Summer is the peak season for collecting gifts from bee hives. Beekeepers collect not only honey at this time, but also wax. Bees produce it special glands located on their abdomens. These glands produce waxy droplets that harden into flakes when exposed to air. Worker bees take them into their mouths to soften them into workable material and attach them to the honeycomb.

Beeswax is used in candles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and cleaning products. Although, few people know about the benefits of beeswax for human health, since today its role is mainly as a thickener for ointments and creams. Meanwhile, it has long been used in folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases.

Benefits of beeswax

Like honey, wax has many beneficial properties. After all, this is the same natural product as honey and propolis, produced by the bees themselves. Due to its properties, it brings great benefits to the human body. The substances contained in it dissolve very slowly, which makes it highly valuable product in the pharmaceutical industry.

The wax contains moisturizing components. It locks in moisture and helps keep skin firm. Anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory properties soothe easily irritated skin, making it one of the best ingredients for skin care and treatment for rosacea and eczema.

Able to protect against irritating components. Applied to the skin, it covers it with a thin protective layer, protecting it from exposure environment and extreme weather conditions.

It retains moisture not only in the skin, but also in the hair, stimulates its growth and prevents hair loss.

It can be taken orally. Passing without changing its composition through digestive tract, at the same time “collects” all toxins.

In folk medicine, beeswax is used as an antiseptic to treat wounds, remove ear plugs, various ear diseases and hearing improvement.

Mixed with oil, it is used to treat a disease known as lupus.

It is used to treat wounds and eczema. Since ancient times, an ointment with wax, pine resin and lard has been used to heal burns and prevent the appearance of blisters and other skin lesions.

In Ancient Egypt, it was used to cover the eyes, mouth and nose of a corpse during embalming.

Wax is highly valued in Chinese medicine. It has a beneficial effect on blood circulation and the entire balance of the human body. In combination with other ingredients, it is used to treat various skin conditions and as an anti-aging agent.

Few people know that this bee product can be used to treat tonsillitis. If you suffer from this disease, it is recommended to apply a layer of wax as a compress to your neck.

Moreover, it can be used as a cough expectorant. It is believed that it can stimulate lactation.

Wax is used for:

Periodontitis;

Inflammation of the nasal sinuses;

Throat disease.

They even produce special jelly Bean with him. In addition, such lozenges improve digestion because they increase the secretion of gastric juice.

In the stomach, the wax is not digested, but functions as a kind of ointment that facilitates intestinal transit.

Beeswax contains vitamin A, which is essential for normal height cells. Therefore, this bee product is used for various health problems that affect the condition oral cavity.

Oral administration of beeswax can be used in the treatment of spastic colitis. And the resins contained in it are very effective in treating peripheral circulatory disorders at the level of the lower extremities.

This product is also used to treat eye burns caused by caustic soda. Honey and beeswax are very effective in treating damaged corneas.

However, in most cases it is used in combination with other products in various suppositories, pharmaceutical emulsions, dental wax and even sweets.

The use of beeswax in folk medicine

Wax is a biologically active substance with powerful bactericidal properties. It has long been used in folk medicine, especially in combination with honey.

Creams, ointments, compresses, and suppositories are made on its basis. Traditional healers it is used to treat:

Lupus erythematosus;

Obliterating endarteritis;

Boils;

Sore throat;

Oral diseases;

Colds

and many other diseases.

Stimulating breast milk production in nursing women;

Cough relief;

Healing of various wounds.

It warms and softens the skin, disinfects and relieves pain, improves healing and cell regeneration. Helps with joint inflammation, runny nose, hemorrhoids.

Radiculitis;

Neuralgia;

Joint pain.

To do this, it is melted and applied in several layers (up to 40) to the diseased area.

Treatment of ENT diseases

A compress with melted wax applied to the sinuses in the morning and evening helps cleanse them. Keep it for 15-20 minutes and apply an ointment prepared with vegetable oil and chicken yolk.

They make ointment like this. Take:

Cup vegetable oil(200 grams)

30 grams of beeswax

1 chicken yolk

First you need to heat the oil and melt the wax in it in a water bath.

Separate the yolk from the white and shake lightly. Without removing from the bath, add small portions into the molten mixture, stirring quickly.

When you have mixed all the yolk, remove from the heat and mix everything thoroughly again until smooth.

Pour into a clean jar, straining through cheesecloth or nylon stocking. Cover with a lid and store in the refrigerator.

This so-called “miracle ointment” helps with sinusitis and runny nose. The uniqueness of wax lies in the fact that it does not lose its properties even after heating and melting.

Before use, warm up a small amount of ointment and drop 1 drop into each nostril. You can moisten turundas twisted from a bandage in it and place them in the nasal passage.

Use ointment for skin lesions.

Inhalations with propolis for sinusitis

Place 60 grams of propolis and 40 grams of wax in an enamel mug or saucepan. Melt over low heat or water bath. Breathe for 15 minutes twice a day. Duration of the course is 2 months.

Chewing wax or honeycomb helps cope with rhinitis, oral diseases, and asthma.

Flatbreads for bronchitis

Melt the wax and wrap it in a napkin, making a cake. Place it on your chest and hold it until it cools down. Such cakes can be made for joint diseases.

For whooping cough in children, make a compress by melting 50 grams of wax and goose fat and adding 2 drops essential oil fennel. Keep it for no more than 12-15 minutes.

Treatment of polyarthritis

Polyarthritis is characterized by a long course of treatment. Apitherapy is used along with other types of therapy. For this disease, it is useful to make compresses with melted wax and honey (100 grams of wax and 1 teaspoon of natural honey), which is applied for 15-20 minutes.

To improve blood circulation, you need to massage the muscles of the limbs.

Wax for pyelonephritis

In this disease it can serve as additional measure. It is applied as a compress to the lumbar region.

Treatment of trophic ulcers

To treat such ulcers caused by diabetes, dressings are made with beeswax, corn oil, butter, and pine resin. All components must first be melted and applied to a napkin or gauze. Apply to the affected area of ​​skin and secure.

For cracked heels

Prepare a cake by melting 100 grams of wax and 20 grams sea ​​buckthorn oil. Add 40 grams of powdered licorice root to this mixture.

Before applying, steam your feet in hot water. Leave the cake for 20 minutes.

