Honeybees in Autumn: Preparing for Winter - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 96

specially for mixing your beeswax recipes. Containers for your creations can be pur-
chased from most beekeeping-supply companies.
I was impressed and amazed at how lip balm could be made so easily and in one
sitting. I gave my lemon lip balm a try and discovered it to be the creamiest product
I've ever used. Knowing its ingredients were pure and came from my honeybees made
it even more terrific.
Beekeepers everywhere make their own lip balms and salves using the fine beeswax
of the harvest. Once you have mastered this simple recipe, you can begin to experiment
with other oils and add different essential oils or fragrances to personalize your
products.Icouldnotresistanyofthechoicesofoilsonthemarket,andeachoneoffered
a different and healthy benefit for my finished products.
Every Beekeeper's Simple Lip Balm Recipe
INGREDIENTS :
1 ounce beeswax
5 ounces extra-virgin olive oil
5 drops Red bee ® wildflower honey
2-3 drops essential oil such as
lemon, strawberry, or peppermint
TOOLS :
Double boiler or crockpot
Stainless steel whisk or mixing spoon
Glass jars or metal tins with lids for storing final products
Scale or measuring spoons
Slowly melt the beeswax and oil in a double boiler over a low flame. Add
honey;mixwellwithawirewhisk.Neverallowyourmixturetoboil.Donot
cover the beeswax with a lid while heating, because doing so could create
condensation that will fall into your mixture and ruin it. You may also melt
your ingredients inside a crockpot or a microwave. If you use a microwave
oven, be extremely careful, since the wax could reach the flash point and ig-
nite without warning, not to mention splatter all over the inside of your mi-
crowave.