Home >> Science & Nature >> Insects & Science

Things Made From Beeswax

Beeswax is the secretion of worker honeybees and is used to construct the honeycomb where the honey is stored. Droplets of wax called scales are secreted by young worker bees. Bees consume 8 to 10 pounds of food to produce one pound of beeswax. A pound of wax creates 35,000 wax cells and stores 22 pounds of honey.

Cosmetics
- The single largest consumer of beeswax in the U.S. is cosmetics and its related industries. It is used in a wide range of products, including facial creams, ointments, lotions, lipsticks and cold creams. The industry uses beeswax for its compound called wax esthers, which help to increase the essential moisture in the skin. This is why hand creams and body creams retain the natural moisture in the skin.
Candles
- The cosmetic industry is followed by the candle companies for the consumption of beeswax. The largest use of bee wax within the candle industry is for the production of pure beeswax candles that are used in church services. Beeswax candles burn far longer than other candles, and are aromatic with a warm honey scent.
Pharmaceuticals and Dentistry
- The pharmaceutical industry uses beeswax for making salves, pill coatings and ointments. The dentistry industry uses it to make adhesive waxes and for taking dental impressions and base plate wax.

Insects & Science