Lung cleansing

In gynecology

Often women suffer from adnexitis. In this case, traditional medicine recommends making a warm compress in the lower abdomen from wax, margarine and alcohol tincture of calendula.

To stimulate lactation

The heated wax is mixed with plantain juice (in a ratio of 5:1) and, while warm, is applied in the form of a cake to the chest. Keep for no more than 20 minutes.

Beeswax based ointment

Beeswax ointment is easy to make at home. Such ointments are used for joint pain, to treat coughs, calluses and many other health problems.

Ointment for joint diseases

You will need:

100 grams coconut oil

50 grams of beeswax

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons ginger or turmeric powder

15 drops peppermint essential oil

15 drops lavender essential oil

How to do:

It should be noted right away that turmeric is preferable, but you need to take into account that it can stain the skin.

Heat the oil in a water bath. Grate the wax (or buy directly in the form of powder or shavings). Pour into butter and stir until completely melted.

Add powder hot pepper and ginger (turmeric), mix.

Remove from the stove and let cool slightly to a temperature no higher than 40 degrees.

Add essential oils, mix and pour into a jar with a lid.

This homemade ointment penetrates deeply into the muscles, providing a warming, soothing and relaxing effect.

Ointment for treating wounds

You will need:

100g olive oil(virgin)

8 grams yellow wax

5 grams of white wax

20 grams of pine resin (resin)

1 tablespoon butter (homemade)

How to make ointment:

Place olive oil and butter in a saucepan. Heat and add resin and both types of wax. While stirring, completely melt the wax.

Pour into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Before use, apply a small amount of cream to a bandage or gauze and apply to the wound.

You can make the ointment simpler. To do this, take:

100 grams olive oil

50 grams of beeswax

Melt the wax and oil and pour into a jar. Before use, the wound should be washed with hydrogen peroxide or a 10% solution of propolis tincture and a bandage soaked in ointment should be applied.

Callus removal ointment

You will need:

30 grams of beeswax

50 grams of propolis

Juice from one lemon

How to do:

First, melt propolis and wax in a water bath. Remove from heat and squeeze out the juice. Mix and store in a closed jar.

Apply ointment to the callus. Cover the top with film and secure. Do this procedure daily for several days. Then soften the callus in 2 percent soda solution hot water and delete.

Ointment with essential oils

You can add different essential oils to this ointment depending on what problem you want to solve.

For the basic recipe you will need:

2 parts beeswax

3 parts sweet almond oil

1 part jojoba oil

0.5 parts rapeseed oil (or vegetable)

How to do:

Of course, you can use other oils or just one instead of those recommended in the recipe.

First you need to melt the wax in a water bath or low heat. If you want a softer consistency, add more oil. And vice versa, for harder ones - beeswax.

Cool the mixture and add essential oil.

You can use different essential oils according to the disease you want to cure:

Bay oil - for rheumatism;

Bergamot oil - for colds and bronchitis;

Cumin or orange oil - for treating wounds;

Cedar - for stress and anxiety;

Lemon - against insect bites and itching;

Eucalyptus - for respiratory diseases;

Gardenia oil - for blood pressure, flu and heart palpitations;

Patchouli oil is an aphrodisiac (it helps with wounds);

Rosemary oil - for muscle pain.

Treating hay fever with beeswax

Depending on the degree and severity of the disease, it is recommended to chew honeycombs, or even better - chewing. This is what is cut off when opening the honeycomb before pumping out the honey.

In cases where there is no honeycomb, you should take a tablespoon of natural honey with each meal.

In the absence of wax, you should eat two teaspoons of liquid honey with each meal.

For moderately severe hay fever, you should chew honeycomb 5 times a day for the first 2 days, and then three times during the period, the duration of which depends on the individual. This treatment for moderately severe seasonal allergies results in significant improvements in:

The runny nose stops and the nose begins to breathe;

Redness of the eyes and sore throat disappear.

3 months before the onset of the disease, you need to eat 1 tablespoon of honey after each meal for dessert.

It's better to chew honeycombs. But liquid natural honey is also effective. At night, it is recommended to drink a glass of water with a tablespoon of honey dissolved in it.

2 weeks before the expected onset of the disease, you need to start taking a mixture of 2 teaspoons of honey and 2 teaspoons of natural apple cider vinegar, dissolved in half a glass of water (or a glass) before breakfast and at night. Treatment should continue as long as symptoms persist.

If necessary, chew the wax throughout the day to avoid nasal congestion.

Beeswax has been used for hundreds of years. But you still need to remember that now there are quite a lot of other effective medicines. Therefore, when deciding to treat with this beekeeping product, consult your doctor first.

Remember what he can give allergic reaction. Do not apply ointments and creams with it to fresh and purulent wounds, burns. It forms a dense, airtight film under which anaerobic bacteria can begin to develop.

Beeswax (BE) is a product of the vital activity of bees. This gift of nature is an active biological substance and a complex organic compound.

Beeswax is a multicomponent, solid substance with a color range from white to yellow-brown. If there is an admixture of propolis, it may have a greenish tint.

IN home cosmetology use wax rationally yellow color, since it contains the maximum content of vitamin A. In wax white, vitamin A is destroyed during bleaching; a substance with different color shades contains many impurities that are undesirable for cooking various means care

Today, beeswax can be found as food additives, which is registered as additive E-901.

Properties and composition of beeswax

The properties of this natural gift are such that it can melt, boil and even burn. The waste product of bees becomes soft and plastic at a temperature of 35 ° Celsius. In the range of 65-68 °C it begins to melt, at 100 °C it begins to boil. This natural substance burns at a temperature of 300 °C.

Wax is insoluble in glycerin and water, poorly soluble in cold alcohol and, conversely, highly soluble in hot alcohol. It dissolves well in essential oils, fats, ether, paraffin, chloroform, gasoline and turpentine.

PV consists of fatty acids, alcohols and esters.

IN percentage, the acids contained in beeswax can be divided into the following components: mycyric and palmitic acids - about 80%, cerotic acid - approximately 16%, cerolein - about 4%.

Percentage chemical substances wax may vary depending on the origin and extraction conditions of the product. The second most important beekeeping product contains approximately 50 different connections. Esters occupy up to 75%, hydrocarbons from 12 to 17%, fatty acids up to 15% and water - about 2.5%.

