Beeswax is produced naturally from the activities of honeybees. A member of the Apidae family of bees,honeybees originated in Southeast Asia and now thrive in habitats across the globe. They produce honey from flower nectar as a food store, and keep it packed away in honeycomb nests made of six-sided cells. These honeycomb cells are composed of pure beeswax.
Human use of this produce from honeybees extends back to prehistoric times, with honey being one of the few sweeteners available to prehistoric peoples, and beeswax among a limited repertoire of available materials for constructing tools and art. As with honey, the exact composition of beeswax depends on the flowers visited by the honeybees that make it, but it generally consists of several types of fatty acids. Beeswax is collected from the ‘caps’ of the cells containing honey, and can therefore be collected without harming the bee’s nests.
Honey has long been used medicinally for its antiseptic and wound-healing properties, which have only just recently begun to be understood. Similarly, when beeswax is applied to the skin it has soothing and protective properties. It provides a malleable barrier between the skin and outside elements, helping to retain moisture and keep out environmental contaminants and toxins. Beeswax provides a natural and healthy alternative to paraffin wax from petroleum, commonly used in body products. At Blue Stone Botanicals, we use pure and natural beeswax in all of our balms so your body can benefit from the soothing and protective properties of this ancient gift of nature.