Description
Beeswax (cera alba) is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus Apis.
1 Beeswax is generally available as yellow, white, or bleached. Yellow beeswax comes directly from the honeycomb, while white and bleached beeswax are processed form of yellow beeswax. Beeswax can be produced synthetically. In medicine, beeswax is used for lowering cholesterol, for relieving pain, and for swelling (inflammation), ulcers, diarrhea, and hiccups. It is also used for tablet coating. In food industry, beeswax is used as a film to wrap cheese for maturing or as a food additive (E901) to give shine to the products, e.g. it is permitted for the surface treatment only of certain fruits. White beeswax and beeswax absolute (yellow beeswax treated with alcohol) are used as stiffening agents in beverages. It is also used as a carrier for colors in food. In manufacturing, yellow and white beeswax are used as thickeners, emulsifiers, and as stiffening agents in cosmetics. Beeswax absolute is used as a fragrance in soaps and perfumes.
2,3 Furthermore, beeswax can be used to polish furniture.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeswax
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-305/beeswax
- http://www.efsa.europa.eu
Chemical Properties
Yellow or light brown pieces or plates with a fine-grained, matt and non-crystalline fracture; when warmed in the hand they become soft and malleable. It has a faint odour, characteristic of honey. It is tasteless and does not stick to the teeth.
Chemical Properties
White beeswax is produced by bleaching the constituent pigments of yellow beeswax with peroxides, or preferably it is
bleached by sunlight. It has a faint characteristic odor, free from rancidity
Physical properties
It is a yellowish-white solid, somewhat translucent in thin layers. White beeswax is insoluble in water
and sparingly soluble in cold alcohol. Boiling alcohol dissolves cerotic acid and part of the myricin, which are constituents of the wax
Uses
beeswax (white) is regular beeswax that has been bleached. unbleached beeswax is yellow.
Uses
Beeswax is the purified wax obtained from the honeycomb of the
bee is insoluble in water and is sparingly insoluble in cold alcohol.
it is used to glaze candy, in chewing gum, in confections, and as a
flavoring agent.
Uses
beeswax is one of the oldest raw ingredients used in cosmetic preparations. It is traditionally used as an emulsifier for water-in-oil emulsions and is now also used to regulate a formulation’s consistency. Beeswax is used as part of the wax composition of solid and paste products such as creams, lipsticks, and pomades. When on the skin’s surface, it can form a network rather than a film, as is the case with petroleum. Though there is no scientific proof for it, beeswax is credited with anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-bactericidal, germicidal, skin-softening, and elasticity enhancing properties. As an anti-oxidant, beeswax has some free-radical scavenging ability. Depending on its source, beeswax can be considered a non-comedogenic ingredient. It rarely causes sensitivity, and allergic reactions to beeswax are low.
Definition
Wax from the honeycomb of the bee. Beeswax consists largely of myricyl palmitate, cerotic acid and esters, and some high-carbon paraffins.
