We’ve talked a lot about bees and honey in our previous blog articles. We thought it might be interesting to take a closer look at another precious product that is manufactured by our lovely bee-bies. Although it is utilised by many industries nowadays, it is not very known by the common man. Here we will look at the various types of beeswax.

What is Beeswax

Beeswax is a natural wax that is produced in the beehives by honeybees, because they use it to build the honeycomb. When the honey is harvested and refined from the hive, the wax is recovered as a byproduct. It is hard and brittle when cold, but it becomes soft and flexible when heated. Its colour can vary quite a bit, depending on what type of bees produced the wax, the flowers the bees go to for their honey-making and other factors.

Types of Beeswax

Beeswax is used in a variety of ways. Therefore, we as humans process it differently depending on the final use of the wax. It can be distinguished into three types, each created with its own processing method and possessing different benefits.

  1. The first type is Yellow Beeswax. This is the natural crude product that is directly derived from the honeycomb. It is unrefined and raw.
  2. Then there is White Beeswax. White beeswax is created by filtering and purifying the yellow variety and it is used a lot in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industry.
  3. The last kind is Absolute Beeswax. Again, this type is made from the yellow variety, but it is treated with alcohol.

If you would like to know more about the various uses of this magical product, click here. 

Written by Elise Coudré and edited by Jashan Sippy. 

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