The Bees Knees



Bees are life. They are such an integral part of keeping this planet functioning that they deserve our reverence, admiration, and celebration.

If you ask me, bees are, well, the bee's knees.


Beesness as Usual 

After collecting pollen (and ensuring the continued blossoming and flowering of vital plants and the survival of our ecosystem), bees zip back to their hives and get busy doing a whole lot of bee activity that results in products we humans (and other living creatures) love to indulge in. (Think honey, royal jelly, and beeswax)

Living in a bee-friendly country, I've bought hand-crafted honey many a time directly from beekeepers. Their easily recognizable yellow signs dot the Danish countryside during the summer months where any and all passersby are welcome to stop in and shop hand-crafted honey goodness.

One thing I've never tried buying directly from a beekeeper is beeswax.

Truth? It never even occurred to me to ask. I realize that sounds silly, but there you have it. My thoughts have always been on the honey – until now.



Above is a complete set of bee products from a local beekeeper who I just happen to 'know' through a friend. In the middle, the jar of honey that I have almost finished (using for face mask and cleanser as well as a sweetener for my tea).

On the left, a 'cleansed' clump of beeswax. It has an almost powdery texture and a lovely light scent.

On the right is a solid lump of beeswax that needs filtering (or so I was told). "It's still got some honey content" my friend explained when she handed me the heavy, honey-scented chunk. It smells like something you'd like to spread on bread and enjoy.

Now We Play

Holidays are approaching and I'm feeling playful. My immediate plans are to make a small batch of lip balms or lotion bars with half of each kind of wax - just to see how it behaves.

No, none of these will be used as gifts in the coming holiday season. Anything as experimental as this will need monitoring and testing (and maybe some extra playing around with).

I plan on photographing and sharing the process.

Stay tuned.

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