Lately I have been making a lot of salve for gift-giving. Dream-y salve, all-purpose healing salve, warming salve, and even naked salve (much less exciting than it sounds!) One of the key ingredients in salve-making is beeswax. Beeswax is used in many skin care products because it provides a protection against irritants while still allowing the skin to breathe. It also offers anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral benefits making it helpful in treating skin irritation.
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But did you know that beeswax has a multitude of OTHER uses besides cosmetic? I didn’t….until I did some research. This versatile by-product of honey production has several uses around the home as well.
Here are 21 uses for beeswax you might not be familiar with:
Batik
Batiking is a method of fabric dyeing in which the fabric not intended to be dyed is covered with removable wax. The ideal mixture for batik preparation is 30 percent beeswax and 70 percent paraffin, creating the perfect batik wax mixture.
Ukrainian Egg Decorating
A pysanka is a Ukrainian Easter egg, decorated with traditional Ukrainian folk designs using a wax-resist (batik) method. The word pysanka comes from the verb pysaty, “to write”, as the designs are not painted on, but written with beeswax.
Prevent Rust
Coat things like hand tools, cast iron pieces and shovels to prevent them from rusting out. You can even rub beeswax on the wooden handle of your shovel to help protect against wear and tear.
Cheese Waxing
If you produce your own cheese, beeswax is the best natural cover for cheeses. If the cheese is wet, you will need to let it dry before applying the hot wax. This is to ensure a proper seal because wax will not adhere to wet surfaces. Beeswax works well for sealing the because it has a low melting point.
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Waxed Thread
Waxed thread is often used in handmade crafts such as hand-sewn leather goods and making jewelry. The wax on the thread provides lubrication that can make sewing easier. Plain thread can be rubbed against a cube of bee’s wax, coating the thread in the wax.
Coating Nails & Screws
Once you coat your nails and screws with beeswax, they do not splinter the wood while you hammer them in.
Wood Lubricant
Rub beeswax on sliding glass doors, windows or drawers that tend to stick to restore smooth movement. Beeswax is also a fantastic lubricant for oiling very old furniture joints.
Beeswax Crayons
There are many different variations for beeswax crayons, but most use equal weight amounts of beeswax and white bar soap. Beeswax crayons tend to be harder than the soy, giving the ability to add more details to pictures.
Envelope Seal
You can make a beeswax seal and apply it to an envelope that you are sending out. This would be great for an invitation to a wedding or baby shower.
Waterproof Shoes and Boots
Rub the beeswax over the entire shoe. Next, use a blow dryer to melt the wax all over the shoe then let set for about 5 minutes before wearing!
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DIY Shoe Polish
Restore leather boots, shoes, pocketbooks, and more with this basic shoe polish formula. Combine and heat 2 oz of oil and 1/2 oz beeswax until the beeswax is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 to 1 tsp pigment, adding more for a darker color. Makes ½ cup, just about what you’d buy in the store. Store in a small jar.
Beeswax For Hair
Beeswax is used as a remedy for dry hair, to help start and maintain dreadlocks and as a wax for a man’s beard or mustache. Combine & heat equal parts beeswax and coconut oil. Allow to cool and set. Using small portions at a time, work it into the mustache. Comb to style.
Grease Cookie Sheets
If you have a block of wax, you can simply rub it over your pans and use it in place of butter or oil. (Beeswax is edible so this is perfectly safe.) It works best if you warm the sheet a bit first. You can also melt the wax and apply it that way. Over time the pan will take on a permanent coat of wax, eliminating the need to grease every time.
Make Canelés
Beeswax is also traditionally used in making canelés, a small French pastry with a custard center and a caramelized crust, giving them their crispness and a slight honey flavor. A coating of beeswax and butter, frozen to the molds before baking, helps create a protective outer skin that will help protect the shape of the canelés as they bake.
Candles & Luminaries
Beeswax candles burn brighter, remove toxins from the air and give off a sweet, warming honey aroma which gets accentuated when mixed with other essential oils. Making them is pretty simple, too. Learn how to make beeswax candles HERE. Learn how to make beeswax luminaries HERE.
Furniture Polish
To make beeswax furniture polish melt 1 T. of grated beeswax, stir in 3 T. of coconut oil until melted. When this cools and hardens, use a clean cloth to rub it onto your wood furniture. Then using another cloth, buff the furniture until all residue is removed.
