If you’ve ever wondered why beeswax is so great, this post will answer that for you.
If you haven’t ever wondered where your beeswax comes from and why the source is outrageously important, this post will illuminate that for you.
And for the time conscious folks who may not get further than this sentence (fair call; real life > reading life), if you take one thing away let it be this:
Beeswax is one of nature’s most astonishing and intuitive beauty care ingredients. But all beeswax – except for one source – is contaminated by pesticides from broadacre agriculture. Bees + sprayed crops = residual chemicals in honey and beeswax.
Tasmanian Leatherwood Beeswax is that exception.
The only chem-free beeswax
On the pocket-sized island we call home, there is no broadacre agriculture. Tasmania’s unique geography and smallness simply doesn’t support that style of farming, and we’re increasingly known for our beautiful, small-batch, artisanal products.
For over 30 years we’ve had the joy of sourcing Leatherwood Honey and Beeswax from R. Stephens Tasmanian Honey, a family of beekeepers who nestle their hives deep in the rainforest on Tasmania’s remote west coast.
It’s the world’s purest, wildest honey and beeswax, free from agricultural or industrial influence – because there’s nothing but fresh air and rolling seas between these bees and Patagonia.
Other products out there containing beeswax – especially if there’s no mention of provenance – will contain chemical residue, and we all know by now that these chemicals aren’t benign. Many pesticides are skin irritants at best and carcinogens at worst, and due to beeswax’s highly absorptive properties, whatever is in it ends up in you.
We love Tasmanian beeswax so much that it’s the very basis of our business, celebrated in our logo, name and brand icon, Lucida. Eucryphia lucida is the botanical name of Tassie’s native rainforest Leatherwood.
The Leatherwood Tree: A Tasmanian Treasure
The Leatherwood tree is an iconic Tassie native which flourishes in the rugged rainforests covering our island’s west coast. Bees flock to flowering Leatherwood trees which produce masses of sweetly-scented white flowers filled with nectar. The honey and beeswax made from these blossoms is renowned for its rich flavour, fragrance and medicine, packed with antibacterial, antioxidant and wound-healing properties. Research is showing that Leatherwood honey is at least as powerful as Manuka – perhaps even more.
Besides the millions of bees who revel in Leatherwood’s sweetness during spring and summer, these trees provide habitat for so many native species too, including birds and insects, supporting our island’s biodiversity in a big way.
We love that our Leatherwood honey and beeswax is World Heritage Listed, because those lovely beekeepers at R. Stephens take their hives into the heart of Tassie’s wilderness – on a vintage railway, no less – that is recognised as precious and worth protecting around the world.
So, let’s talk about the amazing properties of beeswax for your skin.
Four reasons to beeswax
Moisturises + hydrates
Beeswax is a natural moisturiser that offers a skincare triple whammy, being an emollient, humectant and occlusive all in one. The fatty acids and wax esters in beeswax nourish and soften while its emollient properties draw moisture into the layers of the skin for extra hydration and suppleness. As an occlusive that forms a breathable barrier over the skin’s surface, beeswax is an amazing protector against the elements – and that’s not even mentioning its antioxidant properties which actively fight free radical damage.
Leatherwood Honey & Macadamia Rich Moisture Cream – Beauty and the Bees
Creates a skin-saving barrier
Beeswax creates a protective yet breathable barrier over the skin that locks in moisture and guards against environmental stressors such as wind, cold, and dry air. This makes it an ideal ingredient for individuals with dry or sensitive skin who need extra protection from harsh weather conditions.
Honey Lotion Bar All Over Moisture Balm 35G – Beauty and the Bees
Honey & Herb Baby Botty Butter – Beauty and the Bees
An antibacterial wound healer
Beeswax has antibacterial properties that make it an excellent choice for people with acne-prone skin. Micro-infections and inflammation can create nasty whiteheads and cysts, but the active antimicrobial factors in Leatherwood beeswax (which are just as powerful as Manuka) actively combat them, fending off bacterial infections and helping them heal too. As an anti-inflammatory, beeswax reduces the pain and redness – ouch! – associated with acne while smoothing and improving the overall complexion.
An anti-ageing wonder
Beeswax contains flavonoids which are superb antioxidants, inhibiting the activity of enzymes that form free radicals. Dehydration, ultraviolet light and pollution all contribute to our unfair share of fine lines, but beeswax actively counteracts them, keeping ageing at bay. It can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots, and improve skin elasticity too, giving your skin the juicy bloom of youth.
Leatherwood Honey & Olive Ultra Rich Moisture Cream – Beauty and the Bees
Beeswax for every skin!
There are so few examples of one-size-fits all in skincare, but when it comes to Leatherwood beeswax, we can confidently vouch for its hydrating, nourishing, regulating, and healing effects for just about everyone. It’s almost as though beeswax is in conversation with your skin, asking it what it needs and gently working to soothe and balance. So whether your skin tends towards dry, sensitive, lined or acne-prone, it’ll lap up our World Heritage Listed beeswax. We’ve listed some of our favourite beeswax-containing products below if you’d like to take a gander, and as always, get in touch if you have any questions.
🐝 Face: Leatherwood Honey & Beeswax Ultra Rich Moisture Cream
🐝 Body: Honey Lotion Bar All Over Moisture Balm 35G – Beauty and the Bees
🐝Baby & Body: Honey & Herb Baby Botty Butter – Beauty and the Bees
🐝 Hair: Bee Pure – pH Balanced Shampoo Bar – Beauty and the Bees
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