PV can be stored for hundreds of years without losing its properties.

The substance in question has bactericidal properties. Thanks to this feature, this product is used in the production of various medications, primarily patches and ointments. Also used in the treatment of burns, wounds, ulcers and inflammatory processes skin.

Wax is used in many industries:

1. IN Food Industry. Some types of cheese are coated with this substance to prevent the product from drying out.
2. In the furniture industry. The substance in question is one of the components of natural polishing agents used for wooden products, furniture, wooden and parquet floors.
3. In the domestic sphere. Used for the production of candles, protective mastics, and various lubricants for synthetic threads.
4. In the perfume and cosmetics industry. The product in question is used in the manufacture of natural cosmetics. It is a component for solid perfumes, lipsticks, a thickener for ointments and creams.
5. In the beekeeping industry. Wax is used to make foundation.
6. In the foundry industry. Lost wax models are made from wax for further casting, including figure casting.

Using beeswax at home

Wax is used as a component for the production of natural protective, softening and nourishing creams for the skin of the face and body, for the preparation of cleansers, for hand and nail skin care products, and as a lip balm.

Peculiarities of this product allow us to produce various ointments, creams, masks and lotions at home.

Wax, which has strong bactericidal properties, can have a restorative effect on the skin. It is recommended for use on normal, dry and combination skin, in some cases its use is justified for oily skin.

PV concentration in cosmetics homemade can range from 0.5 to 10% of the total composition.

For acne-prone skin, as well as for oily skin, the concentration of the substance in cosmetics should not exceed 0.5%. In creams, ointments and lotions for the face, no more than 1%, since this component is “heavy” for the face.

Nourishing creams

Anti-aging cream

Ingredients: 40 grams of margarine, one yolk, 3 tablespoons of cold-pressed olive oil, 15 grams of PV, 1 teaspoon of honey, 5 drops of vitamin A and E, 5 drops of boric alcohol. Add orange tincture to the composition (pour 100 milliliters of boiling water over the zest of a pure orange and leave in a thermos for seven hours, strain). Mix all ingredients until smooth. Store the resulting cream in the refrigerator for no more than 12 days.

Cream for aging skin

Ingredients: mix the juice of one lemon with 10 grams of beeswax, add 1 teaspoon of sour cream, 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 5 grams of lanolin. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Store the resulting cream in the refrigerator for no more than 12 days. The composition nourishes and refreshes the skin well.

Regenerating cream

Ingredients: mix 4 teaspoons of menthol water with the juice of two small lemons, add 15 grams of PV. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Store the resulting cream in the refrigerator for no more than 12 days. This composition can be used up to two times a day. Restores aging and tired skin.

Cream for dry skin

Ingredients: 40 grams of margarine, 10 grams of beeswax, 4 teaspoons of camphor alcohol, 2 milliliters of vitamin E, 4 teaspoons of rosemary infusion (2 teaspoons of rosemary, pour 100 milliliters of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes over low heat). Mix all ingredients until smooth. Store the resulting cream in the refrigerator for no more than 12 days.

Whitening cream

Ingredients: 15 grams of blue clay, 10 grams of PV, juice of half a lemon. Use this cream once a day for 5 days. repeat course in 1.5 months. The cream is recommended for pigmented skin.

Wax masks

Mask for chapped and tired skin

Ingredients: mix the juice of one lemon, 70 grams of honey and 50 grams of wax. Make a mask before going to bed, apply to clean skin for 15 minutes, rinse warm water.

Anti-wrinkle mask

Ingredients: mix 25 milliliters of white lily bulb juice, 60 grams of honey and 20 grams of wax. Apply the warm mixture to the skin in the evening and in the morning for 15 minutes. Remove any remaining mask with a cotton pad soaked in warm water.

Skin cleansing mask

Composition: 100% wax. Melt the substance, apply to the face or individual problem areas, allow the wax to harden. When removing the mask from the face, the skin is cleared of blackheads, since they are removed along with the wax mask. Also this procedure increases blood circulation, which contributes to some skin rejuvenation.

Nourishing mask

Ingredients: mix 10 milliliters of peach oil, 40 grams of petroleum jelly, 10 grams of lanolin and 10 grams of wax. Apply the mask for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water. This composition nourishes and cleanses the skin.

After masks, the skin needs nutrition and hydration, so at the end of the procedures it is necessary to apply a nourishing/moisturizing cream.

Therapeutic and/or therapeutic and prophylactic masks are used in courses that are repeated after one, three, six months.

Beeswax perfectly nourishes and softens the skin, and has a beneficial effect on its general condition. This component is very slowly absorbed into the skin, while creating a protective function for it - a film, at the right concentration, that does not clog pores. The waxy film can significantly slow down the dehydration process, which, in turn, slows down the aging process.

Having anti-inflammatory properties, wax products promote the healing of inflammation and minor burns.

Japanese nail lamination

A widely known and expensive procedure is “sealing nails with wax” or Japanese nail lamination. In Japan, this procedure is popular not only among women, but also among men, because after the procedure, the nails look well-groomed and healthy, which in itself is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also desirable for many who have the problem of “layering” of the nail plates.

So, “sealing nails with wax” consists of three procedures: manicure, hand massage and nail lamination.

To carry out the complete procedure, the following components/components are required:

1. Convenient hand bath with warm water. Add any/favorite natural extract to the water. It can be aloe, pineapple, cucumber or red tea, also add honey and sea salt.
2. A tool that will allow you to gently move the cuticle without removing it (such a tool is in any manicure kit).
3. Nail polish (you can use a buff).
4. Peeling for nails, you can easily replace it with regular sea salt, which must be finely ground.
5. Massage oil or any/favorite essential oil.
6. Terry hand towel.
7. Beeswax. If not natural product, you can buy nail wax at the pharmacy.

