I experimented using beeswax and it works beautifully. Need to ensure oil and water phase ingredients are at room temperature (meaning the oil phase ingredients already solidly from beeswax) and whip both vigorously using powerful blender or food processor.
I use it all the time. 4 tsp beeswax, 2tbs of rosewater ( or any other hydrosol), 2 tbs shea butter, 4 tsp of watermelon oil, 2tbs of any other oil ( apricot, argan, rosehip- any, I just like mixing different for different batches), 2 tsp of honey ( never warm that up as it looses its properties). And I melt, and I blend- and it's gorgeous. I use it in winter for my face and body- ideal for those drying months.
Hello. We've been making a beeswax lotion for years and people love it! You have to get the proportions right and add the oils to the water. You've added the water directly to the oil, which is wrong and does not work! Temperature is also very important while mixing the oil/water.
I'm well aware it is possible; this is noted in the video and an emulsified beeswax lotion recipe of mine from 2011 is linked in the description box. This video is called "What happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax" and think it says "why you can never, ever make a stable emulsion with beeswax" 😐 I did not say it is not possible. I said you cannot use it INSTEAD of ewax in a recipe developed to work with ewax. I have made emulsions with beeswax before, but the recipes formulated to work with beeswax are so, SO different from recipes made to use e-wax. It's sort of like a cake recipe designed to be sweetened with sugar, vs one designed to be sweetened with honey. The second recipe will be different to account for all the extra liquid from the honey. Both can work, but you can't just use one for the other and expect good results.
Before you comment to tell me I'm wrong/that you've made it work in the past, please note that the title of this video is "What happens if you use beeswax *instead* of emulsifying wax" and not "it is completely impossible to ever make an emulsion using beeswax". If you take a formulation designed to work with emulsifying wax, using beeswax instead of emulsifying wax will not work. That is what this video is showing. However, if you use a formulation designed to work with beeswax, that can work. Here's a lotion formulation I shared 2011 using beeswax: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. For a food metaphor, imagine you were making a chocolate cake recipe that called for 1 cup of milk chocolate, but you swapped that milk chocolate out for 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. That would be a pretty gross cake! That's not because it is impossible to make a cake with cocoa powder, of course-it's because milk chocolate and cocoa powder are very different. The milk chocolate will contain fat and sugar that the cocoa powder won't, so a cake recipe designed to use cocoa powder will include different sources of fat and sugar, and will likely use far less cocoa powder than chocolate as it is much more concentrated. That's roughly what this video is about.
A beeswax lotion can be made and can work if you know what you're doing and have your percentages right. As in, 35.380 grams beeswax, 0.9072 grams of borax---you absolutely need the borax when making a beeswax lotion or it won't work, and the last ingredient--- soy lecithin, with a proportion of 4.536 grams. Also, you have to use distilled water/hydrosol and these NEED to be heated to 170farenheit and be held at 170 for at least 15. The WATER should be POURED SLOWLY into the oil part WHILE MIXING and mixing should continue until lotion reaches 120 Fahrenheit.
I calculate my lotions in percentages of 100% in order to create a stable mixture that holds. Beeswax mixtures can and will work and can hold, and are a much healthier alternative. Basically my water = 55%, my oil = 32% , emulsifier = 9% and my additives = 9% also I use Germall as a preservative at around 0.1-0.5% into my lotions. This my night cream recipes.
Yes, I'm aware. There are a couple links in the video and in the description box to my recipe from 2011 on how to do this. As you are clearly aware, your recipe is not very similar to a lotion recipe developed to work with e-wax.
Thank you for completely explaining the differences in waxes and the result that happens when you use them incorrectly. I have watched many many lotion videos and you are the first to actually explain the process. I am new at the process and could not figure out why my lotions would break down halfway through the process. So once again, thank you and great video. :)
No worries! I know this can be a really common pitfall for new makers and it's always so disappointing to have a recipe fail and not know why! Happy making :D
Thank you for pointing out that although you can not use beeswax in place of ewax that there are some recipes that do use beeswax as the emulsifier. In those recipes you have to be careful to not over beat the ingredients as you show here. It reminds me of whipping cream. If you over beat cream the liquids and fat start to separate out and you get butter. Same thing happened in your demo here. Over beating and the fat and liquid separated.
What you're saying really doesn't mesh with my experience and knowledge of emulsifiers. This lotion split because it did not contain a proper emulsifier-the amount of beating had no impact. Feel free to try it yourself and see if you get a different result with different beating! I would be very interested to hear your results. In lotions that do use the beeswax/borax emulsifier (www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/) a large amount of powerful mixing is highly necessary; I have to use a full blender, not just a stick blender, and for much longer of a blending time than seen here. I've tried it with less and the emulsion didn't survive 24 hours!
Cielle Backstrom I've had several lotion recipes that use beeswax and they all say, in Capitol letters, "do not over beat" and "do not use hand mixers". They always say beat gently with wisk or spoon. The few times I tried with my hand mixer were total disasters.
your videos are absolutely priceless. you tell the whole truth you give so much detail that at first intimidates because nobody else talks about it. I respect your honesty and professionalism. after while now I stopped being afraid of the added preservatives. all thanks to you and to your explanations. ♡
Thank you so much! Don't forget to check out my blog (humblebeeandme.com/)-I've been blogging for over 5 years while I haven't even been on TH-cam for one, so there is TONS more content on the blog!
Just gonna say another way to explain is is emulsify means binding water to oil. And emulsifier has the chemical property to attach to both oil and water. Beeswax don't have this property, chemically. However it may appear to work with little water in a thick cream but that's not true emulsion, its just forming some sort whipped cream effect , and over-time it will change texture as there was no emulation - tried it with aloe vera gel before, it's still a good body butter tho it can last for like a month and of course depends on the recipe.
A great point, and if I was to make this video again today I would 100% include this info! There are SO many things I would've said if I hadn't made this video within my first few months on TH-cam, ha. I had no idea this would be so controversial lol. Have you checked out the blog post from Formula Botanica linked in the bio? It's great!
While lecithin definitely can work as an emulsifier in very specific formulas, it is a different type of emulsifier (water in oil vs oil in water) and produces dramatically different lotions. It wouldn't work in this formula, either.
Here's the real answer, as one wasn't provided in the video (no one gives you answers): You need a high-HLB surfactant at 10-20% of total (wax+surfactant) content. The high-HLB surfactant ("detergent," which is water-soluble) helps out the free fatty acids or alcohols interact with the water. Emulsifying Wax NF is ~25% polysorbate 60 (HLB: 15) and ~75% cetearyl alcohol--notice how they've done the work for you. BTMS-50 uses behentrimonium methosulfate (cationic) as the system's high "HLB" surfactant. Ritamulse SCG uses stearoyl lactylate (anionic) as the surfactant, which requires higher pH's to stay anionic and functional. Often, the thickening system will use two or more different fatty acids/alcohols for improved stability/efficiency: Ritamulse SCG uses glyceryl stearate AND cetearyl alcohol. Adding more fats/surfactant will thicken more, the ratio of fat to surfactant will also affect "thickness." Thus, use whatever wax you want: just add detergent at 10-18% of total wax+detergent content. Depending on your detergent concentration and cooling rate, you may end up with crystal hydrates (almost pure fatty alcohol, which precipitate) or swollen crystalline lammellar gels (which take up a lot of water and thicken and stabilize nicely). Ethoxylated detergents (e.g., polysorbate 60) can be annoying to use because they slowly swell/hydrate and your formula can thicken additionally after it stands around a few days.
Barbara Lindberg I also have this problem, but I just wait until the mix halfway sets up and is a gel and then stir it up and put it in my container. it doesn't look as pretty and smooth once set up but I'm the only one who uses it so I dont mind
If you watch my Cleopatra's Secret video you can see how I make honey work in an otherwise oil based concoction; it is hard to get the firm, glossy consistency people associate with lip balm, though :)
What you are doing is NOT an emulsion, it is a mix. An emulsion is when you add incompatible materials slowly together while mixing constantly, like mayonnaise where you start with the egg and then real slow add the oil to it while mixing it.
