What is beeswax?
Beeswax is a product with which bees build their nests or hives. Natural wax is generally yellow in color and very soft. Wax does not dissolve in water and alcohol and is considered an insoluble substance.
The word (wax) is from old English word and denotes a water-resistant material used to cover and protect the leaves of plants and fruits (cuticle), in beehives, insect repellent fats, animal skin fat, fat producing glands, whale oil and, fungi and bacteria.
This substance is actually a natural wax that is made by bees on honey combs. Beeswax is produced by 8 wax production glands in the abdominal parts of worker bees’ bodies discharged into the hive. Hive worker bees build shelf-like cells to store honey and protect their brood. Chemically, beeswax is composed of fatty acid esters and long chain alcohols with many uses in the food and flavor industries and is used to treat some diseases.
In a general classification, waxes can be divided into various categories: beeswax is a natural bee product, vegetable wax is a natural plant product but artificial or synthetic wax is a petrochemical product.
Cosmetics
The use of wax in the cosmetics industry
Today, it has been proven that the use of beeswax in creams and other protective cosmetics has become more common than in the past, and products that have wax in their structure can replace creams made on the basis of petroleum gel. .
Lip gloss, lip repair, hand creams, moisturizing creams, eye shadow, blush, eyeliner etc. are made using beeswax. Natural wax is also used to make mustache ointment and hair conditioners that make hair look shinier and smoother.
Wax is also used in pharmaceutical industries such as coating tablets, making ointments and creams, or in dentistry. It is also used to make molds of teeth and mouths.
Chewing gum, ink, waterproof materials and tools, industrial adhesives, paper industry are other diverse production uses of natural wax.
In metal casting, beeswax is used to make molds. Wax is also used in the textile industry.
Another use that should be mentioned for natural waxes is in making various types of polishes. One can polish and clean household and leather items with wax.
Essential points about beeswax
One of the factors that influence natural wax color is the change of season and the migration of bees to different regions. In both of these cases, the type and color of the plant that the bee goes to will be different, and this difference will be visible in the color of the honey and wax produced by these bees.
Since no combustible materials are used in making natural candles, to have a better flame, you can occasionally drain the liquid wax collected under the candle flame.
Beeswax is made up of different materials which are as follows:
Hydrocarbon 16%
special alcohols 31%
various acids 31%
hydroxy acid 13%
diols 3%
other substances 6%
Taking into account the issues raised we can conclude that candles made with beeswax, like candles made with chemical or paraffin wax, do not have a purely decorative use, and these products have other positive functions in addition to beauty. They help a lot to maintain human health.
Treading wax
Treading wax in the form of plates is the second stage of wax processing after its extraction and purification, which is done with manual or electric treading machines. In automatic devices, melted waxes are usually converted into sheets and immediately pressed and treaded with a special roller. The treading roller in manual and electric devices is similar and contains cells the size of the bottom of a worker bee’s cell or a male bee (for raising male bees).
Wax quality control
To control the quality of wax, in addition to paying attention to the physical and chemical properties, the ratio of esters to acids is also an important factor. Usually, high heating during processing (for example, 100 degrees Celsius) causes a numerical change in the ratio of esters to acids, as well as destruction and destruction of hydrocarbons. In other words, it changes the physical and chemical properties of wax, in such a way that it destroys some useful properties, volatile substances and wood substances. Beeswax should also be free of chemical-pharmaceutical substances and poisons, the diagnosis of which requires precise chemical-pharmaceutical tests.
How to use beeswax
Regarding the way to use beeswax, you should pay attention to the fact that beeswax has three different types each of which is produced from raw wax, the first type is called yellow wax and honey is extracted from it. The other two types are called white wax and the other is alcohol wax, obtained by combining yellow wax with other materials so that they can be used in different applications.
Therefore, the most important use of this material is yellow beeswax, which is sold in the market along with honey. But white wax and alcoholic wax have mostly non-edible uses, so any type of beeswax cannot be edible and usually most beeswax is used topically.
Effects of beeswax
Although beeswax brings many benefits to humans, it may be harmful in some cases. Based on this, we will explain some of the side effects of beeswax:
If you want to use this substance, it is better to first apply it on your wrist or the inside of your elbow for a day or two, and then use it after making sure you are not allergic to beeswax, because this substance may cause side effects such as swelling, redness, itching or skin rash or cause a burning sensation in your skin.
If you want to consume this substance orally, it is better to know that some pollen, propolis and sometimes bee bread are found in this substance. So, if you are allergic to bee products or even one of these products, it is necessary to make sure that they cause allergic and sensitizing reactions in you before consuming beeswax or any other bee product.
Disadvantages of paraffin candles
Considering the advantages mentioned about natural wax candles for the environment and humans, we also state some of the disadvantages of using chemical and paraffin candles.
What is beeswax
According to the scientific research conducted on paraffin candles, it has been shown that using them indoors causes the destruction of air particles and creates pollution in the environment. If these candles have scent and essential oil, their environmental contamination and destruction will increase.
Another harm caused to humans by adding aromatic and synthetic oils to paraffin, is the occurrence of abnormalities and defects in the genital area and pregnancy. These aromatic and synthetic oils are added to these candles in order to increase the smell, stability and longevity, but they will increase the amount of damage by several times.
Physical properties of beeswax
Freshly secreted beeswax is white, and after the first period of laying eggs or storing honey, it turns yellow, brown and finally black. The standard wax color is light yellow to light brown. Fresh waxes are soft and crispy, have a special taste and smell (a little bit like henna) and gradually become harder. Wax is usually brittle in cold weather and softens in warm weather. But it should not be greasy or sticky. Western beeswax usually melts at a temperature of 62-65 degrees Celsius and evaporates at a temperature of 250 degrees Celsius. Its density at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius is 0.950 to 0.966 and on average is about 0.96 grams per cubic centimeter. Therefore, it is lighter than water. Beeswax, like other waxes, is insoluble in water and resistant to many acids.
Beeswax is slightly soluble in cold alcohol and soluble in hot ether. Beeswax solvent can be aromatic, chloroform, ethane, benzene, carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and turpentine oil. It dissolves in these, and if the beeswax solvent is heated, it also dissolves in alcohol and liquid oils.
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