How to Make Beeswax Soap

From pollinating crops and feeding livestock to propping up the entire ecosystem, bees are a natural wonder we could not live without.

The beeswax created by female worker honeybees to build their hives also has a lot to offer, especially when it comes to skincare, which makes it perfect for soapmaking.

We discuss some of the advantages of using beeswax and how to make natural soap with some easy-to-follow beeswax soap recipes.

How to make natural soap without lye

If you want to make soap without using sodium hydroxide (lye) you can follow the melt and pour method.

While the cold process is the most common method, melt and pour removes the need to combine the lye with other ingredients to make the soap from scratch. Instead, you melt a premade soap base (which contains lye) and customise it with various colours, fragrances and additives of your choice.

Lye is present in the vast majority of soaps, because the oils and fats need to be converted through the saponification process, a chemical reaction that melts and combines them so they can be made into a solid bar.

Glycerine-based soaps have become a possible alternative in recent years, which is used instead of lye, although it may not be suitable for people with oily skin. The ingredients for glycerine soaps also tend to be more expensive and the bars can be more water absorbent, so they may not last as long as lye-based soaps.

Essential oil beeswax soap recipe

Almost anyone can learn how to make beeswax soap, especially when you have easy step-by-step instructions to follow.

This recipe brings together the natural fragrance of essential oils with the skin-nourishing properties of beeswax.

Equipment

• Goggles
• Gloves
• Weighing scales
• Digital thermometer
• Heatproof bowl
• Plastic measuring jugs
• Silicone spatula
• Soap mould
• Stick blender

Ingredients

• Olive oil 400g
• Water 240g
• Coconut oil 200g
• Unrefined cocoa butter 144g
• Sodium hydroxide (lye) 110g
• Castor oil 40g
• Yellow beeswax 16g
• Lemongrass essential oil 11g
• Cardamom essential oil 9g
• Ginger essential oil 3g
• Cedarwood atlas essential oil 2g
• (You can also substitute other essential oils into this recipe if you wish to have a different scent profile. Just make sure the total essential oil grammage equals the same)

Method

1. Put on your goggles and gloves, before adding the sodium hydroxide to the water (be sure not to do this the other way round) and mix until fully combined. It’s a good idea to open a window to reduce the fumes and smell. Once done, leave aside to cool.
2. Place the olive oil, castor oil, beeswax and cocoa butter into a heatproof bowl. Melt in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Stir the mixture until it is completely melted
3. Mix the essential oils together in a separate jug.
4. The oil mixture should be between 35° and 40°, and the sodium hydroxide solution 25° to 40°. You can reheat them if they have cooled down too much. When they are correct, add the sodium hydroxide solution to the oil mixture.
5. Stir the mixture with a hand blender using short pulses and the soap batter should start to slowly thicken. Drip some of the soap batter onto the surface of the mixture and if it sits on top before disappearing, you have reached trace.
6. Stop blending the mixture and add the essential oils and mix until fully combined.
7. Carefully pour the soap mixture into your chosen moulds. If you see any air bubbles, tapping on the work surface will help them to disappear.
8. Cover with towels and leave the mixture to set over the next 48 hours.
9. Once ready, remove the soap from your moulds and position the bars with a space in-between, before leaving them to cure for 4-6 weeks.

Honey and beeswax soap recipe

Using honey and beeswax in soap recipes can boost the natural properties of the ingredients by enhancing the lather, which also helps to suspend dirt, grease and grime.

We show you how to make homemade soap with two natural ingredients that can help to cleanse and scent your skin.

Equipment

• Goggles
• Gloves
• Weighing scales
• Digital thermometer
• Heatproof bowl
• Plastic measuring jugs
• Silicone spatula
• Soap mould
• Stick blender

Ingredients

• Refined coconut oil 135g
• Distilled water 121g
• Olive oil 98g
• Sunflower oil 97g
• Palm oil 67g
• Sodium hydroxide 64g
• Castor oil 50g
• Real honey 10g
• Beeswax 7g

Method

1. Put on your gloves and goggles before you start working with the sodium hydroxide. Add the sodium to the water and stir until fully dissolved. Open the window or door to reduce your interaction with the fumes and smell and leave the solution to cool.
2. You can add the honey to the lye solution now if you prefer to have a dark brown honey soap. If not, this can be added in later.
3. Using a double boiler, melt the solid oils in a heat-proof bowl on a low heat. Once melted, take it off the heat and add the liquid oils.
4. When the oil mixture and lye solution have both cooled to around 54°C, you can add in the honey to the oils.
5. Next, pour the lye solution into the oil mixture.
6. Use a hand blender to mix everything together, using short pulses to thicken the ingredients. Drip some of the soap batter onto the surface of the mixture and if it sits on top before disappearing, you have reached trace.
7. Carefully pour the soap mixture into your chosen moulds. If you see any air bubbles, tapping on the work surface will help them to disappear.
8. Cover with towels and leave the mixture to set over the next 48 hours.
9. Once ready, remove the soap from your moulds and position the bars with a space in-between, before leaving them to cure for 4-6 weeks.

What are the benefits of beeswax soap?

Using beeswax for soap making can offer a few helpful benefits for your skin, such as:

Helping to moisturise skin

The moisturising properties of beeswax soap is one of the primary reasons why it is used in so many popular cosmetic brands. Once applied it helps to lock in moisture which helps to protect and repair dry and chapped skin.

Beeswax is rich in vitamin A and has emollient properties, which can support the softening and rehydrating of the skin. There is a common myth that beeswax can clog skin pores, although tests have shown it has a low comedogenic rating. [1]

Reducing the appearance of acne

If you are looking for a natural remedy for acne to use in conjunction with your prescribed medication, beeswax could be for you.

The presence of vitamin A and the moisturising properties of beeswax can help to retain the appearance of a smooth skin texture after the acne has been eliminated, allowing you to continue using it as part of your daily skincare routine.

Reducing the appearance of stretch marks

It can be difficult to get used to the presence of stretch marks, impacting how you feel and the clothes you wear. Beeswax’s moisturising properties could offer some help in the appearance of fading and reducing these types of skin scarring.

Researchers reported that lack of collagen and elastic fibre is often the cause of stretch marks, with their study suggesting that collagen plays a vital role in wound healing, Beeswax is high in vitamin A, which may help collagen production, so this could prove useful in the reducing the appearance of stretch marks. [4]

Final thoughts

Using beeswax for soap could help to improve moisture levels, reduce inflammation and play a role in combating acne on your skin.

Our easy to follow beeswax soap recipes are ideal for personal use or if you want to add a new line to your soap making business, giving your customers another natural option to cleanse their skin.

If you want to avoid using lye in your recipes, you can learn how to make homemade soap without it, although it may not be the best option if you have oily skin.