... that is quite literally the entire point of the video. I removed the emulsifier and replaced it with something that is not an emulsifier (a swap that people constantly ask me about making) to demonstrate that removing the emulsifier causes the emulsion to fail.
I know im a year late tk the conversation but I also make my own stuff with only bees wax. Here is one of my healing balm recipies. 1 part bees wax to 6 parts calendula oil. Heated together, double boiler style. Make strong chamomile tea, measure out 12 parts tea and add 1 part vegetable glycerine (while keeping oil on heat, and with still very hot tea) mix tea into the oil slowly while stirring, best to add a little and combine, then add more, each addition can get larger as you go. Only take off the heat once fullly combined. Keep stirring while cooling. Add scent. Id probably get a blender for the job but i only make 100ml once a year.
Hey! PLEASE make sure you are including a proper broad spectrum preservative at the required rate or this will be downright unsafe to use in a matter of days. You can learn more here: makingskincare.com/preservatives/
Beeswax works fine, I've discovered a method to keep it all together properly. I heat everything up together mix it into a nice liquid, then pour into my tins, then as it cools I stir it, this keeps everything together and creamy as it reaches a certain point where the wax starts to hold it all into place. Works like a dream, however I would like to try this E-Wax, never have before.
@@TessieDobey no water but I use Aloe which has water content, same deal though, the mixing will hold it together so long as you don't put too much water in it.
The technique here is a bit off as you can get a beautiful cream/lotion using beeswax. As mentioned already in the comments. The oil and wax mixture needs to cool slightly and then drizzle in water mixture and use a small hand whisk. After about 4-5 minutes you will have a beautiful lotion or cream. The problem comes later when the emulsion will after a week or so under different temperatures start to separate out. A bit disappointing the route here is more trying to disprove beeswax as having any credibility in creams and lotions.
I have a question that has been in my mind for years and perhaps i can get people's respectful input. I am wondering how beeswax is not an emulsifier because I made many succesful creams with it. I know this is kind of a crazy topic in the community of natural product creators. I took an herbal medicine class in college and we were taught how to make creams with beeswax. What we had to do though was blend while slowly pouring the water in a thin stream into the room temperature oils, the key is they have to be room temperature and to pour slowly while blending. My creams never separated or got lumpy. They were a smooth creamy consistency and would last several months with no issues. I later found that rosemary gladstar also has a video how to make creams this way. I am wondering if people don't consider it an emulsifier because they try to use it the same way as emulsifying wax? If someone has another theory I would love to hear other thoughts. Thanks for all your videos by the way!
Hey Lauren! I recommend you read this post from Formula Botanica: formulabotanica.com/beeswax-is-not-an-emulsifier/. The key point is that beeswax is not an emulsifier because it lacks the key chemical structure required to define something as an emulsifier and to create true emulsions. When used very carefully beeswax can stabilize oil/water blends, but those blends aren't true emulsions and don't pass tests that check emulsion stability. Perhaps think of it like this: beeswax as a "Beyond Meat" type product and emulsifying waxes like Polawax as actual ground beef. I'm saying "Beyond Meat isn't meat, while ground beef is" and the counter arguments many beeswax cream makers make are basically "but I make burgers with Beyond Meat". The point in the linked article isn't that one can't make a burger with Beyond Meat as one most certainly can, but that making a burger with it doesn't mean it is meat. Likewise, just because you can make a cream with beeswax doesn't mean it is an emulsifier. Perhaps not the greatest metaphor, but it was bouncing around my head last night and I thought it kind of worked :P
@@HumblebeeAndMe thank you for your response. I guess I always took that when people said beeswax was not being an emulsifier, they were were saying it doesnt work to make creams. Though some people actually mean it that way, it isn't well known that it actually does work (as a stabilizer apparently) to make a cream when used differently than e wax. I know people still don't know that and the conversation gets kind of jumbled and misunderstood. Either way, I have used creams with beeswax and all types of emulsifying wax and I have to say I'll always prefer the beeswax! Anyway, I appreciate your input!
Beeswax is harder and that's why you have to use much less and blend it longer. That's would be an alternative for all natural body lotion recipe. What do you think?
While it's true that beeswax is harder than ewax, it's also still not an emulsifier, and no amount of blending it will make it work in place of emulsifying wax.
Have you ever tried using both e-wax AND beeswax? Funny because most water based pomade recipes call for water, e-wax AND beeswax. It's just like making a simple lotion only adding beeswax. I believe the beeswax keeps it firm. I've been doing a ton of research this weekend and will be testing this tonight...hmmm maybe I should film it. 🤔
Love your site. However, for those of us leaning more toward organic lotions, etc. beeswax simply requires a different process - using oils instead of water. Nice to know there are optional ways to work with both materials.
There are some eco-cert approved emulsifying waxes, like Ritamulse, but that depends heavily on what your definition of the word "natural" is. If it is extremely limited you will also be extremely limited in the types of projects you can make, and that typically excludes any sort of emulsions.
That was A LOT of beeswax to use for that small amount of oils 😬. When i pour my beeswax/oil mixture into hot water it does have that milky look you want. The wax cooled off so fast because there was so much.
As the title of the video says, this is "What happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax". That is, by weight, the amount of ewax that would work. The whole point is that I'm demonstrating why this doesn't work as a one-to-one swap ;)
@@HumblebeeAndMe oooohhhh. i was a little confused because i make lotion with beeswax quite often. A beginner would not understand the weight should be adjusted, rather than say beeswax will absolutely not work.
I just foundyournwonderful videos - they are great because you take the time to explain the characteristics if the ingredients ands that gives this viewer the infomI need to make informed choices in using the recipes. I started looking around for a hand and body cream because as I've gotten older, the skin on my legs has thinned and is scaly and no amount of commercial,products work - except petroleum jelly. I'm going to now visit your website for a she's butter because as you clearly explained in a previous video, this is really good for dry skin. I just want to thank you again for your generosity in taking the time to make these videos! Wanda
Thanks so much, Wanda! It's always lovely when my attempts to be thorough are appreciated as more often than not people complain that I talk too much :P Happy making!
I made this mistake today. Didn't come out too bad. I used beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, a bit of water, a bit of tissue oil and lastly some aloe vera and honey. It whipped into a quite beautiful body butter. The only thing I saw is that the olive oil I used did bleed a teeny tiny bit out as it set, but not too bad for a first time. It's a really rich cream with a bit more texture than the body butters I'm used to. I was bitten by two big dogs and had to get skin grafts on my leg. It should keep the wounds moisturised and supple, as it dries out quite quickly otherwise.
I'm glad it wasn't too bad :) Make sure you include a preservative to keep it safe! I know you might've, but you didn't mention it so I thought I'd say something to be sure :) Happy making!
@@HumblebeeAndMe Thanks, yes. It's only a little batch and I shared it with family members as well, so it should be okay. But for sure I will use preservative next time and a beter recipe with the right ingredients!
I'm assuming you aren't using beeswax in the place of ewax in a recipe developed to work with exax, then :) It is definitely possible to make an emulsion using beeswax and borax (there's a link to a recipe in the video), but the recipes for that have a different oil/water balance and the process is different. What ingredients are you using?
Yes I do use far less water alright and I don't think its replacing a ewax so i guess that makes a difference, I've just found your channel and blog and I think its wonderful :) I think I'll be trying out a few of these for sure :)
It makes a huge difference! Sort of like how you can use maple syrup as a sweetener in baking, but if you just took a recipe and replaced all the white sugar with maple syrup, it really wouldn't work-you'd be adding all kinds of liquid where the recipe wasn't expecting it, which would seriously impact the final product :) However, a recipe that is designed to use maple syrup as the sweetener would be delicious! Thanks so much for watching!
