Beeswax in natural and organic skincare and beauty products

vegan-friendly means no beeswax in skincare

Donna Noble is obsessed by their disappearance and the internet buzzes (see what I did there!) with rumours involving Einstein so as we await the penultimate episode of Doctor Who we take alook at the bee and the question of beeswax in natural and organic skin care.

People choosing to buy natural and organic skin care expect green, eco and ethical credentials from the producers.

Cruelty-free is high on the list for green and ethical shoppers which is why it is important to look at the question of bees and beeswax.

Beeswax (or cera alba as it is listed on labels) is an ingredient used by both commercial skin care manufacturers and many natural and organic skin care producers.

Beeswax is obtained from the honeycomb of bees in the hive and used in skincare as an emulsifier and thickener, as well as for its reputed skin care benefits.

Most vegans do not eat honey or use bee products although generally speaking vegetarians do.

The Vegan Society condemns the use of all bee products such as honey, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly.

According to the Vegan Society exploitation of and cruelty to bees consists of:

Bee farming
Cruel treatment of the Queen bee
Wing-clipping
Killing bees when harvesting honey comb
Use of artificial food and pesticides
Vivisection
Destruction of hives.

Pretty damning, isn’t it. Or is it?

Looking further into the issue I have found that not all beekeepers employ the above methods.
Whilst it is true that most if not all commercial bee farms do practice cruelty towards bees, many small local beekeepers do not.
Further, they argue that the bees’ welfare is the most important thing to them. On many small bee farms the bees are given extra room for their hives, the bees enjoy working and make more honey than they need, and by the use of pesticides they are protected from deadly mites, parasites and fungi that are killing wild bee colonies. Beekeepers are also keen to point out that although it does happen on large commercial bee farms, they themselves do not kill off the bees or destroy their hives.

Sadly the numbers of small, caring, ethical beekeepers is far outweighed by the huge commercial bee farms meeting the demand of even bigger commercial companies wanting large quantities of cheap product, regardless of the cost to the bees.

And the question of exploitation remains as the bees are still kept and farmed for their monetary value.

At Maia Skin Care we believe in using only cruelty-free ingredients. Because there is controversy and questions surrounding the issue, we do not use any bee product in our skin care. All our products are vegan-friendly and free from beeswax, honey and any other ingredients derived from bees.

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