Written by Lauren Rae, Wellness Coach and CPT at TRYM Fit
We see honeycomb in honey jars and treats occasionally, but beeswax can do a lot more for our health.
While most of us run screaming in the other direction when bees are buzzing around in our business, they are responsible for keeping some pretty good food on our tables. Which is why I think it’s about time we give those little fuzzy workers some much overdue credit.
Bees do so much more than just making sweet honey and beeswax. They pollinate our plants by transferring pollen and seeds from one plant to another which fertilizes the plant and allows it to grow and produce. Unfortunately, worker bees and honeybees are dying off from harsh chemical pesticides, parasites, and the loss of their habitats, which could be a very bad thing for our organic farmers and love for things like apples, almonds, pumpkins, and more.
Send out some good-bee-vibes and support their hard work by utilizing another useful natural product: beeswax! Beeswax is an incredible product for everything from household items, cooking, beauty, and skin maintenance because it is bioactive, acts as a great preservative, is anti-inflammatory, germicidal, antibacterial, and non-allergenic. Check out these three ways you can utilize beeswax in your health regimen today!
Moisturizing and Healing Skin Irritations
Beeswax is extremely moisturizing and can be used topically on all skin types for everything from routine moisturizing to treating skin disorders like eczema. Beeswax is not absorbed into the body like store-bought lotions, but rather creates a protective barrier on the skin that allows air to pass through. In addition, its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties can shield acne, abrasions, and sores from infection while helping it heal. Because it is very hard and must be heated to spread, it is often combined with other oils like almond oil or shea butter to make it easier to apply.
Natural and Chemical-Free Candles
Beeswax candles are rare and generally ten times as expensive as regular paraffin candles, but before you pinch your pennies, know this: when you burn cheap paraffin candles, you release eleven toxic chemical fumes into the air you breathe. Beeswax candles are 100% natural, environmentally friendly, and the only candle that releases negative ions as it burns! They also smell wonderfully like honey and flowers, and due to their high-melting point generally burn two to three times longer than other candles. Those highlights alone offset the higher price tag. Still not convinced? Make them all natural “DIY-like” at home using unbleached cotton wicks and essential oils.
Itch Remedy and Pain Reliever
In the same way you use beeswax as a moisturizer, you can also use it in salve recipes to relieve itchy rashes and minor aches and pain. The Global Healing Center shared these homemade recipes that utilize beeswax:
Skin Irritation from Poison Oak or Poison Ivy
In a small saucepan, simmer 1 tablespoon of chickweed powder, 1 tablespoon of comfrey powder, and 1 pint of organic olive oil for 3 hours. Strain, add 2 ounces of beeswax, and pour into individual tins.
Minor Aches and Pains
In a small saucepan, simmer 1 tablespoon chickweed powder, 1 tablespoon wormwood powder, and 2 pints of sweet olive oil for 3 hours. Strain, add 3 ounces of beeswax and 10 drops of tea tree oil, and pour into individual tins.