You need a thickening type agent with some mucilage to fix that problem. We kniw water and oil dont mix and add some wax to it what do u think will happen. Its like a cake without an egg just because u put oil or butter in the cake doesnt mean it will stick together. The egg type of consistency is what truly emulsifys and holds the oils and water to gether in more balance then the beeswax adds to it by firming it all up so that it wont seperate overtime. Thats my experience with it. But not this. Plus its not really a lotion if its water and oil alone. Most lotions have some type of emulsion that creates a creamy non greasy formula. Not like creams and butter.
People keep putting up recipes, I suppose, doing the same thing as this, and, it's not lotion-its cream and it doesn't absorb well. Thanks for explaining. Videos like yours, where you explain, is very helpful.
Am about to start my own hair line and more than months and i have been doing research watching videos to know what which one is right and the differences but i think u have really made my day thanks a lot dear God bless you ❤❤😊
hi humblebee if I put emulsifying wax straight to water without,would it turn out to be a good cream and how many % emulsifying wax should I use in 100% because I don't want to add oil to my cream and I want it thick
I'm sorry, I'm really not sure what you're trying to do..? Have you checked out any of my actual lotion videos to see how those turn out? You can't make a lotion without adding oil/fatty acids of some sort, even emulsifying waxes contain fatty acids. A lotion is a blend of an oil part and a water part, if you get rid of the oil part, you don't have lotion!
Hi :3 i'm a little confused... i made a lotion with aloe vera (natural) beeswax, almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil, i just blend the oils and added slowly the aloe while blending and it turned out just perfect (you are suppose to start blending the oils when they are at room temperature and start adding the water based part slowly while mixing). Now i'm scared to try something else.. i don't really know where to buy emulsifying wax, cant' find it anywhere. but i did get cetyl alcohol, is that (+beeswax) enough to emulsify a lotion?
Hey! I'm sorry your first lotion was a fail, but you can rest assured it was 100% the recipe and not you-I wouldn't be able to make that recipe a success! You will need a true emulsifying wax-cetyl alcohol is just a thickener. I've got a huge list of places to shop all over the world here: www.humblebeeandme.com/resources/. That should be a good place to start :)
Humblebee & Me how did you get the remaining bees wax off your stick blender? I had the same result and now can't get the blade and blender 100% clean of the beeswax. ? Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Marie. I really dont know if you will read this. I am making a magnesium balm. magnesium oil is actually a brine so i know i need emulsifying wax. do i skip the beeswax? or do i keep it? will emulsifying wax make the product hard like beeswax does?
So does that mean that you need separate, specific emulsifying waxes for creams and lotions? If that's the case, what emulsifying waxes are suitably used for creams and what's suitable for lotions? I love your content. Thank you so much :)
No, not usually. You can drastically impact the consistency of your emulsion by altering the size of the oil phase, so if you make something with a 15% oil phase it will be thinner, and something with a 25% oil phase will be much heavier/thicker. Most emulsifying waxes can handle that range of oil phase sizes. Some don't do well with an oil phase above 30%, but be sure to check with your suppliers for your specific ewax :)
i made peppermint tea bag body butter with emulsifying wax and steraic acid. it came out great whipped but eventually if not place in the fridge it started to melt. but my main concern is i used oils with the butters, carier oils and the oils not the water separated from the mixture.
I have no idea what you've done without precise amounts of everything, but it does sound like whatever you've made is unstable (since it's separating) and unpreserved (you mention water but no preservative, though even if it is preserved the separation would mean it isn't completely preserved), so I would recommend throwing it out.
One can make beautiful creamy butters using beeswax. Of course there is no water in recipe. You tube has many creamy butters. I myself make very creamy silky butters. Butters & lotions are different.
I am *so* confused by this video. I keep reading the advice, from people I trust, that beeswax is not an emulsifier and will not work. Yet I was taught to make make creams etc by someone that used beeswax and it works for me. I don't get the result you do, lumps plus a liquid, I get a lovely cream. I have several creams we're using at present made with beeswax plus a decent preservative, no borax. I'm not advising anyone else to use beeswax or anything, I'm just really confused.
I used to make lotion from beesewax but I had to use emulsifying wax still in order for it to come together properly. I used this for a while before I ended up scratching that recipe because it is pretty heavy and leaves a sort of heavy residue on my skin. I found using stearic acid and emulsifying wax makes a super light weight lotion that melts into skin with no residue.
Thanks for watching! Stearic acid is a great thickener and stabilizer for lotions without the tackiness that waxes tend to add-you can also try playing with cetyl alcohol for a slightly different thickening experience :)
not sure if you are still taking questions on this but i want a palm free emulsifying wax. even olivem(whatever number) are not confirmed to be according to their manufacturer- which i was hoping was my salvation. any ideas about palm free emulsifying wax?
Yes i did learn something you saved me from much grief. Someone told me to use Candelilla wax. but now I realize that was only to thicken an already emulsified product. I was thinking I'll use it to make cream too.I won't do that now! It takes awhile to study and understand the components of these additives, safe for your skin but not always for the product. Thanks very much!
You're so welcome! To learn how to use candelilla wax + get some recipes I highly recommend looking it up in the Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia (www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/) :) Happy making!
It will still fail. Beeswax, when combined with borax, will create a stable emulsion under fairly particular conditions in quite particular formulas-of which this is definitely not one! I linked to a recipe that does work with the beeswax/borax combo in the video; click that link and compare the recipes to see how they differ :)
I'm curious how much you know about making hair wax, hair clay... stuff like that. So, with hair clay, you CAN use beeswax, but yeah, I'm gonna be using btms-50 too. But personally speaking, I like the thickness of the cream, the extreme hold, and generally all of the properties of Murray's Edgewax. And I'm particularly fond of American Crew... both advertise a Paraben. So... I guess I can start with online recipes. I've looked for hair wax cook books... no luck. So I suppose I'd have to tinker with the ingredients to see how it all works together... what makes it super greasy or matted (clays for matted, if research is correct). What would happen if it was all emulsive wax and emulsive butters and oils? Would the end product be way super creamy? I'd hate that... would adding clay remove that creaminess? Like... in what terms should I be thinking?
Before you comment to tell me I'm wrong/that you've made it work in the past, please note that the title of this video is "What happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax" and not "it is completely impossible to ever make an emulsion using beeswax". If you take a formulation designed to work with emulsifying wax, using beeswax instead of emulsifying wax will not work. That is what this video is showing. However, if you use a formulation designed to work with beeswax, that can work. Here's a lotion formulation I shared 2011 using beeswax: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. For a food metaphor, imagine you were making a chocolate cake recipe that called for 1 cup of milk chocolate, but you swapped that milk chocolate out for 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. That would be a pretty gross cake! That's not because it is impossible to make a cake with cocoa powder, of course-it's because milk chocolate and cocoa powder are very different. The milk chocolate will contain fat and sugar that the cocoa powder won't, so a cake recipe designed to use cocoa powder will include different sources of fat and sugar, and will likely use far less cocoa powder than chocolate as it is much more concentrated. That's roughly what this video is about.
@@0rc4z._.dr4g0nzz I was not attacking you, either. It's a copy/paste of the pinned comment which more clearly and thoroughly explains the purpose of the video. In your original comment, it seemed like you thought I was saying that using beeswax can never work given you felt the need to tell me it works for you 🤷🏻♀️ Have you tried this exact formulation and had it work? If so, I would be fascinated to see a video on that :)
I sell skincare using this method. It took years to learn and is a careful balance of temperature and ingredients. It is how herbalists have been making it for centuries! I won't be making a video because its not my thing plus it's vital for the survival of my business that I don't share all my secrets!
I wonder if people claiming beeswax works as an emulsifier are even using water. I only use jojoba oil and shea butter with essential oil. Im looking to add beeswax to try it out but have emulsifying wax i use in body bars. Thanks for info!
Ah, when I first saw this I thought, gee, I have several recipes that call for beeswax, and it worked really well...to my suprise. The problem with your recipe with beeswax is that you are using too high a percentage of beeswax. This could be reformulated to add a very small percentage, say a proportion of 1/3; that is one portion of beeswax to 3 portions of each of the oil and butter. As a matter of fact I made an excellent balm using this aprox ratio. I do see your point in not making a substitution for EWAX, I use NF or Polarwax when called for. Great recipes, though. I really like your book!
Thank u so mush very helpful Iwant to ask abou diy breastmilm lotion recipe 3 oz brast milk 3oz grapseed oil an 1 table spoon if bee wax and vit e and essen oil Beeswax not good the milk and olive sapprete i have olivem1000 how can i use with /without case the recipe restore in fridge
You can definitely do that, as I have here: www.humblebeeandme.com/happy-hemp-hand-cream/. And it is lovely in all kinds of things, just not as an emulsifier. Learn more here: www.humblebeeandme.com/10-recipes-make-beeswax/. Happy making!
Thank you for sharing this. I also end up with the same experience, water was coming out. You are very genuine person I would say....lot of thanks here from India
I know, I've done it: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. The beeswax must be combined with borax to work. From a forum I'm a member at: "When borax is dissolved in water it produces boric acid and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide interacts with cerotic acid in the beeswax - a free fatty acid that makes up about 13% of beeswax by weight - and forms an anionic emulsifier, while the boric acid buffers the system." These cold creams are quite heavy and waxy, and I have found most people do not want this consistency in a lotion. They want something light, non-greasy, and fast absorbing. This video is not called "you can never ever use beeswax as an emulsifier", though. The entire point of this video is that you cannot simply swap out beeswax for emulsifying wax in formulas that were designed to work with emulsifying wax, which is something I get a lot of questions about.
Why? The bees wax can be used for a lotion bar and not your lotion? Is it because of the water Part? Do you have a recipe for a lotion bar? Thank you so much for the information 💖👍🏻
Question: could I use Castile soap as my emulsifier in lotion, or do I need straight borax? It intimidates me to use borax as a single ingredient because of its potential to give chemical burns. 😬 I know plenty of people use it, but it scares me.
Hi! If you're interested in natural lotion formulation I would start here: th-cam.com/play/PL4cZgaY9j7fMXbuFZvAv_rL83f23YJjer.html. The ingredients used are elegant, effective, all-natural, and safe.
The whole point of this product is that it's an emulsion, which requires a water part. 100% anhydrous products don't require emulsifiers, but they're also quite different sensory experiences and play different roles in skin care :)
I have a question about shea butter. I have been making balms for about 2 months now and I notice that my balms get that grainy texture. I have read that you need to get the butters at 175 degrees (Fahrenheit) and held at that temperature for about twenty minutes. After pouring the melted oils and butters in a tin container you need to put it in the fridge. This helps stop any crystallization forming in the butters. Is this true? Do you have any tips to get that perfect pasty buttery texture? Thanks so much for everything, you rock!
I have read the same thing, though I haven't tried it myself. If you like shea butter you should buy LisaLise's ebook on it! www.lisaliseblog.com/ You may find her recent post on clays in balms helpful as well :)
Because the entire point of this video is showing "what happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax" :) I have made emulsions using lecithin as the emulsifier, and this formulation would have to be restructured quite dramatically to work with lecithin :)
I am planning on getting emulsifying wax particularly btms 50. Do you know if this wax has an odor? Which E Wax doesn't give off a bad smell? I just purchased btms 50 from brambleberry and this is their note about it. "Note: This product has a distinct odor that can be a bit surprising if you've never smelled it before. We've found that the odor isn't noticeable in finished products when used at 15% or less." Kinda weird..hmmm
The smell from BTMS 50 is similar to that of all cationic/conditioning ingredients I've worked with, and is unique to that category of ingredients. It sort of smells like old ocean/beach :P Polawax, e-wax NF, and emulsimulse don't have that smell, but they also aren't conditioning.
I've had beeswax work for me - actually how I first learned, but it's been tempermental (oftentimes a recipe for messy frustration). If I ever missed, at all, on temperature (as in the oils/waters weren't exactly the same temp) or I used the wrong tool (mix all I want with a wisk or mixer and I get a nicely mixed but not emulsified oil/water combo. Toss that into a blender (or start with oil in the blender - preferably tall/skinny) and *slowly* trickle the water in, and stop pouring water in when the mixture decides it's done taking in water (so you don't end up with a waxy/water mix). And, I never quite got a full 1:1 ratio. I got it down pretty good so I can get 1water:2-3oil work out nicely. Not saying I'd never do it again, but it's a very different animal! I've been loving playing with the ewax!
Yeah, that's how I first learned as well! It's definitely a much bigger mess, more effort, and I don't like the end product as much, so I haven't made a lotion like that in probably... 5 years?
I might be going off topic here but do you ever experience unrefined beeswax clashing with essential oils? No matter what I do or what kind of essential oils I use this yellow unrefined beeswax always overpowers my beard balm. I think I might just go with it but don't know what essential oils will blend well with this unrefined yellow beeswax.
A little, I suppose, but I love the scent so I think of it more as complimenting than clashing :P You may want to get some refined beeswax if you're finding it too strong for your tastes :)
This video is not called "you can never ever use beeswax as an emulsifier". The entire point of this video is that you cannot simply swap out beeswax for emulsifying wax in formulas that were designed to work with emulsifying wax, which is something I get a lot of questions about. I know it's possible and I've done it: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. The beeswax must be combined with borax to work. From a forum I'm a member at: "When borax is dissolved in water it produces boric acid and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide interacts with cerotic acid in the beeswax - a free fatty acid that makes up about 13% of beeswax by weight - and forms an anionic emulsifier, while the boric acid buffers the system." These cold creams are quite heavy and waxy, and I have found most people do not want this consistency in a lotion. They want something light, non-greasy, and fast absorbing.
Gotcha, I am very new to trying this whole DIY lotion stuff so I was really confused when I just watched videos that said "yes you can use it" to "no it won't work"... I still don't understand how some work and some don't. Thank you for your informative video though.
Humblebee & Me what is the best ingredients to us for a pasty stick waxy thick substance, I can explain in more detail if you respond to me personally through message please and thanks
Hi I am just wondering how is carnauba cream made? I am a leather worker and have often thought about making some myself (I use loads of it). Do you happen to know how it would be made, if you do I would love to know how.
have two large glass measuring cups with expensive oils and bees wax,shea butter,coconut oil etc. and hyaluronic acid and water ,not mixing at all ,,i bought glycerol monostearate for an emulsifier,,is there a chance to make my face cream,please help?
I'm sorry, but no-glycerol monostearate is not a complete emulsifier. You'd need to re-develop the recipe to include an appropriate amount of a complete emulsifying wax; I cover how to do that here: th-cam.com/video/5YZkfn71iB0/w-d-xo.html. Good luck!
I don’t make lotion at least not yet, but I do make a whipped body butter which doesn’t have water in it. I use a small amount of beeswax along with ewax. In the winter It gets too hard and crumbs. Should I not use beeswax at all if I want to keep it fluffy?
Hey Amanda! I'd recommend watching the video I shared today-it details how to make a whipped body butter that stays nice and soft :) Read the blog post, too!
hey I bought btms and cetearyl alcohol to make a hair conditioner . I melted the btms and the cetearyl alcohol with sheabutter , using a double boiler . After I took it off the stove I was mixing it with my mixer and it never thick, it still have the water consistency 😔
I was wondering the basic paraffin can it be used? Like what you use to can with if graded down? Just wondering because the way it was at the store they had the paraffin in pellets and then in block form for canning but yeah just wondering. The label on the package I got says (gulf wax)- it says common household wax for crafts, canning, candle making, soap making, with others and this is what my grandmother used but i haven't experimented with it yet and wanted to double-check if I got the correct stuff.
I really don't recommend it-I made something like that when I first got started and I recently included it in a video on the worst things I've ever made 😬You can learn more about why it was awful here: th-cam.com/video/gpTvzgXqP-4/w-d-xo.html. Happy making!
Hi Marie! Love the video and it was a good demo on why we can't use beeswax in lotions. I've been making lotions now (you got me inspired) for about a year now and I'm formulating my own recipes! I was speaking to another friend who makes her own natural products as well and she uses beeswax and xanthan gum as her emulsifier. Just curious to see what your input on that method is. I don't think it would work (especially without a preservative) but she makes it that way anyway. Would this method be similar to the beeswax and borax method? Thanks!
From a forum I'm a member at: "When borax is dissolved in water it produces boric acid and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide interacts with cerotic acid in the beeswax - a free fatty acid that makes up about 13% of beeswax by weight - and forms an anionic emulsifier, while the boric acid buffers the system." So... that's my understanding of how beeswax can work as an emulsifier, making me think it would not work when combined with xanthan gum. It is possible that they're creating a mechanical emulsion that is further stabilized by the xanthan gum, but it's pretty hard to say without knowing exactly what she's doing. Hope that helps!
Thank you. I have question about preservative. Do you use any preservative since your lotion contains water? Do you have any suggestion of which preservative to use? Is there a formula to calculate how much preservative to use?
Hey! You'll find the answer to your question in my FAQ on my website at humblebeeandme.com/faq/ 😊There's an entire section on preservatives, including a calculator. Happy making!
I was wondering what would happen if you used Cera bellina wax? because that is a derivative of beeswax would you get the same result as shown here? Even if you use beeswax and it holds together initially as a "lotion", with the water component it will separate out. Oil and beeswax are fine partners and that is a "balm".
Hi Marie, I tried to use the formula with both Beeswax and Emulsifying wax, why does it still not work? It separated quite fast. I needed to use Beeswax because i wanted to make a more waterproof formula
What is the INCI for the Emulsifying Wax you're using? It may be that it is not actually an emulsifier. Try looking it up here to learn more about what you are using: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/. Good luck :)
Hi @@HumblebeeAndMe , I have added Emulsifying Wax NF alongside the Beeswax, and still got the separation, do advise me how can i still prevent this. Thanks!
@@jiayichan6159 Ok, Emulsifying Wax NF should work if you're using enough. Here's a few more things to check: www.humblebeeandme.com/faqs/why-didnt-my-lotion-emulsify/.
Hello greetings from mexico!! I have been through a pain trying to find emulsifying wax nf here in mexico, the only thing I found was span 60, I'm trying to make a pomade with oil and water as ingredients , do you think span 60 could work? thanks for your help!!
Span 60 sounds like a liquid emulisifer like polysorbate 80, in which case, no-they do very different things and are unsuited for solid emulsions. www.humblebeeandme.com/faqs/can-use-emulsifying-wax-instead-solubilizer-solubilizer-instead-emulsifying-wax/
@@HumblebeeAndMe thanks for quick reply, I wanted to make saddle. Soap for my boots, I did once but didn't work out.. I think I need emulsifier ingredient
Yes, you can soften a wax with anything that's softer than the wax and will blend with it. Water will not work, but a butter or ester could. Happy making!
can you tell me the difference between BTMS 50 and BTMS 25? Thank you for taking the time to answer this question. I have used both I’m not quite sure what is the difference
I've got encyclopedia posts on both-give those a read to learn more :) I have previously stated in the past that BTMS-25 cannot be used as a complete emulsifying wax, though, and that is wrong-it can! www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/
I experimented using beeswax and it works beautifully. Need to ensure oil and water phase ingredients are at room temperature (meaning the oil phase ingredients already solidly from beeswax) and whip both vigorously using powerful blender or food processor.
I use it all the time. 4 tsp beeswax, 2tbs of rosewater ( or any other hydrosol), 2 tbs shea butter, 4 tsp of watermelon oil, 2tbs of any other oil ( apricot, argan, rosehip- any, I just like mixing different for different batches), 2 tsp of honey ( never warm that up as it
looses its properties). And I melt, and I blend- and it's gorgeous. I use it in winter for my face and body- ideal for those drying months.
Me too!
There is no water in your recipe, so that is the difference!
@@TessieDobey rose water is the water in the recipe
I can’t beeswax clogs my pores don’t trust it
Do you use a preservative???
Hello. We've been making a beeswax lotion for years and people love it! You have to get the proportions right and add the oils to the water. You've added the water directly to the oil, which is wrong and does not work! Temperature is also very important while mixing the oil/water.
I'm well aware it is possible; this is noted in the video and an emulsified beeswax lotion recipe of mine from 2011 is linked in the description box. This video is called "What happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax" and think it says "why you can never, ever make a stable emulsion with beeswax" 😐 I did not say it is not possible. I said you cannot use it INSTEAD of ewax in a recipe developed to work with ewax. I have made emulsions with beeswax before, but the recipes formulated to work with beeswax are so, SO different from recipes made to use e-wax. It's sort of like a cake recipe designed to be sweetened with sugar, vs one designed to be sweetened with honey. The second recipe will be different to account for all the extra liquid from the honey. Both can work, but you can't just use one for the other and expect good results.
Do you have a recipe for your lotion. Just the basics
Barsoap do you have a recipe to explain the right measure ments
True
Mine has never done that ! Gross! When I use beeswax for the emulsifier I use my food processor and it works great 😊
Before you comment to tell me I'm wrong/that you've made it work in the past, please note that the title of this video is "What happens if you use beeswax *instead* of emulsifying wax" and not "it is completely impossible to ever make an emulsion using beeswax". If you take a formulation designed to work with emulsifying wax, using beeswax instead of emulsifying wax will not work. That is what this video is showing. However, if you use a formulation designed to work with beeswax, that can work. Here's a lotion formulation I shared 2011 using beeswax: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. For a food metaphor, imagine you were making a chocolate cake recipe that called for 1 cup of milk chocolate, but you swapped that milk chocolate out for 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. That would be a pretty gross cake! That's not because it is impossible to make a cake with cocoa powder, of course-it's because milk chocolate and cocoa powder are very different. The milk chocolate will contain fat and sugar that the cocoa powder won't, so a cake recipe designed to use cocoa powder will include different sources of fat and sugar, and will likely use far less cocoa powder than chocolate as it is much more concentrated. That's roughly what this video is about.
How do I use a preservative?
A beeswax lotion can be made and can work if you know what you're doing and have your percentages right. As in, 35.380 grams beeswax, 0.9072 grams of borax---you absolutely need the borax when making a beeswax lotion or it won't work, and the last ingredient--- soy lecithin, with a proportion of 4.536 grams. Also, you have to use distilled water/hydrosol and these NEED to be heated to 170farenheit and be held at 170 for at least 15. The WATER should be POURED SLOWLY into the oil part WHILE MIXING and mixing should continue until lotion reaches 120 Fahrenheit.
I calculate my lotions in percentages of 100% in order to create a stable mixture that holds. Beeswax mixtures can and will work and can hold, and are a much healthier alternative. Basically my water = 55%, my oil = 32% , emulsifier = 9% and my additives = 9% also I use Germall as a preservative at around 0.1-0.5% into my lotions. This my night cream recipes.
*additive at 3%
Yes, I'm aware. There are a couple links in the video and in the description box to my recipe from 2011 on how to do this. As you are clearly aware, your recipe is not very similar to a lotion recipe developed to work with e-wax.
Keira, thank you for your generosity in recipe and instructions. So u can make lotion w/beeswax, just don’t interchange ewax.
Hi can you direct me to learning this process more precisely ? I know they used to do it even with out the
Borax as well
Thank you for completely explaining the differences in waxes and the result that happens when you use them incorrectly. I have watched many many lotion videos and you are the first to actually explain the process. I am new at the process and could not figure out why my lotions would break down halfway through the process. So once again, thank you and great video. :)
No worries! I know this can be a really common pitfall for new makers and it's always so disappointing to have a recipe fail and not know why! Happy making :D
Thank you for pointing out that although you can not use beeswax in place of ewax that there are some recipes that do use beeswax as the emulsifier. In those recipes you have to be careful to not over beat the ingredients as you show here. It reminds me of whipping cream. If you over beat cream the liquids and fat start to separate out and you get butter. Same thing happened in your demo here. Over beating and the fat and liquid separated.
What you're saying really doesn't mesh with my experience and knowledge of emulsifiers. This lotion split because it did not contain a proper emulsifier-the amount of beating had no impact. Feel free to try it yourself and see if you get a different result with different beating! I would be very interested to hear your results. In lotions that do use the beeswax/borax emulsifier (www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/) a large amount of powerful mixing is highly necessary; I have to use a full blender, not just a stick blender, and for much longer of a blending time than seen here. I've tried it with less and the emulsion didn't survive 24 hours!
Cielle Backstrom I've had several lotion recipes that use beeswax and they all say, in Capitol letters, "do not over beat" and "do not use hand mixers". They always say beat gently with wisk or spoon. The few times I tried with my hand mixer were total disasters.
Thanks for being so helpful, and doing a failed recipe on purpose to show us the results. you saved me from buying natural beesewax.
I'm glad you found it helpful! Beeswax is super useful for many projects, it just doesn't work well as an alternative to ewax :)
your videos are absolutely priceless. you tell the whole truth you give so much detail that at first intimidates because nobody else talks about it. I respect your honesty and professionalism. after while now I stopped being afraid of the added preservatives. all thanks to you and to your explanations. ♡
Thank you so much! Don't forget to check out my blog (humblebeeandme.com/)-I've been blogging for over 5 years while I haven't even been on TH-cam for one, so there is TONS more content on the blog!
Just gonna say another way to explain is is emulsify means binding water to oil. And emulsifier has the chemical property to attach to both oil and water. Beeswax don't have this property, chemically. However it may appear to work with little water in a thick cream but that's not true emulsion, its just forming some sort whipped cream effect , and over-time it will change texture as there was no emulation - tried it with aloe vera gel before, it's still a good body butter tho it can last for like a month and of course depends on the recipe.
A great point, and if I was to make this video again today I would 100% include this info! There are SO many things I would've said if I hadn't made this video within my first few months on TH-cam, ha. I had no idea this would be so controversial lol. Have you checked out the blog post from Formula Botanica linked in the bio? It's great!
Lecithin works as an emulsifer and is more natural than the emulsifiers you listed.
While lecithin definitely can work as an emulsifier in very specific formulas, it is a different type of emulsifier (water in oil vs oil in water) and produces dramatically different lotions. It wouldn't work in this formula, either.
Here's the real answer, as one wasn't provided in the video (no one gives you answers): You need a high-HLB surfactant at 10-20% of total (wax+surfactant) content. The high-HLB surfactant ("detergent," which is water-soluble) helps out the free fatty acids or alcohols interact with the water. Emulsifying Wax NF is ~25% polysorbate 60 (HLB: 15) and ~75% cetearyl alcohol--notice how they've done the work for you. BTMS-50 uses behentrimonium methosulfate (cationic) as the system's high "HLB" surfactant. Ritamulse SCG uses stearoyl lactylate (anionic) as the surfactant, which requires higher pH's to stay anionic and functional. Often, the thickening system will use two or more different fatty acids/alcohols for improved stability/efficiency: Ritamulse SCG uses glyceryl stearate AND cetearyl alcohol. Adding more fats/surfactant will thicken more, the ratio of fat to surfactant will also affect "thickness." Thus, use whatever wax you want: just add detergent at 10-18% of total wax+detergent content. Depending on your detergent concentration and cooling rate, you may end up with crystal hydrates (almost pure fatty alcohol, which precipitate) or swollen crystalline lammellar gels (which take up a lot of water and thicken and stabilize nicely). Ethoxylated detergents (e.g., polysorbate 60) can be annoying to use because they slowly swell/hydrate and your formula can thicken additionally after it stands around a few days.
As far as I know, e-wax is something that is used to tie the oil molecule and water molecule
Very helpful. Found out as well that honey in lip balm has the same problem in that it won't combine with the beeswax and oils.
Barbara Lindberg I also have this problem, but I just wait until the mix halfway sets up and is a gel and then stir it up and put it in my container. it doesn't look as pretty and smooth once set up but I'm the only one who uses it so I dont mind
If you watch my Cleopatra's Secret video you can see how I make honey work in an otherwise oil based concoction; it is hard to get the firm, glossy consistency people associate with lip balm, though :)
Barbara Lindberg glycerine in lip balm never works right, either...
Barbara Lindberg : you can mix it in after it’s cooked more and thickened enough for it to mix in 👍
What you are doing is NOT an emulsion, it is a mix.
An emulsion is when you add incompatible materials slowly together while mixing constantly,
like mayonnaise where you start with the egg and then real slow add the oil to it while mixing it.
... that is quite literally the entire point of the video. I removed the emulsifier and replaced it with something that is not an emulsifier (a swap that people constantly ask me about making) to demonstrate that removing the emulsifier causes the emulsion to fail.
Wow!!! I did exactly this yesterday, and I cried, I couldn't understand why, but now I know. Bless you so much
Just ordered your book , I can't wait for it to come in😊.
Woohoo! Thank you so much :D
Pls whats the link for your e-book
I would love to buy the book where can i?
Thank you for saving me time and money!! I love that you actually made the "lotion" so we can all see why we can't use the natural waxes.
Please make body butter with no water
I've made TONS over the years :) search "body butter" at www.humblebeeandme.com/search. Happy making!
Thanks! Now,I'm giving to others. Again ,thanks 😊
I know im a year late tk the conversation but I also make my own stuff with only bees wax.
Here is one of my healing balm recipies.
1 part bees wax to 6 parts calendula oil.
Heated together, double boiler style.
Make strong chamomile tea, measure out 12 parts tea and add 1 part vegetable glycerine (while keeping oil on heat, and with still very hot tea) mix tea into the oil slowly while stirring, best to add a little and combine, then add more, each addition can get larger as you go.
Only take off the heat once fullly combined. Keep stirring while cooling. Add scent.
Id probably get a blender for the job but i only make 100ml once a year.
Hey! PLEASE make sure you are including a proper broad spectrum preservative at the required rate or this will be downright unsafe to use in a matter of days. You can learn more here: makingskincare.com/preservatives/
@@HumblebeeAndMe It will be unsafe even if you refrigerate?
Beeswax works fine, I've discovered a method to keep it all together properly.
I heat everything up together mix it into a nice liquid, then pour into my tins, then as it cools I stir it, this keeps everything together and creamy as it reaches a certain point where the wax starts to hold it all into place.
Works like a dream, however I would like to try this E-Wax, never have before.
I am certain you do not add water?
@@TessieDobey no water but I use Aloe which has water content, same deal though, the mixing will hold it together so long as you don't put too much water in it.
The technique here is a bit off as you can get a beautiful cream/lotion using beeswax. As mentioned already in the comments. The oil and wax mixture needs to cool slightly and then drizzle in water mixture and use a small hand whisk. After about 4-5 minutes you will have a beautiful lotion or cream. The problem comes later when the emulsion will after a week or so under different temperatures start to separate out. A bit disappointing the route here is more trying to disprove beeswax as having any credibility in creams and lotions.
I have a question that has been in my mind for years and perhaps i can get people's respectful input. I am wondering how beeswax is not an emulsifier because I made many succesful creams with it. I know this is kind of a crazy topic in the community of natural product creators. I took an herbal medicine class in college and we were taught how to make creams with beeswax. What we had to do though was blend while slowly pouring the water in a thin stream into the room temperature oils, the key is they have to be room temperature and to pour slowly while blending. My creams never separated or got lumpy. They were a smooth creamy consistency and would last several months with no issues. I later found that rosemary gladstar also has a video how to make creams this way. I am wondering if people don't consider it an emulsifier because they try to use it the same way as emulsifying wax? If someone has another theory I would love to hear other thoughts. Thanks for all your videos by the way!
Hey Lauren! I recommend you read this post from Formula Botanica: formulabotanica.com/beeswax-is-not-an-emulsifier/. The key point is that beeswax is not an emulsifier because it lacks the key chemical structure required to define something as an emulsifier and to create true emulsions. When used very carefully beeswax can stabilize oil/water blends, but those blends aren't true emulsions and don't pass tests that check emulsion stability.
Perhaps think of it like this: beeswax as a "Beyond Meat" type product and emulsifying waxes like Polawax as actual ground beef. I'm saying "Beyond Meat isn't meat, while ground beef is" and the counter arguments many beeswax cream makers make are basically "but I make burgers with Beyond Meat". The point in the linked article isn't that one can't make a burger with Beyond Meat as one most certainly can, but that making a burger with it doesn't mean it is meat. Likewise, just because you can make a cream with beeswax doesn't mean it is an emulsifier. Perhaps not the greatest metaphor, but it was bouncing around my head last night and I thought it kind of worked :P
@@HumblebeeAndMe thank you for your response. I guess I always took that when people said beeswax was not being an emulsifier, they were were saying it doesnt work to make creams. Though some people actually mean it that way, it isn't well known that it actually does work (as a stabilizer apparently) to make a cream when used differently than e wax. I know people still don't know that and the conversation gets kind of jumbled and misunderstood. Either way, I have used creams with beeswax and all types of emulsifying wax and I have to say I'll always prefer the beeswax! Anyway, I appreciate your input!
If you use an added emulsifier (sodium borate) the beeswax should work just as well.
Yes but this video is about how beeswax is not a complete emulsifier. Plus, borax is terrible for the skin.
Beeswax is harder and that's why you have to use much less and blend it longer. That's would be an alternative for all natural body lotion recipe. What do you think?
While it's true that beeswax is harder than ewax, it's also still not an emulsifier, and no amount of blending it will make it work in place of emulsifying wax.
Have you ever tried using both e-wax AND beeswax? Funny because most water based pomade recipes call for water, e-wax AND beeswax. It's just like making a simple lotion only adding beeswax. I believe the beeswax keeps it firm. I've been doing a ton of research this weekend and will be testing this tonight...hmmm maybe I should film it. 🤔
Yup-it can create a fairly sticky/tacky finish as well as a thicker final product. www.humblebeeandme.com/crazy-hair-pudding/
Oh wow...this is so similar to a pomade recipe. Awesome thanks!
Love your site. However, for those of us leaning more toward organic lotions, etc. beeswax simply requires a different process - using oils instead of water. Nice to know there are optional ways to work with both materials.
And isn't there any NATUREL ingredient that can replace the e-wax?
There are some eco-cert approved emulsifying waxes, like Ritamulse, but that depends heavily on what your definition of the word "natural" is. If it is extremely limited you will also be extremely limited in the types of projects you can make, and that typically excludes any sort of emulsions.
That was A LOT of beeswax to use for that small amount of oils 😬. When i pour my beeswax/oil mixture into hot water it does have that milky look you want. The wax cooled off so fast because there was so much.
As the title of the video says, this is "What happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax". That is, by weight, the amount of ewax that would work. The whole point is that I'm demonstrating why this doesn't work as a one-to-one swap ;)
@@HumblebeeAndMe oooohhhh. i was a little confused because i make lotion with beeswax quite often. A beginner would not understand the weight should be adjusted, rather than say beeswax will absolutely not work.
I just foundyournwonderful videos - they are great because you take the time to explain the characteristics if the ingredients ands that gives this viewer the infomI need to make informed choices in using the recipes. I started looking around for a hand and body cream because as I've gotten older, the skin on my legs has thinned and is scaly and no amount of commercial,products work - except petroleum jelly. I'm going to now visit your website for a she's butter because as you clearly explained in a previous video, this is really good for dry skin.
I just want to thank you again for your generosity in taking the time to make these videos!
Wanda
Thanks so much, Wanda! It's always lovely when my attempts to be thorough are appreciated as more often than not people complain that I talk too much :P Happy making!
That's more a body butter instead of a lotion
If you use bees wax you don't need any water or emulsifier wax it will thicken it up on it's own
I made this mistake today. Didn't come out too bad. I used beeswax, olive oil, coconut oil, a bit of water, a bit of tissue oil and lastly some aloe vera and honey. It whipped into a quite beautiful body butter. The only thing I saw is that the olive oil I used did bleed a teeny tiny bit out as it set, but not too bad for a first time. It's a really rich cream with a bit more texture than the body butters I'm used to. I was bitten by two big dogs and had to get skin grafts on my leg. It should keep the wounds moisturised and supple, as it dries out quite quickly otherwise.
I'm glad it wasn't too bad :) Make sure you include a preservative to keep it safe! I know you might've, but you didn't mention it so I thought I'd say something to be sure :) Happy making!
@@HumblebeeAndMe Thanks, yes. It's only a little batch and I shared it with family members as well, so it should be okay. But for sure I will use preservative next time and a beter recipe with the right ingredients!
I use beeswax to make my lotions and it never turns out like this!!
I'm assuming you aren't using beeswax in the place of ewax in a recipe developed to work with exax, then :) It is definitely possible to make an emulsion using beeswax and borax (there's a link to a recipe in the video), but the recipes for that have a different oil/water balance and the process is different. What ingredients are you using?
Yes I do use far less water alright and I don't think its replacing a ewax so i guess that makes a difference,
I've just found your channel and blog and I think its wonderful :)
I think I'll be trying out a few of these for sure :)
It makes a huge difference! Sort of like how you can use maple syrup as a sweetener in baking, but if you just took a recipe and replaced all the white sugar with maple syrup, it really wouldn't work-you'd be adding all kinds of liquid where the recipe wasn't expecting it, which would seriously impact the final product :) However, a recipe that is designed to use maple syrup as the sweetener would be delicious! Thanks so much for watching!
See you really do learn something new every day :) I know now to check if a wax is replaceable in a recipe or not! Thank you for sharing
You need a thickening type agent with some mucilage to fix that problem. We kniw water and oil dont mix and add some wax to it what do u think will happen. Its like a cake without an egg just because u put oil or butter in the cake doesnt mean it will stick together. The egg type of consistency is what truly emulsifys and holds the oils and water to gether in more balance then the beeswax adds to it by firming it all up so that it wont seperate overtime. Thats my experience with it. But not this. Plus its not really a lotion if its water and oil alone. Most lotions have some type of emulsion that creates a creamy non greasy formula. Not like creams and butter.
People keep putting up recipes, I suppose, doing the same thing as this, and, it's not lotion-its cream and it doesn't absorb well. Thanks for explaining. Videos like yours, where you explain, is very helpful.
Thanks for watching!
What was the point of the vegetable glycerin here?
Am about to start my own hair line and more than months and i have been doing research watching videos to know what which one is right and the differences but i think u have really made my day thanks a lot dear God bless you ❤❤😊
hi humblebee if I put emulsifying wax straight to water without,would it turn out to be a good cream and how many % emulsifying wax should I use in 100% because I don't want to add oil to my cream and I want it thick
I'm sorry, I'm really not sure what you're trying to do..? Have you checked out any of my actual lotion videos to see how those turn out? You can't make a lotion without adding oil/fatty acids of some sort, even emulsifying waxes contain fatty acids. A lotion is a blend of an oil part and a water part, if you get rid of the oil part, you don't have lotion!
Hi :3 i'm a little confused... i made a lotion with aloe vera (natural) beeswax, almond oil, shea butter, coconut oil, i just blend the oils and added slowly the aloe while blending and it turned out just perfect (you are suppose to start blending the oils when they are at room temperature and start adding the water based part slowly while mixing). Now i'm scared to try something else.. i don't really know where to buy emulsifying wax, cant' find it anywhere. but i did get cetyl alcohol, is that (+beeswax) enough to emulsify a lotion?
Hey! I'm sorry your first lotion was a fail, but you can rest assured it was 100% the recipe and not you-I wouldn't be able to make that recipe a success! You will need a true emulsifying wax-cetyl alcohol is just a thickener. I've got a huge list of places to shop all over the world here: www.humblebeeandme.com/resources/. That should be a good place to start :)
Humblebee & Me how did you get the remaining bees wax off your stick blender?
I had the same result and now can't get the blade and blender 100% clean of the beeswax. ? Any ideas? Thanks!