Let's start the procedure:

• Soak your hands in a bath of water for 15 minutes. During this period, the skin, cuticle and nails will receive beneficial elements from the added extract, honey and sea ​​salt. Remove excess moisture using a terry towel.
• Apply 4 drops of massage or essential oil to your palm and, using hand massage movements, distribute it over the entire surface of your hands and cuticles. This procedure performs wellness and healing effect. During the massage, the oil heats up and enters the open pores of the skin and cuticles.
• Use a manicure tool to move the cuticle from the surface of the nail without cutting it. This point must be strictly observed, since in the future the nail will be polished, and the cut cuticle can lead to the formation of wounds.
• On the nail plate of each finger, in turn, apply a few grams (a pinch) of sea salt. Exfoliate with nail polish (or buff). Polish the surface of the nail with soft and gentle movements, paying attention to the cuticles and edges of the nail. Wipe your nails with a terry towel.
• Apply soft wax to each nail plate (the wax should not spread) for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, rub the wax into the surface of the nail using vigorous but gentle finger movements. When rubbed, the substance heats up and fills all the small cracks in the nail plate. It is important to rub the wax onto the entire surface of the plate, paying attention Special attention its edges, since it is in these areas that the nail splits.

After this procedure, the nail becomes somewhat voluminous, shaped, complete, has a natural shine and a healthy, slightly pink tint.

The effect of the described procedure lasts for 14-15 days. At the same time, the owner of laminated nails can wax familiar image life without exerting extra effort to save the result. You can do all the household chores you did before the procedure. Your nails will be smooth to the touch and look good within two weeks.

This simple and inexpensive procedure at home allows you to have beautiful nails and well-groomed hands every day.

Guaranteed restoration of hand skin

This recipe will be of interest to anyone who wants to restore their hands after the following events:

1. All summer residents and gardeners who do not use garden mittens when carrying out relevant work on their plots (dry, wrinkled, black from sunlight, with small cracks).
2. All housewives and young mothers whose hands are constantly in water (dehydrated, dry, with small cracks).
3. All women and men who do not want to wear gloves in winter (dry and windy).
4. Anyone who wants to have smooth and velvety hand skin, regardless of their type of activity.

If you want to restore the health of your hands with minimal financial and time costs, this is the offer for you!

So, you will need beeswax, disposable plastic gloves (can be replaced with regular bags), a warm thin blanket or woolen blanket and a little free time.

Step 1. Melt the wax in a water bath in the amount necessary for further application to the damaged areas of the hands. The mixture should cool slightly so as not to burn the skin.

Step 2. Apply a thin layer of wax to the skin of the back of the hand, paying special attention to areas with cracks and wounds.

Step 3. Put plastic gloves on your hands and wrap them in a warm blanket. Hands should be kept warm for 15 minutes. During this period, your hands will be warmed up with warm wax, and you will relax, dreaming of something good.

Step 4. After 15 minutes, remove the wax from your hands and place it in the bowl in which you melted it. Since a certain amount of wax will be absorbed into the skin, for the next ten procedures it will be necessary to add it in the required volume.

Step 5. After the procedure, cover your hands with nourishing cream.

This procedure must be carried out every day for 10 days. One hundred percent restoration and rejuvenation of the skin of the hands.

Using wax for making cosmetics, at home, quite affordable. Easy to make and use, soft, elastic and smooth skin after use. All these bonuses cannot be ignored, because it is so easy to be beautiful and well-groomed. Start with what nature itself offers!

Precautionary measures

1. It is generally accepted that beeswax, like Bee Honey It is absolutely harmless to the human body. However, in very in rare cases, a person may be allergic to wax, as well as honey. Therefore, before starting waxing procedures, it is necessary to conduct a skin test on a separate area of ​​the skin. If there is no negative reaction, the product can be used.
2. When making wax-based creams, lotions and ointments, do not use iron, metal, copper or cast iron utensils. In this case, the fatty acids contained in the wax interact with the metal and form salts, which are undesirable in the manufactured product.
3. When working with the product in question, use glass or enamel containers.
4. In case of parallel treatment, consultation with a specialized specialist is required.
5. Before the beginning self-use beeswax requires specialist advice.
6. You can buy beeswax in specialized stores and pharmacies.

Many people know about the benefits of honey. But the bee apiary is not famous for it alone: ​​in addition to this product, hard-working bees produce many other useful things. And today we'll talk about one of them - about beeswax.

What do we know about this product? The first thing that comes to mind is church candles. In fact, fragrant natural beeswax with a unique chemical composition is used everywhere: in industry, in Everyday life, in cosmetology and medicine.

Beeswax is an amazing product natural origin. Despite all attempts, man has not yet been able to create a synthetic analogue of beeswax, which would be able to have the same active effect on human health as the product produced by bees.

Bees need wax to build honeycombs, where they then carefully store nectar. But the scope of beeswax application is not limited to this. Remarkable properties this unique product has been used in many areas National economy and at home.

How is wax obtained?

Wax is produced mainly by young bees from the age of twelve days. By this time, they stop secreting royal jelly and actively eat pollen and nectar. In order for a bee to produce wax, its body must contain enough enzymes.

In special glands (located on the abdomen of insects) wax is formed, which begins to be released in small drops through the pores. Over the course of a season, a family of bees can produce up to 3 kilograms of wax and use it to furnish their hive and build honeycomb cells.

New honeycombs just built are 85-100% wax. Before placing nectar or eggs in the honeycomb cells, they are polished with propolis, due to which the wax is also enriched with propolis and acquires a yellowish tint.

After a couple of years, the color of the wax honeycomb changes (they acquire darker brown shades), and the cells decrease in volume. This affects the wax content in the combs (its amount decreases to 40-60%) and the quality of the brood, which becomes smaller and bee family gradually loses its strength. Honeycombs that have served their useful life are discarded and commercial wax is produced from them.

Pure wax is extracted using the method (or pressing) directly in the apiary from old honeycombs, cut wax caps, wax superstructures, the remains of various non-waxy substances in the hive (the remaining cocoons after the brood leaves the cells, bee bread, larval feces, remains in the cells of honey). To remove all dirt and obtain high-quality wax, the resulting raw material is melted and then filtered more than once. Then the wax, frozen in the form, is removed and used for its intended purpose.

Read also: Beeswax face masks are an amazing product for beautiful skin

Wax obtained directly from the apiary is considered the best. Its other types (depending on the processing method and the quality of the raw materials) are inferior to it in properties and quality:

• press wax, which is obtained industrially;
• extraction wax (extraction with gasoline), which is too soft, smells bad, with high content resins and fats, it is most often used in the chemical industry;
• bleached wax (the bleaching process occurs either chemically or naturally - in the sun), very hard, but fragile to break, used in industry. Pure white wax is rare in nature. More often it is obtained artificially: it is bleached, industrially removing all impurities and at the same time destroying the beneficial substances contained in it.

