Beeswax is a hive construction material for honeybees to manage their larvae and store food. Removing this organic matter for human consumption makes the upkeep of hives harder on bees and is therefore considered exploitative and not vegan-friendly.
Hence, while beeswax can be considered a vegetarian substance, it's not truly a vegan ingredient. Beeswax does not contain animal or insect flesh and is considered vegetarian. However, there are concerns with how it's harvested, as well as its effects on the bees, making it not a truly vegan ingredient.
Vegans typically classify honey and beeswax to be non-vegan because they consider the bees are 'exploited' by harvesting the honey and that their health is sacrificed when the honey and wax are harvested – hence not adhering to this above definition.
Beeswax is not Cruelty- Free. Factory- farming of beeswax is happening. Beeswax has become an acceptable and widespread ingredient in so many natural and clean beauty products especially lip balms. Beeswax is often used as a natural alternative to petroleum-based products, but bees need their own beeswax.
In the past, beeswax and honey were sometimes harvested through complete destruction of the hive. However, commercial beeswax operations may be considered cruelty-free if harvesting is done at a slow rate, with enough of the hive left intact so as not to harm the overall colony.
Beeswax is also commonly used to make nontoxic candles and beeswax wraps (a more sustainable alternative to single-use plastic wrap). However, because beeswax comes from bees, vegans will always consider it an animal byproduct and therefore, it cannot truly be considered cruelty-free or ethical.
Soy wax is often used as a replacement to beeswax in candles and wax melts and is ideal for this because of its low melting point. It can also be used as a vegan substitute for beeswax in lip balms, as well as other cosmetics.
However, ingredients such as honey, beeswax and synthetic alcohol are allowed. According to Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org, the following synthetic alcohols are permissible for external usage; ''In principle, alcohol derived from dates, grapes, wheat and raisins are not permissible.
The phrase, 'none of your beeswax,' means that someone should mind his or her own business. If someone is being nosey, a person might tell the nosey, curious person that the information he or she seeks is none of his or her beeswax.
Beeswax is considered nonpoisonous, but it may cause a blockage in the intestines if someone swallows a large amount. If an ointment is swallowed, the medicine component may also cause side effects or poisoning.
Vegans avoid eating honey to take a stand against bee exploitation and farming practices that are thought to harm bee health.
Honey is made by bees for bees, and their health can be sacrificed when it is harvested by humans. Importantly, harvesting honey does not correlate with The Vegan Society's definition of veganism, which seeks to exclude not just cruelty, but exploitation.
Honey is by definition not vegan, since it a bee product, and bees are animals. Here's a nuanced article about how the ethical issues surrounding this sweetener fit into the broader concept of vegan living.
Avoid honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and other products that come from bees. Vegan lip balms and candles are readily available.
Many people don't even realise most wax isn't vegan. Let's break it down. Typically, the two key ingredients in hard wax are beeswax and resin: not only is beeswax non-vegan friendly, but synthetic resin doesn't decompose and can irritate the skin.
In summary: Yes, beeswax (and honey) can be organic, but it is extremely difficult to achieve certification and maintain a healthy hive under these practices.
To answer the simple question as to whether beeswax clogs pores or not, the answer is no. Despite some of the rumors out there, beeswax does not clog pores. Yes, it is an oil/wax based product and some of those types of substances do clog pores but, beeswax is not one of them.
Beeswax (cera alba) is a natural wax produced by honey bees of the genus Apis. The wax is formed into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive.
Writings of Muslim jurists make it clear that Islam allows for the use of reversible methods of contraception, including oral contraceptives, condoms, coitus interruptus, emergency contraception, injections, subdermal implants, IUDs, spermicides, and diaphragms.
Strictly speaking, and assuming all other ingredients are vegan, cosmetics containing ethanol are vegan, but are not always halal (depends on your chosen authority). Cosmetics listed as “alcohol-free,” however, may contain other types of alcohol (just not ethanol).
You should always check for nonvegan ingredients such as beeswax, keratin, and lanolin—an ingredient derived from sheep's wool. Animal-derived ingredients like these are considered halal but are not vegan.
Bees produce beeswax in their hives and in order to forage this, the honeycomb within the hive is also removed. Not only are the bees an unpaid labour force, but they also lose their source of food. That's why candles with beeswax in it are not vegan friendly.
Is Burt's Bees vegan? Burt's Bees is cruelty-free but not 100% vegan, meaning that some of their products contain animal-derived ingredients.
Since lanolin comes from wool, which in turn comes from sheep, it's not vegan. As with all other non-vegan substances, there's substantial cruelty and animal exploitation tied to lanolin that deserves consideration.
Beeswax and coconut wax are amongst the most sustainable waxes. They both burn clean and slowly, with beeswax famous for its incredibly bright flame. But with anything, ensuring you're buying from farms and makers who support ethical farming techniques is vital.