BEESWAX

What is it and how is it made?

Bees are great engineers and the inside structure of their hive is made of perfect hexagonal wax combs. The cells in the comb are for storing honey and pollen and also where the Queen lays all her eggs and the worker bees raise the brood.

Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honeybees. Young adult bees gorge on honey and this boost of food activates their wax glands. The wax glands produce clear “scales” of beeswax which are then chewed by the bees and shaped into their beautiful wax honeycomb. Thousands of bees are constantly pumping out thin scales into the honeycomb. It requires a lot of effort!

When I make beeswax products, I can only use surplus wax from the hive, which I wash and melt down several times to filter out any debris and get nice and clean. You can see the process here, from the perfect honeycomb the bees have made (with a small amount of honey made on it too), to the washed and dried out wax, to the melted wax and the finished products!

BEESWAX CANDLES

Beeswax candles are very special and have been valued for hundreds of years. They have many benefits over regular wax candles:

• They emit negative ions when they burn, which clean the air of odours and bacteria.

• They are natural and non-toxic. They do not produce toxic by-products or heavy soot when burned or contain any of the harmful chemicals found in paraffin wax..

• They are naturally scented, releasing a sweet honey scent as they burn.

• They have one of the highest melting points amongst all known waxes, allowing them to burn much longer.

• Many perfumed or scented candles can trigger asthma symptoms. Individuals who suffer from breathing difficulties such as asthma or allergies should consider burning pure beeswax candles. Burning the candles for 30-60 minutes in the bedroom before sleeping can help clear the air for more restful sleep.

• Alongside all this, they are also cleaner, have a longer shelf life, burn brighter and are made from a natural, renewable source.