Beeswax absolute

Honey, candle wax, hay, pollen, a hint of tobacco. A light animalic edge and dried-flower facet. Warm and sweet without sugariness.

Beeswax absolute has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index.

People allergic to bee products or propolis should take note; propolis is a recognised skin sensitiser in dermatology, and crude beeswax can carry propolis residues. Store dark, sealed and cool.

Beeswax is secreted by worker bees to build comb. Fresh wax is nearly white; colour and odour come from honey, pollen and propolis absorbed during use of the comb. Yellow wax therefore smells more than bleached wax.

To make the absolute, the wax is extracted with hot ethanol. On chilling, insoluble wax precipitates and is filtered off. Removing the alcohol leaves a yellow to brown paste.

In perfumery beeswax absolute is the natural source of a honey note. It warms mimosa, orange flower and rose and rounds tobacco accords. Dosage is usually low.

Beeswax is a familiar ingredient in soap, lip balm and candles. Crude beeswax and beeswax absolute are different materials: the crude wax gives structure, the absolute gives odour.

Absolute quality follows the wax source. Wax from strongly scented forage gives a more floral absolute. Adulterated or paraffin-cut wax gives poor results.

Beeswax absolute is usually a soft solid and needs gentle warming before weighing. In ethanol it may haze because of residual wax; chilling and filtering clears it. In handmade soap it gives a honey note without adding real honey, which can discolour and affect saponification.