Skin Benefits of Beeswax www.scribd.com/doc/231629105

1. Skin Benefits of Beeswax
By an eHow Contributor
Utilized in a variety of skin care products, beeswax improves the condition of skin. According to the
website Absoluteastronomy.com, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals comprise a whopping 60 percent of total
beeswax commercial consumption. Completely nontoxic, beeswax is known for its healing properties.
Features
o Beeswax is a colorless liquid secreted by female worker bees as they build the
honeycomb walls. According to Botanical.com, "The wax is secreted from wax glands
on the underside of the bee's abdomen and is molded into six-sided cells which are
filled with honey, then capped with more wax. When honey is harvested, the top layer
of wax that covers the cells, or the cappings, must be removed from each hexagon-
shaped cell." To produce one pound of wax, a bee consumes an estimated six to eight
pounds of honey, according to Honeyflowfarms.com Absolute Astronomy reports that
bees fly approximately 150,000 miles, or the distance of six earth orbits, to produce
only one pound of beeswax.
Function
o Beeswax properties work in concert with cosmetics. According to the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), beeswax is easily incorporated
with water in oil or oil in water emulsions. An excellent emollient and support for
moisturizers, beeswax provides skin protective action of a nonocclusive type, bestows
consistency to emulsions and oil-gels and reinforces the action of detergents.
Nonallergic, beeswax also sustains sunscreen action with its water repellent
properties, combines well with multiple ingredients, contains elasticity and provides
greater permanence on skin or lip surfaces.
Benefits
o Beeswax locks in moisture, fosters cells and protects skin from damaging
environmental factors. Honeygirlorganic.com reports beeswax effectively "softens
your skin and creates a long-lasting protective coating against the elements. It also is
a naturally nourishing moisturizer as well as being anti-inflammatory, antibacterial,
anti-allergenic and a germicidal antioxidant." According to Botanical.com, "Even after
processing, beeswax still remains a biologically active product, retaining some anti-
bacterial properties and also contains some vitamin A, which is necessary for normal
cell development." The Mayo Clinic recommends lip balm made from beeswax for
chapped lip care and prevention.
Significance
o Because of the healing, softening and antiseptic properties associated with beeswax,
numerous skin care lines incorporate it. According to the FAO, "Even small quantities

2. show effects of improvement.... Beeswax is very frequently used in the following
cosmetic classes: cleansing creams, cold creams and lotions, emollient and barrier
creams, depilatories, lipsticks-protective sticks in general, nail creams, sun protection
products, eye and face make up, and foundation creams." Botanical.com states,
"Beeswax has an irritation potential of zero, and a comedogenicity (doesn't clog pores)
rating of 0-2, which means that when formulated and used correctly in cosmetic
formulations, beeswax will not cause a problem."
Misconceptions
o Since beeswax does not clog pores, Dermaxime.com states, "When it is properly used,
(beeswax) will not promote the formation of acne or pimples."
Warnings
o People with oily skin should refrain from using beeswax skin creams, advises
Nutritivepower.com. In addition, Botanical.com cautions, "Beeswax is mildly
flammable and will start on fire if the wax comes in direct contact with a flame. People
with bee allergies should not use beeswax as it could cause interactions."
Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_5705546_skin-benefits-
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3. Benefits of Beeswax Candles
Article found on www.alive.com
December 2010
Beeswax Candles
A sweet clean-burning alternative
by Laura Murray
Smooth, silky, almost velvety—when you light a beeswax candle, it burns with a golden bright
light and releases a warm, cozy honey scent. Lighting a beeswax candle instantly adds
ambiance, calmness, and serenity to your home—and is a clean-burning, healthy alternative to
paraffin candles.
Beeswax is produced by honeybees from nectar they collect from flowers. Bees transform this
nectar into honey and beeswax. There are definite health advantages to using natural beeswax
candles rather than paraffin candles.
Paraffin candles
Paraffin wax is part of the organic material in petroleum sludge left over from oil and gas
production. This sludge is treated, bleached, and processed into a solid and used to make a
variety of things, including candles.
Dangers
Unfortunately, the residues from the sludge and the refinement processes contain a lot of nasty
stuff. When paraffin candles are burned, chemical pollutants such as acrolein, formaldehyde,
acetaldehyde, toluene, benzene, acetone, and many other dangerous chemicals are released into
the air.
A 2009 study confirmed that even unscented, nonpigmented paraffin candles that used no dyes
release dangerous pollutants into the air. Researchers warn that frequent exposure to paraffin
candles may lead to health risks such as allergies, asthma, and even cancer.
Other studies have found that scented candles release even more chemical pollutants into the
air than unscented candles.
Paraffin candles produce smoke and soot, which can blacken walls and coat surfaces in the
home. Soot is a product of the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels such as
petroleum-based paraffin wax. Complete combustion produces practically no soot. Not all
candles are created equal—a research project found that some paraffin candles produce 100
times more soot than others. Compare paraffin candles to the clean alternative, beeswax.

4. Beeswax candles:
Benefits
Beeswax allows for complete combustion of the wax and the wick for an even burn. This is due
to the higher melting point and hotter flame of beeswax, which produces a slow, clean burn
that is virtually smoke- and soot-free. Slow, evenly burning beeswax candles will not drip wax.
To ensure even burning, keep the wick trimmed and sheltered from drafts. To prevent smoke
when extinguishing a candle, use a snuffer or, with a toothpick, bend the wick slightly into the
wax until the flame is out, then bring it upright.
Carbon neutral
Beeswax is natural, sustainable, and renewable. Earth Hour and the World Wildlife Fund
recommend choosing beeswax candles, as they are gentler to our planet and are carbon neutral.
The CO2 they emit has already been sequestered from the atmosphere to produce the wax.
Another positive attribute of beeswax candles is that they are believed to produce negative ions
when they burn. Negative ions purify the air of odours, allergens, and pollutants. Research on
negative ions suggests they improve our mood and physical health.
For those with chemical sensitivities and allergies, burning unscented 100 percent beeswax
candles is a natural choice.