Characteristics of wax

Natural beeswax is a dense substance with a crystalline structure (granular and homogeneous at the break). At room temperature it is solid, but as the temperature rises it becomes plastic and can be easily kneaded in the hands.

The quality of wax depends on the melting temperature (the higher this indicator, the better). Refractory wax is more valuable and is more often used in folk medicine.

When burning, wax does not emit soot (this property allows it to be used in the production of candles for churches and temples).

Wax can be stored for a long time in a cool, dry place, fully retaining its properties. And in a glass container with a tight lid, its aroma and color will remain unchanged for a long time.

Natural wax is absolutely insoluble in glycerin and water and is slightly soluble in ethyl alcohol. When heated, it dissolves well in essential and fatty oils, in gasoline, in carbon disulfide, turpentine.

When interacting with metals, the color and quality of the wax may change. It is not recommended to use metal utensils for reheating.

Fresh honeycomb wax has a light color (cream or almost white). He is valued the most. Later, under the influence of substances containing propolis, it turns yellow.

The wax in honeycombs that have served for more than one year gradually darkens, acquiring dark yellow, brown shades and even black. The darker the honeycomb, the less wax it contains. Also, the color of the wax is influenced by the coloring substances found in propolis and pollen, partially contained in it.

Wax composition

According to scientists, beeswax contains more than 300 active substances and chemical compounds. The most important of them are esters (the main component of this product), saturated hydrocarbons, a small amount of water, free fatty alcohols and acids, carotenoids, aromatic, mineral and coloring substances, vitamins, impurities in the form of remains of larvae, propolis, pollen.

By chemical composition it is similar to fats, but more complex. Esters, the content of which reaches up to 75%, protect the wax from chemical reactions in contact with other substances, which provides this substance with such a long shelf life. Wax in excellent condition, retaining its qualities, was found even in the ancient pyramids of Egypt.

Read also: Beeswax cream - natural skin care product

What are the benefits of beeswax?

Wax is one of the most important products in an apiary. This is partly due to the fact that it is mined in small quantities. But this is not the only reason why it is so valuable. Its healing properties have long been studied by our ancestors. Although even today the exact composition and its properties are not fully understood. And we often use beeswax at home, using ancient recipes that were inherited from our ancestors.

So, where and how can you use beeswax?

In creativity and in everyday life

In Ancient Egypt, wax was necessary for sacrifices and burials of the nobility. And our ancestors used wooden tablets coated with a layer of wax for writing long before the invention of paper.

For centuries, candles have been made from wax to illuminate churches and homes. It is used in ski wax, in cement for gluing plaster and marble, in mastic for grafting trees, in special pencils for drawing on glass.

Artists have long (and still do) painted with wax paints, which are distinguished by their great durability and beautiful shine. This is confirmed by finds during archaeological excavations and literary sources. Wax is also used to create sculptures and in children's art.

In industry and national economy

Wax is a raw material for many industries. It is used in electrical engineering, foundry, textile, aviation, perfume, automotive, pharmaceutical, paint and varnish, printing, chemical industries and other areas.

Folk and traditional medicine

It is simply impossible to imagine traditional medicine without recipes based on beeswax. Healing properties this bee product, containing wax, bee bread, pollen and propolis, allow it to be used in medicine to nourish the skin, hair and nails, heal various skin lesions, relieve inflammatory processes, relieve pain from rheumatism and arthritis.

This natural antibiotic, which has bactericidal and anti-inflammatory properties, is an excellent remedy for colds. It is used as a natural antidepressant, to strengthen the immune system, and to improve metabolism.

Legendary doctors of antiquity: Avicenna, Pliny, Hippocrates - did not ignore beeswax.

Thus, the outstanding physician of the Middle Ages, Avicenna, recommended the use of this product for nursing mothers to increase milk lactation and as an expectorant and emollient for coughs and sore throats.

Hippocrates suggested that patients with sore throat apply warm wax compresses to the chest and neck.

Scientist Ancient Rome Pliny noted that fresh wax was considered the most useful. Having studied its properties, he discovered that this product is able to draw out infection from wounds and heal various injuries and skin diseases, as well as warm, soften and promote skin renewal.

Such qualities of wax as elasticity, plasticity, softness, insolubility in water, low temperature melting, beeswax is considered an indispensable component for many pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations that are prepared on its basis - these are all kinds of ointments, warming bandages, and plasters.

Nov-4-2016

What is beeswax?

Beeswax is a waste product of bees, a complex organic compound. Registered as a food additive E-901.

Beeswax is secreted by special glands honey bees, from it bees build honeycombs.

It is a multicomponent solid substance from white (with a slight yellow tint) to yellow-brown color with a characteristic honey smell. When exposed to sunlight in thin layers, beeswax lightens. If there is an admixture of propolis, beeswax may acquire a greenish tint.

Wikipedia

Wax is an essential building material for bees, and they produce this material themselves. Starting from 12 days of age (almost half of its life in the hive has already passed), the bee, which has not yet flown out for a bribe, but has already stopped producing royal jelly, intensively processes nectar and pollen and begins to synthesize wax.

Wax produced by bees construction material has unique properties. First of all, it is plastic, which is especially important in the manufacture of complex structures of honeycomb cells. At the same time, it is durable enough to carry heavy load. At a temperature of 20 °C the wax is harder, when raised to 35 °C (hive temperature) it is more pliable. And if we add to this its resistance to oxidation and consumption by micro- and macroorganisms (it is inedible for them, only the larva wax moth can digest wax), then one can envy the bees that produce the ideal building material.

Today, about 300 different substances have been described in beeswax. Many of them are present in small, trace quantities, but perhaps it is thanks to them that the unique properties of the wax are achieved.

The high inertness of beeswax to damage by microorganisms or consumption by macroorganisms is explained by the absence of appropriate enzymes that ensure the breakdown of wax substances.

Beeswax is divided into apiary wax, obtained after melting honeycombs, wax scraps and wax caps, and industrial beeswax, obtained from melting. The quality of wax is assessed by its color, smell, structure, proportion of water and mechanical impurities, etc.

