As a beekeeper, I’ve realized firsthand how wonderful beeswax might be. You’ll discover this pure substance in lots of my DIY recipes for all the things from cleaning soap to lotion bars. Beeswax makes use of don’t cease at DIY skincare recipes although!
Why Bees Are Wonderful
Ever seen the within of a honeybee hive? It’s unbelievable. Think about a state of affairs through which you had been concurrently:
- Caring for a new child who wanted fixed care
- Constructing a home with your individual fingers
- Combating off individuals attempting to interrupt into your private home
- Nonetheless accountable for regular cooking and cleansing
Anxious… proper? But that is what a honey bee colony does each single day. On high of that, all the things they produce is useful ultimately!
All the things is at all times utterly ordered, clear, and functioning. At occasions I’ve had bother caring for one child at a time, and honeybees maintain lots of, all whereas constructing a home. As a former beekeeper and now watching my son maintain his bee hive, I’m in fixed awe of how wonderful bees are.
Honey, Honey
Honey could also be the preferred product bees create, however it’s removed from the one helpful one. (However strive utilizing honey in your face for those who haven’t already.)
The phrase apitherapy refers to utilizing bee merchandise like honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, propolis, and beeswax in helpful methods. Even honeybee venom has been used therapeutically! Sound loopy? Try this video from the Discovery Channel that explains it.
Now, earlier than I ramble on for hours about how cool bees are (and I actually may ramble for hours about it!), I wish to concentrate on one particular product.
Beeswax: Bees Being Sensible
We often prize bees for his or her honey, royal jelly, and different helpful (and engaging) by-products. However beeswax deserves to be excessive on the bee appreciation checklist as properly. Bees make beeswax to kind the construction of their hive. They secrete wax from particular glands, then chew it up and use it to kind an ideal hexagon-shaped honeycomb.
Honeybees have additionally apparently been on board with minimalism for the reason that starting. Their completely hexagon-shaped honeycombs supply essentially the most space for storing with the least quantity of constructing materials (on this case, beeswax).
When beekeepers harvest honey, they take away the cap off of every cell to extract the honey. These cappings are melted down and filtered to take away non-wax particles. This yields the beeswax we use in lots of magnificence merchandise and DIY recipes.
Pure beeswax is among the 7 elements I purchase in bulk. I at all times hold pure beeswax available for lots of my DIY merchandise and treatments. It has dozens of makes use of across the residence.
Advantages of Beeswax
Beeswax is a wonderful addition to cosmetics for a lot of causes.
- Beeswax creates a barrier in lotions and lotions to assist seal moisture into the pores and skin. That is particularly helpful in home made lip balm throughout the dry winter months.
- This barrier additionally helps to guard the pores and skin from environmental toxins and irritants.
- In contrast to petroleum jelly, which is utilized in a big number of magnificence merchandise, beeswax gained’t “suffocate” the pores and skin. As an alternative, it permits it to breathe whereas nonetheless offering a protecting barrier.
- Beeswax helps thicken home made cosmetics and lotions as a result of it’s strong at room temperature. Plus it has a comparatively excessive melting level of 147 levels Fahrenheit. That is particularly useful in recipes with a lot of coconut oil, which has a low melting level, or different oils which can be liquid at room temperature.
- Beeswax additionally has vitamin A, which improves pores and skin hydration and promotes cell regeneration.
15+ Beeswax Makes use of Across the House
Melted beeswax is an extremely versatile pure ingredient for DIY magnificence and pure residence merchandise. It’s a staple in my home made pure merchandise and round our home.
Whereas beeswax makes use of are nearly limitless, there are just a few straightforward methods I exploit it at residence. In case you haven’t already, strive beeswax in these home made recipes:
1. Home made Deodorant
I’ve been making my very own deodorant for years as a result of it really works so significantly better than store-bought. One of many elements I exploit is beeswax as a result of it helps kind a pure protecting moisture barrier. This implies it helps keep away from sweat stains on garments with out the necessity for dangerous and pointless chemical compounds.
2. Lotion Bars
I’m biased, however these are the most effective moisturizers on the earth. An ideal mixture of oils, shea butter, cocoa butter, and beeswax types a strong soap-like bar that’s used on dry pores and skin. It helps soothe pores and skin, locks in moisture and even has pure anti-wrinkle properties. I exploit melted wax together with oils like olive oil or coconut oil.
