Beeswax Candles and allergies, local honey candles.

Beeswax Candles

Beeswax is produced by young worker bees in the form of thin scales secreted by glands on the ventral surface of the abdomen. To produce their wax, bees must consume about eight times as much honey by mass. Honey bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells in which they raise the babies and in which honey and pollen are stored. The wax of honeycomb is nearly white, but becomes progressively more yellow when honey bees start storing honey and pollen. The accumulation of cocoons and the treatments given to the cell for the next cycle of brood darkens the brood comb over time.

When beekeepers extract the honey, they cut off the wax caps from each honeycomb cell with an uncapping knife or machine. Due to the impurities, the wax has to be cleaned and clarified by heating in water.

Beeswax is used commercially to make fine candles, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Cosmetics and pharmaceuticals account for 60% of total consumption. Beeswax candles are preferred in most churches because they burn cleanly, with little or no dripping and very little smoke. Beeswax candles are a perfect alternative of choice for those who have asthma, allergies, or headaches due to paraffin or scented candles.

Molded candles