Having an idea of ​​the requirements for natural wax, you can easily identify impurities that falsify it.

Application of beeswax:

Speaking about the importance of wax as a product for humans, we should first of all note its use in different areas his activities. The importance of wax coatings on artistic paintings and wooden products is widely known ( musical instruments, sports equipment, etc.). Wax has been around since ancient times hot commodity. First of all, it was used for making candles, which were used both for lighting and for ritual purposes. With the development of industry, the scope of wax use has expanded significantly. It began to be used in painting and sculpture, in the processing of wood and leather products, and later in the radio engineering, metallurgical, paint and varnish, textile industries, as well as in printing, shipbuilding, and electroplating.

Beeswax is present in varying quantities in honey, propolis, and bee bread. In turn, wax also contains varying amounts of honey, pollen grains, and propolis.

A very large use of wax remains in the cosmetics industry. Here wax is used as a base to incorporate many active ingredients cosmetics. This takes into account its high inertness to the included components, which allows them to maintain their activity for a long time. In addition, wax is a natural emulsifier and at the same time has a high affinity for human sebum. Considering that it softens at body temperature, it is convenient to store wax-based cosmetic creams at room body temperature, and use the temperature of the skin itself to activate its consistency.

IN medical practice the same properties are used as for the needs of the bee itself. In addition, as in the manufacture of cosmetic creams, wax is included as the main element of many medicines in the form of ointments and liniments. Usually 2 types of wax are used: white (Cenaalba) and yellow (Ceraflava). The purest wax is obtained by cutting off the caps of sealed honey (cap wax).

Beeswax, due to its specific properties, such as plasticity, softness, the ability to dissolve in organic solvents, oils, fats, not to dissolve in water, not to be wetted by it, gas-water resistance, ability to form emulsions, shine when polished, etc., is used in more than in 40 industries, including medicine, cosmetics, perfumes and pharmaceuticals, apitherapy. Wax was used as a treatment for ulcers, boils, burns, and wounds; Chewing wax was recommended for sore throats and sinusitis. Currently, wax is used for inhalation in dentistry.

What does beeswax cure?

Wax is a good bactericide, contains antibiotic and preservative substances; stimulates tissue growth, strengthens gums, helps quit smoking; effective in the treatment of skin inflammation, burns, wounds; Pharmaceutical emulsions, creams, suppositories, ointments, and patches are prepared from it; You can't make lipstick without it. Wax-based preparations are successfully used to treat purulent pleurisy, open wounds etc.

Traditional medicine claims that people who consume comb honey rarely catch colds; Chewing honeycombs develops immunity to diseases of the respiratory tract, cures a runny nose, and relieves inflammation of the nasal mucosa. Chewing honeycomb (5 times a day for the first 2 days, then 3 times a day) can be treated hay fever. Wax applications for obliterating endarteritis, chewing honeycombs with honey for periodontitis, and oral use for spastic colitis are useful.

Wax that gets into the stomach is practically not absorbed by the body, but it plays the role of a lubricant that has a beneficial effect on the intestines. However, there is evidence of the successful use of wax internally in the treatment of spastic colitis. In addition, wax is, to some extent, an adsorbent that absorbs and removes toxic substances.

Rubbing mastic (melted wax) into acupuncture points is useful for obliterating endarteritis - a disease of the peripheral vessels of the circulatory system (usually the lower extremities).

Wax ability for a long time retain heat is used like paraffin and ozokerite to relieve pain.

Wax compresses with honey and beebread are used in the treatment of patients with polyarthritis.

Beeswax as a base or as an additive (preservative, increasing viscosity) is used in the manufacture of ointments, creams, etc. Such ointments and emulsions, due to the presence of retinol (vitamin A) and other biologically active substances in them, improve general state skin, promote the healing of its damage (wounds, inflammations, ulcers, thermal and ultraviolet burns, frostbite), stimulate tissue growth, prevent premature aging and mutations that cause precancerous conditions.

It is especially effective in combinations and combinations with other beekeeping products, as well as medicinal plants. In particular, propolis wax is a component of many ointments in ophthalmology.

How to treat sinusitis with beeswax?

Heat 20 g of wax in a water bath, add 2 tbsp. spoons of yarrow herb powder, mix, cool to a temperature of 38 - 40 ° C, apply in layers to the projection area maxillary sinuses and on the root of the nose, cover with a terry cloth and lie down for 15 - 20 minutes. Carefully remove the wax. The skin where it was healing mask, grease with a thin layer of Vietnamese balm “Star”. Repeat the procedure 1 – 2 times a day for 3 – 5 days.

Treatment of polyarthritis and radiculitis with beeswax

• Heat the wax in a water bath and add honey (1 tablespoon per 200 g of wax). Soak a gauze cloth folded in four with the hot mixture, apply to the sore joint, cover compress paper or a piece of polyethylene, the area larger than a gauze napkin, put a woolen cloth on top and leave for 25 - 30 minutes. After removing the compress, wrap the joint with a clean terry towel and lie down for 15–20 minutes. The course of treatment is 10 – 12 procedures.
• To treat radiculitis, heat beeswax and add 10% golden mustache tincture (1 tablespoon of tincture per 50 g of wax). Apply the mixture to the skin in the projection of pain points.
• Grind 30 g of young stems with mistletoe leaves, 20 g of fresh lard and boil for 10 - 15 minutes, then strain through a canvas, add 30 g of wax, 8 g of camphor, heat in a water bath and mix well. Use for rubbing when joint pain, rheumatism, radiculitis.

Treatment for cracked heels:

• Take 50 g of white wax, 20 g of licorice root powder, 10 ml of sea buckthorn oil, apply to pre-steamed skin of the feet, leave for 10 - 15 minutes, after removing the mask, treat the skin of the feet with spermaceti cream. Such procedures are recommended 1 – 2 times a week for women of older age groups.