3. DIY Lip Balms
You can also make dozens of home made magnificence merchandise with the identical set of straightforward elements. This lip balm recipe makes use of the identical elements because the lotion bars however with just a few added elements for scent or coloration. After you have these fundamental elements available, you may make lip balm for manner lower than store-bought ones!
4. Beeswax Candles
I ditched the scented candles and air fresheners years in the past. Most candles use soy or paraffin wax and pollute the air. We solely use beeswax candles in our residence now. Plus they’re straightforward and enjoyable to make your self. Additionally they make nice home made Christmas or birthday items.
Do this tutorial to make your individual! Or you should purchase pure beeswax candles right here.
5. Home made Soaps
Beeswax is commonly added to cleaning soap recipes to make the completed cleaning soap more durable and last more. It ought to solely account for as much as 2% of your cleaning soap recipe. Any greater than that and your cleaning soap will start to lose lather.
Do this spiced important oil cleaning soap.
6. Child Merchandise
Most infants could have a diaper rash in some unspecified time in the future. I attempt to solely use pure skincare merchandise, however with delicate child pores and skin, I’m further cautious.
I exploit beeswax in diaper rash cream as a thickener. The wax gives a protecting pores and skin barrier whereas serving to the opposite helpful elements keep on the pores and skin. This manner they will have a higher impact on clearing up the rash.
7. Soothe Cracked Heels
A easy salve of beeswax, coconut oil, and magnesium makes a terrific treatment for cracked heels. Right here’s how one can make this home made ointment.
8. On Cracked Arms
I actually consider that just about all the things we have to treatment minor illnesses might be present in nature. Beeswax is a good treatment for cracked fingers from gardening or out of doors work. It additionally creates a protecting barrier to assist keep away from future injury.
I like so as to add helpful herbs from the backyard to hurry aid much more. Plantain grows in most yards and is a pure treatment for bites, stings, and even sunburn. Seize the recipe for DIY gardeners’ hand salve right here.
9. Pure Therapeutic Salve
I hold this “boo-boo lotion” available to deal with scrapes, stings, poison ivy, bruises, and any different gentle harm my youngsters handle to get. It really works nearly in addition to kisses for aid of minor scrapes and boo-boos. The herbs I exploit are anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing.
10. Chilly and Flu Reduction
When sickness strikes, I flip to beeswax-based pure treatments. Home made pure vapor rub helps when coughing and congestion hit. It gives aid with out slathering petroleum jelly throughout your pores and skin.
Frequent nostril blowing throughout sickness can wreak havoc on the tender pores and skin round your nostril. This sore nostril soothing balm recipe combines herb-infused oil with beeswax and shea butter for a nourishing balm.
11. Beeswax Wraps
I attempt to keep away from single-use plastic merchandise within the residence, and that features plastic wrap. Aluminum foil can be a no-go for meals storage since I don’t need heavy metals leaching into my meals! You can also make your individual reusable meals wraps although with some yellow beeswax. These have a “cling” that makes them an exquisite various to plastic wrap.
Not everybody has the time and curiosity to make their very own meals wraps. If that’s you, there are great beeswax meals wrap choices on-line as properly.
12. Lotions and Lotions
I’ve already talked about my love for lotion bars, however there are different methods to moisturize with beeswax. I’ve experimented with a number of lotion recipes through the years and created totally different ones. This home made lotion recipe is thicker and extra like a physique butter. Or strive certainly one of these standard recipes:
Different Methods to Use Beeswax
- Make your individual beeswax crayons. My crayon recipe makes use of a special sort of wax although that I believe works even higher!
- Soften beeswax with olive oil to make use of as home made furnishings polish. It’s also possible to use it to guard picket spoons and reducing boards.
- Type brief hair with home made beeswax pomade.
The place to Purchase Beeswax
Though I like issues pure, I gained’t ask you to go digging in a bee hive! I like to purchase beeswax pastilles or pellets as a result of they’re straightforward to work with. It’s what I attain for once I want a smaller quantity for lip balm and salves.
Having pastilles isn’t crucial for bigger initiatives like candles as a result of you possibly can measure by weight, reasonably than by the tablespoon. It’s also possible to purchase beeswax in block kind, which is barely inexpensive than the pastilles.
Some beeswax is bleached so I choose yellow beeswax. It ought to have a slight honey scent to it, in any other case, it’s extremely refined (or pretend!).
An alternative choice is to purchase it regionally for those who’re in a position to get in contact with beekeepers in your space. This helps assist native beekeepers (which is essential!) and you’ll typically discover it comparatively inexpensively.
How do you utilize beeswax? Share a few of your favourite makes use of under!
