread able.  I pour it into small decorative glass jelly jars as a gift for expectant mothers and call it belly jelly.  I also sell it as a natural alternative to petroleum jelly for babies.

 

By changing the oils, butters and essential oils you can customize each product for your own purpose.  Start with small amounts, experiment and enjoy.

 
Beeswax is also great used in salves, creams, cuticle creams, and beeswax ornaments but those are topics for another day.