Treatment of calluses and plantar warts:

• Take 30 g of beeswax and 50 g of propolis, heat in a water bath, add 2 tbsp. spoons of lingonberry juice, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon juice and 3 tbsp. spoons of lemon balm herb powder, mix and place in a glass or porcelain bowl, store at room temperature. Apply to calluses, corns and plantar warts for 20 - 30 minutes, strengthening the therapeutic mass with bandages with polyethylene, mesh bandage or adhesive tape. Do not forget to steam your feet well in soda water before each procedure.
• Place 30 g of beeswax and 50 g of propolis in a small saucepan, pour in the juice of one lemon average size and heat while stirring over low heat. Store the resulting ointment in a dark glass jar with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature. Apply to calluses daily.

How to treat periodontal disease with beeswax?

• In case of periodontal disease, it is necessary to strengthen the mucous membrane of the gums and reduce painful bites. With regular chewing of wax with the addition of 10% alcohol (pharmaceutical) propolis extract (1 teaspoon of extract per 50 g of wax), bad breath disappears. To do this, the wax must be heated in a water bath and the required amount of tincture introduced drops (1 drop per 10 g of wax). Chew for 10-12 minutes after meals 3 times a day. Course – 2 weeks.

Treatment with wax for sprains, muscle inflammation, intercostal neuralgia:

• Mix 50 g of white wax with 50 ml of 10% tincture of golden mustache (fragrant callisia) and add 20 g of yellow wax. Golden mustache tincture is prepared as follows: place 12 golden mustache joints (they should be slightly purple in color) in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 10 days, then pour in, after crushing them with a plastic knife, 150 ml of vodka and leave for 2 weeks in a dark place. shaking daily. Soak a napkin with the resulting mixture and apply to the sore spot.

Wax treatment of psoriasis, lichen, eczema and other skin diseases:

• This recipe is more than 2 thousand years old, it was created by Benedictine monks.

100 g of beeswax, 100 g of oleoresin, 700 ml of olive oil, 50 g of prichepa grass, 50 g of stinging nettle, 50 g of nettle grass, 20 g of rozhidnik, 10 g of hemp seeds, 20 g of burdock grass. Place all the herbs (preferably fresh) in an enamel pan, add olive oil and simmer over low heat for 1.5 - 2 hours. In a separate bowl, melt the wax, resin and part of the oil until completely dissolved. Strain the herbal decoction and combine the resulting oil-herbal extract with wax and resin, boil in a water bath and strain. Store in a cool place.

What are the benefits of beeswax for the face?

The bee product is good for its anti-inflammatory, nutritional and softening properties. Wax masks accelerate the healing of damage, effectively affect the general condition of skin tissue, have a rejuvenating and detoxifying effect, and improve the relief and texture of the skin surface.

The applied wax mass forms a delicate film on the face (it is practically not absorbed).

After application, there is a significant improvement in blood circulation and restoration of lipid metabolism. A facial wax mask is an ideal treatment for dry, aging and dehydrated skin. But oily, greasy dermis will also receive long-awaited relief from inflammation, acne and comedones.

Apply the wax to previously cleansed skin, preferably with chamomile infusion.

Skin cleansing with wax

• Take 30 g of wax, honey, juice onions and juice from a white lily bulb. Heat the mixture in pottery over low heat until the wax melts. Then cool the mixture while stirring. Apply a thin layer of it to your face in the evening and in the morning. Keep for 15 – 30 minutes. Pour 50 g of eucalyptus into 0.5 liters of boiling water, boil for 3 minutes, strain and add 2 tbsp. spoons of honey and 1 tbsp. spoon of wax. Use for inflammatory skin diseases and wounds.

Anti-wrinkle wax ointment

• Mix 30 g of white wax, 30 g of honey, 10 ml of aloe juice and 20 ml of white lily flower tincture in a clay bowl and heat over low heat or a water bath for 30 minutes. Strain and store in the cold. Use after cleansing your face.

Wax mask recipes

• Wax – 50 g, honey – 70 g, white lily bulb juice – 40 ml. Heat the mixture in a clay vessel over low heat until the wax melts. Stir, cool. Apply to clean face for 10 minutes, rinse with water at room temperature. This mask nourishes the skin well, gives it softness and elasticity.
• Wax – 30 g, honey – 70 g, onion juice – 30 ml, white lily bulb juice – 30 ml. Heat the mixture and mix well. Apply morning and evening, leave on the skin for 10 - 15 minutes, remove excess with a cotton swab moistened with water at room temperature. The mask helps prevent the appearance of premature wrinkles.

Based on the book by Yu. Konstantinov “Beekeeping Products. Natural Medicines»

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The use of beeswax in home cosmetology, medicine and everyday life

This product is effective in the treatment of allergic, infectious, and inflammatory diseases. It is relevant to use beeswax at home for the treatment of intestinal dysbiosis, dental, otolaryngological, dermatological, and gynecological diseases. It is used to make ointments and suppositories for various ailments.

External use of the bee product in question is most appropriate. It, along with other components of the homemade ointment, is applied in a thick layer to the affected area. The use of processed wax foundation internally is possible as a sorbent - it is not digested, but attracts harmful substances, removing them from the body naturally. To sanitize the oral cavity, improve the health of the gums and strengthen the tooth enamel, honeycombs and bristles can be chewed for 10-15 minutes.

The healing properties of wax

Beeswax has the ability to:

• disinfect;
• relieve inflammation;
• soften;
• relieve pain;
• heal.

It is very effective in treating wounds as it stimulates tissue regeneration. Its use in folk medicine is justified when pulmonary diseases, because purified wax has a powerful expectorant effect. In addition, it is recommended to use it to stimulate lactation.

Traditional medicine recipes

What can you do with beeswax to improve your well-being? Its use is relevant as part of medicinal ointment, pain-relieving suppositories, and warming compresses. This amazing product is absolutely harmless and can help treat many diseases. In particular, its use is useful if you are concerned about:

Allergic rhinitis. It is recommended to chew beeswax, in particular beeswax, daily. These are plates that bees use to cover honeycombs.

Sinusitis. Combine 20 g of melted peeled wax and 2 tbsp. l. yarrow (powder). After stirring, cool to 40°C. Application: apply to the sinus areas, place a warm napkin on top. After 20 minutes, remove the application and rub the treated skin with “Star” ointment. Medical procedure should be done twice a day for several days.

Periodontal disease. Mix 1 tsp into 50 g of peeled wax. alcoholic extract of propolis (10%). Application: chew the resulting thick paste every day for 10 minutes, pinching off a small piece. The course of treatment should be at least 2 weeks.

