“The origin of beeswax has a fascinating history. It has been used for a wide range of purposes throughout human history. This versatile substance is produced by honeybees and has unique properties to make it valuable for a variety of applications. The earliest known uses of beeswax date back to ancient Egypt, where it was used in the production of cosmetics, balms, and ointments. In ancient Rome, beeswax was used for a variety of purposes, including a base for medicinal ointments.”
“In ancient times, beeswax was used as an adhesive to bind two things together. The Greek-Roman doctor Galen, during the 2nd century, used beeswax in a cooling ointment. The famous Iranian physician Avicenne, 10thcentury AD, recommended beeswax for medicine. According to China’s most famous medicine book “The Shen Nong Book of Herbs”, written 1st-2ndcentury BC, beeswax was recognised as a top medicinal ingredient. It is praised for its beneficial influence on blood and energy systems and the overall balance of the body. The author attributes beauty enhancement and anti-aging properties to beeswax. Combined with other ingredients it is applied on the skin for treating wounds and as a health food for dieting.
Many recipes are given this authoritative source of traditional Chinese medicine. Ge Hong (about 284-364, Jin dynasty) and Sun Simiao (581-682) recommend ‘beeswax therapy, i.e. a heat treatment of skin areas with cloths impregnated with molten beeswax. Liu Yuri in 841 gives a detailed description of beeswax therapy more than 1000 years earlier than the paraffin wax therapy from the Frenchman Barthe de Sandford (1909). “The Sages Prescriptions”, edited by the Song Dynasty Imperial Hospital (992), mentions diet therapy, health-improvement and anti-aging prescriptions containing honey, beeswax and honeycomb”.Bogdanov, Stefan. (2016). Beeswax: History, Uses, Trade. Bee Product Science.
Fun fact: Did you know the ancients used beeswax to create compresses which had the capacity to retain warmth?
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Belle Products Containing Beeswax:
