Add Color to Beeswax
Beeswax is an all-natural substance that can be used to make candles, cosmetics, and soap. There are many advantages to using beeswax, including the fact that beeswax products are hypoallergenic and, for people with sensitive skin, especially mild and soothing. Beeswax candles burn longer than paraffin, do not drip, and do not create candle soot. Beeswax, in its natural state, will vary in color from white to yellow, but can easily be colored. Knowing how to add color to beeswax gives you the chance to make all your homemade beeswax products more beautiful - see Step 1 below to get started!
Steps
- Prepare the beeswax for melting.
- Beeswax comes in blocks, pellets, chunks, and sheets. Whatever form you are using, you will need to break or grate it into sizes that will fit into the top of a double-boiler.
- Melt the beeswax in a double-boiler. Put the wax in the top boiler, along with a cake thermometer. Boil water in the lower boiler. The wax will melt at a temperature between 140 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit (60 to 65 degrees Celsius).
- Add color when the beeswax is liquified by stirring it into the wax.
- For natural color, you can add spices to the liquified beeswax. Different spices will produce different colors; for example, you will get a brown/orange color by adding cinnamon or a pink color by adding turmeric. The color will also depend on how much of the spice you add. When adding spices, be aware that although the spices will settle on the bottom, they will still add color.
- You can also add color by adding a grated wax crayon, artist's pigments or some concentrated food coloring (the paste type will work better than the liquid type of food coloring).
- Use your colored beeswax.
- You can use colored beeswax to make many items, including the following: candles, lip balm, soap, hand lotions, moisturizers, furniture waxes and polishes, and more.
Tips
- You can also add essential oils (like cedar, lavender, juniper, or patchouli) to the melted beeswax for use in soaps and cosmetic items.
- You can purchase colored sheets of beeswax that can be rolled into candles, thus avoiding having to melt and mold the beeswax.
- If you are making beeswax candles, you need to trim the wick to 0.2 inch (0.6 centimeters) for the best soot-free burning.
Warnings
- It's important to protect your clothing, counter tops, and floors when melting beeswax.
- The best way to melt beeswax is using a double boiler due to its flammability.
- If you will be using your beeswax for cosmetic purposes, you may want to look for organic or pharmaceutical-grade beeswax to avoid pesticides that may have been introduced into the bee hives.
Things You'll Need
- Beeswax
- Double-boiler
- Knife or grater
- Cutting board
- Cake thermometer
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