Smoker's bronchitis. Prepare onion broth by boiling a medium, unpeeled onion in a small amount of sweetened water for half an hour. Add 15 ml of vodka and 45 ml of onion broth to 30 g of wax (preferably white). Mix all ingredients thoroughly; to obtain homogeneity, you can heat the mixture by placing it in a water bath.

Application: use the prepared product three times a day, 1 spoon. The optimal course of treatment will be a month.

Whooping cough. Mix 20 g of wax (white) and 20 g of fat (goose), adding a couple of drops of anise or fennel oil. Application: apply to the chest (in the trachea area). Before use, the mixture must be heated in a water bath. The application is placed for 15 minutes.

Tuberculosis. Combine 50 ml of aloe juice, 60 g of peeled wax, 100 g of honey and 0.2 liters of Cahors. Application: take 1 spoon after your morning meal for a month. Repeat the course every 3 months.

Wounds and fistulas. Heat 30 ml of corn oil over low heat (can be replaced with sunflower oil). Dissolve 20 g of pine resin in it, then stir in 20 g of beeswax. Store the resulting homogeneous composition in a dark glass or porcelain sealed container in a cool, dark place. The product has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, healing properties. Application: apply to damaged skin, fix with a bandage if necessary.

Inflammation of the uterine appendages. Take 10 g of yellow wax and alcohol tincture of calendula, adding 50 g of white wax and margarine. Heat the combined ingredients in a water bath and stir. With strong pain syndrome It is important to use the resulting mixture as a compress on the lower abdomen and lower back.

Internal hemorrhoids. Grate and melt the wax (10 g yellow and 50 g white). Add 6 tbsp to it. l. yarrow (an herb ground into powder). Cool the resulting mixture slightly and roll it into rectal suppositories. Application: administer 1 suppository twice a day for 10 days.

Calluses and corns. Place a container with 30 g of processed foundation in a water bath. Pour 15 ml of lemon and 30 ml of lingonberry juice into it, add 3 tbsp. l. lemon balm (powder). Mix all ingredients thoroughly and transfer the product to a porcelain or glass container. The composition can be stored at room temperature. Application: apply your own prepared ointment to the steamed skin of the feet for 30 minutes, securing the compress gauze bandage with polyethylene.

Homemade cosmetics based on beeswax

This amazing product can be used on its own healing agent. Simply rub it in your palms and apply to your hair or skin. For the face, purified wax is absolutely irreplaceable - thanks to fatty acids it instantly moisturizes the dermis and nourishes every cell. This is a cheap and harmless product for restoring freshness and elasticity of the skin. Using wax at home on your hair will make it soft and shiny. It will give your nails the desired strength and prevent them from splitting and brittleness. Its use as a means for home depilation will be no less effective than sugaring.

What can be made from beeswax:

Anti-acne cream. To 10 g of white wax add 10 drops of glycerin, 1 tbsp. l. celandine (powder), 2 tbsp. l. peach oil. Place all ingredients in one container in a water bath and melt, stirring continuously. Pour into a prepared jar and apply to the face daily.

Cream to tighten pores and prevent the formation of open and closed comedones. Combine 50 mg camphor oil and beef bone marrow, 10 g of processed wax, 30 ml of lemon juice and 10 drops of olive oil. All ingredients must be thoroughly whisked to obtain a homogeneous mass. Application: Apply daily to skin as a night cream.

Rejuvenating face cream. In 0.5 tbsp. olive oil add 0.25 tbsp. coconut, 50 g of wax, 5 capsules of vitamin E. The warm mixture should be poured into a jar for ease of daily use.

Nourishing masks for different facial skin types. For normal and combined you need to mix 1 tsp. beeswax, jojoba and olive oil. For dry skin - 1 tsp. beeswax is mixed with the same amount of peach oil and glycerin. For sensitive facial skin - combine 1 tsp. beeswax, carrot juice, olive or butter. For mature skin - mix 1 tsp. beeswax, fresh honey, jojoba and flaxseed oil. Masks should be used before they cool down. Wax applications can be washed off with water after half an hour.

Hair balm. Combine 50 g of purified wax in a water bath, 1 tbsp. l. cocoa, palm, shea, argan, almond and papaya butters. Carefully combine all these ingredients and pour the mixture into the prepared jar.

Mask for damaged hair . To moisturize long and thick hair, you need to melt 1 cup of peeled wax and add 2 tbsp. l. olive and coconut oil. Application: Apply the mixture to damp hair, first rubbing it in your palms. After 40 minutes, rinse the mask with shampoo and rinse your hair with water.

Important: For the face, it is preferable to use yellow wax, since it has the highest concentration of vitamin A.

Using beeswax as a lip balm is also possible. It is often used as a gel to fix hairstyles. This product restores the water balance in cells and saturates them with nutrients. With its help you can get rid of fresh and shallow wrinkles, split ends and dandruff.

Beeswax in the household

This miracle product can be used not only for the face, hair and in traditional medicine recipes. Its use at home can be much wider:

painting easter eggs. With a thin brush you need to apply wax to those places that need to be protected from fixing the dye.

Making wax paper. It is indispensable when working with dough and baking.

Furniture care natural wood or leather shoes. The bee product will protect the product being processed from moisture and make it shiny.

Repair work. If you lubricate the nail with wax, then when hammering it in, the wood will not crack.

Protection of garden equipment. Applying beeswax to a clean instrument will prevent it from rusting.

Making candles. They will create not only a magical atmosphere of twilight, but also fill the room with a charming honey aroma.

This is not all that can be done from beeswax, but it is enough to realize that this product is truly unique.

Contraindications

Inspired by the knowledge you have acquired and realizing how easy it is to melt beeswax at home, take your time. This is a bee product, which means it is allergenic. Before you start using it for any purpose, you need to check how your body reacts to it. To do this, you need to lightly rub the skin in the wrist area with an unmelted piece of wax. After half an hour, check for redness or rash, itching - the primary signs of an allergy. If not, then feel free to implement the ideas proposed above.

The use of beeswax in folk medicine, home cosmetology and everyday life is a very interesting activity. It will allow you to maintain health, prolong youth and save money. Cosmetic cream, healing ointment and high quality polish own production will exceed all your expectations.