Granite Countertop Polish
Keep your granite countertops shiny with beeswax. Rub warmed beeswax in, allow it to dry, and then wipe down to remove any excess. The polish will also help prevent staining.
Reusable Food Wrap
An alternative to plastic wrap…..make your own beeswax coated cotton material. The warmth of your hands allows you to mould the beeswax to whatever shape you want and it stays there. When refrigerated it forms a firm cover to protect your leftovers.
DIY Beeswax Modeling Clay
Modeling clay made from beeswax and plant dyes make a natural and non-toxic craft. When warmed in your hands to a soft consistency, beeswax modeling clay easily forms into shapes. To preserve your sculpted creations, let the beeswax cool and keep it away from heat.
Care For Wooden Utensils
Make spoon (or board) butter out of mineral oil and natural beeswax. Smooth it into your spoons, spatulas, boards and bowls. Let them sit for a couple of hours, then rub down with a clean cloth and return them to normal use.
Corrosion Control
Beeswax actually prevents bronze items from getting tarnished. To guard against oxidation caused by moist air, brush on a solution of 1/3 pound beeswax melted in 1 quart turpentine. Buff it with a towel to create a thin, hard coat. Similarly, you can seal a copper sink by rubbing it with softened beeswax and polishing off the excess with a lint-free rag.
I’ve known about the amazing benefits of HONEY for a long time…but never knew BEESWAX had so much to offer as well. After compiling this list I have realized I need to start utilizing it more in my life. It truly is an amazing substance!
Hi Jillee:
Thanks for all the great tips for using Beeswax! I found at least eight I can use. One use I’d like your input on is for wooden kitchen utensils. I just bought a set of Spurtles (I love them!) and the suggestion made is to use food-grade Mineral Oil after washing them. So, Beeswax or Mineral Oil?
Your thoughts?
Hi Jillee!
I love getting your tips everyday. I have good intentions on doing some of these. (Finding room is a challenge).
I do have a question, how many drops of oil are in a bottle? Are there different sizes to order? I bought an essential oils book. I don’t want to order to much nor too little of Sparks Natural
You can buy most oils in either a 5mL size (about 100 drops), or a 15 ml size (about 300 drops). Most of the time, you’ll only need a couple of drops! However, if you’re going to be making lotion or making candles, then you might use upwards of 30 drops in one use. It just depends on what you’ll be using them for. :-)
I use it on my boot zippers as they are very hard for me to zip up. After I rub the wax over the zipper, I zip them up and down about two or three times and the zipper becomes easier to zip when putting them on.
Where can I buy beeswax?
I bought mine through Amazon.
Michaels carries it .
It’s also a good idea to keep a piece of beeswax with your hand sewing needles. If you have trouble getting a needle through fabric just stick it into beeswax. The needle will slide through the fabric much easier.
My grandmother was a seamstress She would run the needle lightly through her hair and it would glide through her fabric nicely. And she didn’t have oily hair. I loved her very much.
These are genius! I especially like the cookie sheet idea – reminds of how we use seasoned cast iron – and the wooden spoons/cutting board. I’m a foodie, always in the kitchen it seems, so those are great tips for me! I would like to clarify 1 thing… In your “Beeswax for Hair” section, you mention it is a “remedy for dry hair, to help start and maintain dreadlocks”. While beeswax used to be widely used to start locs (and still is in some countries/cultures), people with coarse hair textures should avoid using beeswax as it attracts & traps lint… Read more »
The corrosion control section says to use ? pound beeswax…how much is needed?
It’s 1/3 pound – sorry Lacie!
Thanks again for the great list of ideas! I love beeswax and buy it locally in 32 oz blocks. It is incredibly difficult to cut into, however! Do you have any suggestions for chopping it into smaller, more user-friendly chunks?
I wish that I did! When making salves, I always buy the pastilles just because they are so easy to use.
We used to be able to buy blocks of honey still in the combs. My Mom would encourage us to chew the wax as she said it helped to clean our teeth and make them white. I have no idea if this is true or not. We always enjoyed the honey-ish taste of the wax.
Beeswax used to be used to polish hardwood floors but it is a very labour-intensive job.
Interesting column with some good hints.
The reason I use beeswax when hand sewing is that it keeps the thread from tangling. You can buy little rounds of it in a plastic case that lets you draw the thread through the wax easily. Find it at a fabric shop.