The Benefits of Beeswax

I got a gorgeous pure Pheylonian beeswax candle from my awesome, loving mum for Christmas and was absolutely stoked, and even more so after I had done a little bit of reading about them!

Beeswax has a beautiful, sweet smell whether it's burning or not. It's also completely natural- not filled with dyes or cancer causing fragrance. The flame, believe it or not, burns with a halo and the candles have an incredibly long burn time (hundreds of hours!)

By comparison, paraffin candles start as the blackish-grey sludge that oozes out of petroleum refineries. This disgusting substance is then bleached and carcinogenically 'solidified'. As I'm sure all of you are aware of too, paraffin candles never burn evenly, and never burn all the way through- you end up having to throw a bunch of it out. Paraffin candles emit a black smoke that ends up coating your walls and ceilings, whether or not you can see it.

Enough about paraffin - you get the idea... More about beeswax!

Beautiful flame, eh? Can you see the halo?

Beeswax candles emit negative ions. What are negative ions and why are they good for you? Everything floating in the air in your home - from dust mites, pollen and bacteria to residues and emissions from construction materials - is positively charged. Even odours from food, mold and mildew and pets are positively charged. Burning beeswax candles releases negative ions into the air (think of it as being near the ocean or a forest, in the sense that you breath easier and deeper around those things). Negative ions bind to the positive ones, creating heavier molecules that simple fall to the floor. Beeswax candles burn the dust, pollen, etc from the air - the more black ash around the wick, the dustier your home is! Because of this, burning a beeswax candle can help treat the symptoms of asthma and hay fever.

Another great thing about these candles is they are great essential oil diffusers. Beeswax burns hot and is therefore an excellent diffuser! Allow the candle to burn until there's a pool of wax around the wick and then add a few drops of your favourite essential oil! My personal favourite is lavender. Lavender is calming, easing anxiety, and acts as an aid for insomnia. Lemongrass is a great one for clearing the mind and inspiring clarity. It also helps with insomnia. If you suffer from allergies or a cold, eucalyptus is a clearing and cleansing oil to burn. Tea tree has the same effect. Clove, cinnamon or vanilla smell incredible when burned in these candles too and all have a warming effect on your home.

Never blow out these candles! Instead, either snuff them out, or use a pencil or something similar to dip the wick in the wax and then straighten it again when the flame extinguishes. Any leftover or runoff beeswax should be kept, shaved and added to the candle if the wick starts to get to long.

Beeswax added because the wick has been getting long.  Already, the edges of the candle are turning black - guess our house is dusty!

A warning- legally, to be advertised as "beeswax", a candle only needs to have 10% beeswax, the rest filled with paraffin. So, when buying these candles, make sure you're getting a 100% beeswax candle!

Beeswax is also found in many natural cosmetics as well. It is great for the skin, locking in moisture and creating a protective barrier against free radicals and the like. Beeswax, like honey, is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiallergenic and an antioxidant. It, again like honey, is a great treatment for wounds, speeding up the healing process and cleansing the area.