This post may include affiliate links.
If you make a purchase, I'll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you.
This summer marked our first year of beekeeping. We recently processed a couple of frames for their honey and wax, and I was surprised at how much honey we harvested. We got nearly a quart of honey from just one frame!
The beeswax, however, was another story. The bees are such amazing engineers that even though we had a full frame, this is all the beeswax we got. After melting it down and straining it, it was less than 1/4 cup. I was hoping we’d get a lot more, since I use beeswax for DIY projects all over the house.
If you don’t have bees or know a local beekeeper, you can get beeswax on Amazon.
Fun beeswax facts:
- Bees need up to 8 pounds of honey as food to make 1 pound of wax.
- I use yellow and white beeswax interchangeably; yellow is the natural color and retains some honey scent, and white is naturally bleached by exposing it in thin layers to air, sunlight, and moisture.
- Beeswax was used as a therapeutic dental filling in ancient Europe.
- Ancient Egyptians wrote that Cleopatra used it in her cosmetics and bath soap.
-
Beeswax is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-allergenic, and a germicidal antioxidant.
Here are my 8 favorite uses for beeswax:
Beeswax Candles
As they burn with a gentle glow and mild honey scent, beeswax candles release negative ions. Pollen, dust, and pollutants in the air are attracted to these negative ions and are neutralized–so beeswax candles actually clean the air while they burn. Learn how to make them yourself here.
Wood Polish
This one of the easiest home DIY projects out there. Melt together 2 tablespoons beeswax and 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Once solidified, scoop out a tiny amount with a clean cloth. Rub onto your wooden surface of choice, let sit for 20 minutes, and buff to a shine. If you miss the smell of Pledge, add 10 drops of Lemon essential oil.
First Aid Cream
Instead of buying petroleum-based antibiotic creams, you can make your own with beeswax, honey, coconut oil, and a few other natural ingredients. Beeswax has non-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral properties that make it useful for treating minor skin irritations.
Mustache Wax
I have it on good authority that this is the exact recipe that Dick Dastardly uses. 😉 Melt together equal parts beeswax and coconut oil, and allow to cool and set. Work a tiny bit into the mustache, and comb to style. Can be used on beards as well.
Board Butter
Do you maintain your wood cutting boards and wooden spoons with mineral oil? Make board butter by melting together equal parts of mineral oil and beeswax. While mineral oil will wash away over time, beeswax penetrates the grain of the wood and helps seal the mineral oil inside. Smooth board butter into your spoons, spatulas, boards and bowls. Let them sit for a couple of hours, then rub down with a clean cloth and return them to normal use.
Lip Balm
Store-bought lip balms are expensive and have lots of mystery ingredients. Make your own lip balm and customize the flavor with the essential oils of your choice.
Deodorant
No matter how stinky your teenagers get, you don’t want them putting the chemicals from conventional deodorants right on the lymph nodes in their armpits! Try this natural method instead: Melt together 1 ½ tablespoons of beeswax, 4 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 tablespoon shea butter, 4 teaspoons bentonite clay, and 20 drops of essential oil (I like 10 drops of Melaleuca and 10 drops of Rosemary).
Diaper Rash Creme
Soothe baby’s sore bottom with a variation of the Homemade First Aid Cream recipe above. Reduce the beeswax to 2 tablespoons and use 4 drops of each essential oil. Pat baby’s tushie dry and cover with creme.
{Bonus} Removing Beeswax From Clothing
Spills happen, right?!? Especially if you’re using beeswax all the time in your DIY projects. You don’t have to throw your favorite shirt in the trash if it gets wax on it. Put a brown paper bag under the wax spot and another one on top. Iron over the top of the bag, and move the bag once it absorbs the wax. Keep doing this until the bag quits getting “wet”, then launder as usual.
Do you have bees? How do you use your beeswax?
