Problems Using Different Beeswax

[jamiea26]

Hi all. I have a lip balm formulation dilemma and I'm hoping you can help me because I'm trying not to take the easy way out. Has anyone experienced differences in your products due to different beeswax suppliers?
I have a lip balm recipe that is great. It's exactly how I want it. HOWEVER...
I was using beeswax from Amazon to create my lip balm, but want to support a "small" supplier.
I got some from WSP while I looked for a new supplier, but it created a harder texture, so I added more oil and it came out fine.
Then I found a beekeeper and bought a pound of their beeswax, excited to support a farmer...but I CAN NOT get my recipe to work. It's so hard with no glide, and gradually increasing the oils just makes it go from way too hard to too oily.
If it helps, my recipe (with Amazon beeswax) is 1.50 oz beeswax and 3.55 oz (liquid at room temp) oils
I considered adding cocoa butter, but I had issues with blooming in the past.
I want so badly to support a small local business, but I don't understand why there is such a huge difference between the beeswax I've been buying on Amazon and beeswax "from the source"...and honestly that's a bit concerning.
Any help you can give me would be great! Thanks!

 

[Skylantern]

From what I understood when looking into this is that cosmetic grade beeswax has a lower melting point from raw industrial grade beeswax. Sounds like your local source is somewhere inbetween, filtered and minimally processed, but not as pure as cosmetic grade. This variation in processing could increase or decrease the melting point and the consistency of your wax and throw off your process. I hope that made sense. I found this article that explains it better.

 

[Skylantern]

It's also not to say your wax is bad, but you'll notice it more in a lip balm than in say a salve or lotion bar.

 

[KimW]

I agree with @Skylantern . It's likely due to amount of filtering and processing/cleaning. I didn't like cosmetic grade beeswax because I found it too slick, but also found I couldn't use beeswax from a local apiary because it wasn't clean enough and it was a bit too hard and "draggy". I finally found and settled on unbleached, but processed, beeswax. Not as slick as cosmetic grade and not as draggy as apiary beeswax, and seems to hold up fine in warmer weather. I get mine from Golden Barrel.

 

[Skylantern]

@KimW great explanation with examples, I think you just helped me solve my solid perfume dragging issue.

 

[KimW]

Oh shoot. I just checked their site and they don't have beeswax listed. I've asked before and their beeswax inventory depends on just a couple of sources so if the sources are out of beeswax they pull the listing until it's available again, which is why I usually stock up. Sorry about that! I did have good success with the couple of USA unbleached processed beeswaxes I purchased sometime ago on amazon as well.

 

[KimW]

Ah-ha! If anyone's interested, I found an old email where they gave this place as one of their suppliers. Oh, and don't be alarmed if you order and it looks striated when received. That can happen if it melts a little in shipping.
https://hackenbergapiaries.us/
Whew! I was freakin' out because I'm on my last block from Golden. lol

 

[Skylantern]

@KimW that's some serious legwork. Thank you for sharing your supplier, some people can be really cagey about that, and I deeply appreciate knowing someone is a trusted retailer before I make an order.

 

[kasilofchrisn]

I've never had an issue with the beeswax I use.
I only use locally sourced beeswax made right here in Alaska.
My normal formulation is 2 oz of beeswax to 1 cup of infused oils.
I also add a small amount of vitamin e oil and usually peppermint essential oil for scent/flavor.

 

[jamiea26]

Wow thank you so much for your responses! Your insight is so helpful. So, it seems I probably won't be able to use my local source for my lip balms, but maybe my other products. I'm still bummed, as I was really hoping to make lip balm with local beeswax, but your explanations make a lot of sense.

 

[KimW]

I would be bummed too!!
My brain spit out an oldie this morning. Before you give up on your local apiary you might try tempering some beeswax you get from them. That is, you heat just until the beeswax is hot enough to melt when stirred, allow it to cool to almost hardened but still quite warm and soft, and then melt fully again before using. I've never tried this, but my recollection is that tempering breaks down the crystal structure of the wax making for smoother product. I also recall that part of the "processing" of the Golden Barrel beeswax was related to the beeswax being heated and cooled some number of times (maybe twice?). Perhaps you could talk with your apiary and see what they think?
I'm going to tag @jcandleattic because I think she knows lots and lots about waxes and might be able to chime in, and correct anything totally dumb that I've said.

 

[jcandleattic]

I'm going to tag @jcandleattic because I think she knows lots and lots about waxes and might be able to chime in, and correct anything totally dumb that I've said.

haha you have not said anything dumb, and I agree with what everyone has already said, different resources are going to have different outcomes due to different processes.
I've heard differing opinions on whether tempering wax actually works or not, but I don't see why it wouldn't.

I don't make lip balms, so don't know what the guidelines are for using beeswax, but I would check with the FDA to make sure you can actually use locally sourced beeswax if you are selling. There might be something about it having to be both cosmetic AND food safe (since it's on your lips) so it may have to have special processing and testing for it to fall under the food safe category.

 

[SoapLover1]

Hi!
Beeswax has become an Allergen to many in the last few years. Just thought I would make that point. For that reason, I do NOT use it.