Overview. Beeswax is a product made from the honeycomb of the honeybee and other bees. The mixing of pollen oils into honeycomb wax turns the white wax into a yellow or brown color.
Purity Level
Yellow beeswax may contain impurities, such as pollen, plant material, and propolis, which are collected by bees and used to build the hive. White beeswax is usually more refined and purified, resulting in a higher level of purity.
The beeswax can be filtered back to white. There are many ways to do this. Most companies use a bleach or chemical filtration process. You can tell this is the case if the candles are very white and bright.
Beeswax is considered safe for human consumption and has been approved as an ingredient in human food in the USA (USA, 1978).
Remove the lid after the wax has melted. A thermometer (not included) may be used to monitor the temperature of your melted wax. Beeswax will discolor at 185° F (85°C).
If the wax is too cool, it may harden into clumps and splash into the container as you pour. If it's too hot, it can crack or form air bubbles. The best way to prevent that is to pour the wax when it's 155-160° F, or when it has that film on top.
Please note that if beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185 °F) discoloration occurs. The flash point of beeswax is 204.4 °C (400 °F). The flash point means the temperature at which it will ignite. For safety never heat beeswax directly – use a double pan to ensure beeswax does not overheat and become dangerous.
It was found that beeswax is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi.
Color and Scent
If you find the beeswax shiny and transparent, it is sure that beeswax may have foreign additives such as paraffin, ozokerite, or other toxic additives. Pure beeswax has a sweet, appealing, and faint honey scent.
Because Beeswax does not spoil, become rancid, or otherwise expire, it can continue to be reheated and reused. Like the varying colors of honey, the color of the wax depends on the age of the bees, the flowers from which they gather the nectar, the region of flower growth, and the purity of the honey.
A non-chemical method for bleaching beeswax is the use of sunlight. The wax is flaked, i.e. cut into small pieces, and exposed to the sun on large trays. It should not be allowed to melt and must be protected from contamination with dirt, dust and other debris.
Beeswax is a substance produced by worker bees, which is secreted by glands on the bee's abdomen. It is naturally a yellow-brownish color, but can also be purified to different shades of yellow or even white.
White & Yellow All Natural Beeswax
Available in white or yellow. White beeswax has had the color naturally removed using sunlight and eco-friendly filtration systems. Natural bee wax for candle making, lip balms, cosmetics and more.
One kilogram of beeswax is worth more than one kilogram of honey, and unlike honey, beeswax is not a food product and is simpler to deal with, not requiring careful packaging: this greatly simplifies its storage and transport. Beeswax as an income generating resource is too often neglected.
White beeswax is a pure, unbleached form of beeswax that has been pressure-filtered. However, it is still natural and organic to some extent. White beeswax also comes from the same type of beeswax as yellow beeswax. This unique ivory color in white beeswax is due to the pressure-filtration process.
Neutral color: White beeswax has a neutral or white color, making it suitable for applications where a clean or neutral base is desired. Price: White beeswax is typically less expensive than yellow beeswax, as it is more processed and considered a lower quality product.
Pure beeswax whether in blocks or Comb Foundations, has an almost indefinite shelf life if stored in cool dry conditions. Samples which are thousands of years old have been tested and found to have almost identical properties to freshly produced beeswax.
Our raw beeswax is available in one ounce blocks. It is filtered and cleaned to the best of our ability. Beeswax color will vary from pale yellow to dark yellow.
The easiest way to clean beeswax is to melt it down to a liquid and strain it through a filtering material to remove impurities.
The tiny crystals may completely cover the surface and make it appear cloudy, fuzzy, powdery, or moldy. In the trade, this substance is known as wax bloom or just bloom. The way the beeswax was cooled affects the rate of bloom. Beeswax that is cooled quickly takes longer to bloom, perhaps a year or more.
(Slumgum is the crud that separates out of the wax. It's a mix of honey and other impurities cooking into a sticky, frothy brown goo.) The first melt occurs in the crockpot.
Raw wax is sticky with honey and full of debris from the hive – clumps of propolis, bits of dead bees and other dirt. Making the wax useable means removing this and melting the wax down. If you're extracting honey from beehives, it's worth learning how to clean and process the wax.
Mixing coconut oil into beeswax will lower its melting point, making the wax easier to melt, easier to pour, and the finished candle will have an even better burn quality.
Also, if your wax has a lot of debris (brood, cocoons, etc), you should melt down less per batch. Try to keep the whole mix from boiling. The wax will melt well below the boiling point of water, and boiling only causes more risk of flash fire, and also can cause discoloration of the wax through over heating.
Storing Beeswax
Beeswax is easy to store at room temperature in a dark, out-of-the-way spot. Wrap or place blocks in plastic to keep dust from sticking to the wax. Consider melting down large blocks and pouring them into smaller molds – this makes it easier to store and add to recipes later.