- Application of Beeswax in the Cosmetics Industry
Beeswax has a long history of being used in cosmetics. At present, beeswax is widely used in cleansing creams, moisturizers, eye makeup, foundation, conditioner, lipstick, hand soap, bath gel, perm and curling lotion, sunscreen, aftershave lotion, deodorant and rouge. Beeswax does not irritate the skin, and the lipids in it have a moisturizing effect, which can improve skin nutrition and make the skin soft and elastic.
Octacosanol in beeswax can promote blood circulation in the skin and activate cells, and has anti-inflammatory and skin disease prevention effects. Adding natural, skin-friendly skin care ingredients to cosmetics to give products better skin care functions has become a new highlight. Beeswax also makes cosmetic emulsions stable, increases the moisturizing ability of ointments or creams, and can also make lipsticks stable and shiny.
Some small-scale bee farms have many formulas for making cosmetics. Although the formulas of these cosmetics are trade secrets, they can also be learned through certain materials. The relatively high cost of beeswax determines the ratio of each ingredient in different cosmetics. Usually, the proportion of beeswax in depilatory cream is 50%, deodorant is 35%, lipstick is 10%-15%, cold cream is 8%-12%, eye shadow is 6%-20%, mascara is 6%-12%, hair cream is 5%-10%, and conditioner is 1%-3%.
- Application of beeswax in agriculture, forestry and food
Nowadays, beeswax has begun to be used as a green food additive, coating, packaging, additive in edible film, chewing gum chewing agent and flavoring agent carrier. In particular, beeswax can prevent water evaporation and inhibit microbial growth during the preservation and transportation of fruits and vegetables, and prolong the shelf life of fruits, which has a very broad utilization value. Fruit wax can keep fruits fresh, better prevent water loss, prevent the fruit surface from being infected by microorganisms, maintain fruit quality, increase color, brightness, texture, improve appearance, and prolong the storage and shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Adding beeswax to animal feed can improve the antibody immunity and disease resistance of animals, promote cell division and growth and development, and has no residue, no teratogenic, carcinogenic, mutagenic and other toxic side effects, and can be gradually promoted and applied in the breeding industry.
In addition, beeswax is a promoter of crop growth and can be used as fruit tree grafting wax and pest adhesive on the wound surface of broken makeup. Mixing beeswax, propolis liquid and Chinese herbal medicine liquid has a good prevention and control effect on fruit tree fungal diseases, and the nutrients in it can also improve the nutritional imbalance of crops caused by weak tree vigor and other reasons.
Applying propolis and beeswax composite preparations to pruning branches and fruit trees suffering from rot diseases in orchards can play a good protective and preventive effect. Triacontanol contained in beeswax has a special regulating and controlling effect on the growth and development of animals and plants. It is a naturally occurring green plant hormone with the characteristics of small dosage, low cost, high efficiency and pollution-free. It is widely used in the cultivation of crops such as corn, rice, sorghum, wheat and economic seaweeds such as laver and kelp.
Triacontanol is also a "green" pesticide. It can be used in combination with a variety of plant nutrients and minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, and the effect is better. Rapeseed sterols, known as the sixth largest type of plant growth hormone, can promote crop growth, increase nutrient absorption, improve fruit setting rate, promote fruit hypertrophy, and improve crop resistance. It has unique effects in cold resistance, disease resistance, drought resistance, heat resistance, and reducing pesticide damage, and has a very significant impact on the growth and development of plants.
- Application of beeswax in the nest foundation manufacturing industry
Beeswax is both a product of the bee colony and a necessary material for its survival and reproduction. Bees not only use beeswax to build and cap the honeycombs, but also mix resin into beeswax to make propolis to provide antibacterial protection for the hive. The nest foundation is the basis for bees to build honeycombs, and modern beekeeping cannot do without the nest foundation. The materials and processes for making nest foundations are divided into two categories: beeswax nest foundations and plastic nest foundations.
Although plastic nest foundations are now common, bees prefer beeswax nest foundations. The nest foundation is one of the few products that cannot be replaced by synthetic wax, because bees will not accept the nest foundation made of artificial synthetic wax. Some small-scale beekeepers think that making nest foundations is too challenging and not worth doing. A few people make nest foundations themselves to regain this craft that is about to be lost, which also proves the difficulty of this craft.
- Application of beeswax in other fields
Beeswax is also widely used in candle processing industry, wax painting, batik, printing ink, lost wax casting bronze, calligraphy and painting mounting, etc. It is precisely because beeswax has relatively strong inertness, is easy to keep its shape at low temperatures, is waterproof and insect-proof, etc., that many handicrafts made of beeswax have been preserved from ancient times to the present. However, at present, beeswax resources are in short supply and expensive, which cannot meet the requirements of the ink industry.
Therefore, it is imperative to find a high-quality and low-cost substitute for beeswax. Beeswax can be used to polish leather, furniture wood, wall or marble products, and can also be used as a topcoat for string instruments such as cellos and violins. Woodcarvers insert chisels into beeswax and use them, and the chisels and wood will fit better. Sail and shoe thread was passed through wax blocks during sewing to increase its toughness and waterproofness.
Beeswax is still used in dentistry, waxing skis, treating animal cracked hooves, soap making, shaving cream, crayons, cheese waxing, poultry plucking wax, ammunition caps, gun ball wax, tablet coating, rectal suppositories, impressions used in key making, and fishing bait and fishing line.