Hi Marie. I really dont know if you will read this. I am making a magnesium balm. magnesium oil is actually a brine so i know i need emulsifying wax. do i skip the beeswax? or do i keep it? will emulsifying wax make the product hard like beeswax does?
So does that mean that you need separate, specific emulsifying waxes for creams and lotions? If that's the case, what emulsifying waxes are suitably used for creams and what's suitable for lotions? I love your content. Thank you so much :)
No, not usually. You can drastically impact the consistency of your emulsion by altering the size of the oil phase, so if you make something with a 15% oil phase it will be thinner, and something with a 25% oil phase will be much heavier/thicker. Most emulsifying waxes can handle that range of oil phase sizes. Some don't do well with an oil phase above 30%, but be sure to check with your suppliers for your specific ewax :)
i made peppermint tea bag body butter with emulsifying wax and steraic acid. it came out great whipped but eventually if not place in the fridge it started to melt. but my main concern is i used oils with the butters, carier oils and the oils not the water separated from the mixture.
I have no idea what you've done without precise amounts of everything, but it does sound like whatever you've made is unstable (since it's separating) and unpreserved (you mention water but no preservative, though even if it is preserved the separation would mean it isn't completely preserved), so I would recommend throwing it out.
One can make beautiful creamy butters using beeswax. Of course there is no water in recipe. You tube has many creamy butters. I myself make very creamy silky butters. Butters & lotions are different.
So true. I think she is giving a bit of mis giddied information .
@@johnlloyd1638 yes unfortunately
I am *so* confused by this video. I keep reading the advice, from people I trust, that beeswax is not an emulsifier and will not work. Yet I was taught to make make creams etc by someone that used beeswax and it works for me. I don't get the result you do, lumps plus a liquid, I get a lovely cream. I have several creams we're using at present made with beeswax plus a decent preservative, no borax. I'm not advising anyone else to use beeswax or anything, I'm just really confused.
You might find this more in-depth blog post from Formula Botanica helpful: formulabotanica.com/beeswax-is-not-an-emulsifier/ :)
I used to make lotion from beesewax but I had to use emulsifying wax still in order for it to come together properly. I used this for a while before I ended up scratching that recipe because it is pretty heavy and leaves a sort of heavy residue on my skin. I found using stearic acid and emulsifying wax makes a super light weight lotion that melts into skin with no residue.
Thanks for watching! Stearic acid is a great thickener and stabilizer for lotions without the tackiness that waxes tend to add-you can also try playing with cetyl alcohol for a slightly different thickening experience :)
not sure if you are still taking questions on this but i want a palm free emulsifying wax. even olivem(whatever number) are not confirmed to be according to their manufacturer- which i was hoping was my salvation. any ideas about palm free emulsifying wax?
Yes i did learn something you saved me from much grief. Someone told me to use Candelilla wax. but now I realize that was only to thicken an already emulsified product. I was thinking I'll use it to make cream too.I won't do that now! It takes awhile to study and understand the components of these additives, safe for your skin but not always for the product. Thanks very much!
You're so welcome! To learn how to use candelilla wax + get some recipes I highly recommend looking it up in the Humblebee & Me DIY Encyclopedia (www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/) :) Happy making!
What happens if you add borax with the beeswax? I've been reading that it's a natural emulsifier when added together
It will still fail. Beeswax, when combined with borax, will create a stable emulsion under fairly particular conditions in quite particular formulas-of which this is definitely not one! I linked to a recipe that does work with the beeswax/borax combo in the video; click that link and compare the recipes to see how they differ :)
I'm curious how much you know about making hair wax, hair clay... stuff like that.
So, with hair clay, you CAN use beeswax, but yeah, I'm gonna be using btms-50 too.
But personally speaking, I like the thickness of the cream, the extreme hold, and generally all of the properties of Murray's Edgewax. And I'm particularly fond of American Crew... both advertise a Paraben.
So... I guess I can start with online recipes. I've looked for hair wax cook books... no luck.
So I suppose I'd have to tinker with the ingredients to see how it all works together... what makes it super greasy or matted (clays for matted, if research is correct).
What would happen if it was all emulsive wax and emulsive butters and oils? Would the end product be way super creamy? I'd hate that... would adding clay remove that creaminess? Like... in what terms should I be thinking?
I have always used beeswax and it always emulsufies. I have never used emulsifuer 🤷♀️
Before you comment to tell me I'm wrong/that you've made it work in the past, please note that the title of this video is "What happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax" and not "it is completely impossible to ever make an emulsion using beeswax". If you take a formulation designed to work with emulsifying wax, using beeswax instead of emulsifying wax will not work. That is what this video is showing. However, if you use a formulation designed to work with beeswax, that can work. Here's a lotion formulation I shared 2011 using beeswax: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. For a food metaphor, imagine you were making a chocolate cake recipe that called for 1 cup of milk chocolate, but you swapped that milk chocolate out for 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder. That would be a pretty gross cake! That's not because it is impossible to make a cake with cocoa powder, of course-it's because milk chocolate and cocoa powder are very different. The milk chocolate will contain fat and sugar that the cocoa powder won't, so a cake recipe designed to use cocoa powder will include different sources of fat and sugar, and will likely use far less cocoa powder than chocolate as it is much more concentrated. That's roughly what this video is about.
Wow calm down. I never said you were wrong. At all. I've used both methods and they both work. No need to attack. I was not attacking you.
@@0rc4z._.dr4g0nzz I was not attacking you, either. It's a copy/paste of the pinned comment which more clearly and thoroughly explains the purpose of the video. In your original comment, it seemed like you thought I was saying that using beeswax can never work given you felt the need to tell me it works for you 🤷🏻♀️ Have you tried this exact formulation and had it work? If so, I would be fascinated to see a video on that :)
I sell skincare using this method. It took years to learn and is a careful balance of temperature and ingredients. It is how herbalists have been making it for centuries! I won't be making a video because its not my thing plus it's vital for the survival of my business that I don't share all my secrets!
@@HumblebeeAndMe change your he title!
you literally saved my life. Finally found out why nothing turned out fine except lip balms
Ha! Happy to help :)
What about beeswax pellets?
is it the same thing?
Can you use a microwave instead of a double boiler?
I wonder if people claiming beeswax works as an emulsifier are even using water. I only use jojoba oil and shea butter with essential oil. Im looking to add beeswax to try it out but have emulsifying wax i use in body bars. Thanks for info!
I wonder the same thing-there are a few comments in here telling me I'm a moron and adding the water is where I went wrong, ha.
how about if i dont want lotion
and want to make cream like hard cream can i use wax if it yes which one is good im trying
Check out the "Body Butter"" section on my website: www.humblebeeandme.com/make-body-butter/
Ah, when I first saw this I thought, gee, I have several recipes that call for beeswax, and it worked really well...to my suprise. The problem with your recipe with beeswax is that you are using too high a percentage of beeswax. This could be reformulated to add a very small percentage, say a proportion of 1/3; that is one portion of beeswax to 3 portions of each of the oil and butter. As a matter of fact I made an excellent balm using this aprox ratio. I do see your point in not making a substitution for EWAX, I use NF or Polarwax when called for. Great recipes, though. I really like your book!
Thank u so mush very helpful
Iwant to ask abou diy breastmilm lotion recipe
3 oz brast milk 3oz grapseed oil an 1 table spoon if bee wax and vit e and essen oil
Beeswax not good the milk and olive sapprete i have olivem1000 how can i use with /without case the recipe restore in fridge
How about adding an emulsifier separately? Is beeswax still a good choice for anhydrous products?
You can definitely do that, as I have here: www.humblebeeandme.com/happy-hemp-hand-cream/. And it is lovely in all kinds of things, just not as an emulsifier. Learn more here: www.humblebeeandme.com/10-recipes-make-beeswax/. Happy making!
Thank you for sharing this. I also end up with the same experience, water was coming out. You are very genuine person I would say....lot of thanks here from India
Thanks for watching & happy making!
Actually you can use beeswax as a weak emulsifier within a Galen's Cold Cream.
I know, I've done it: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. The beeswax must be combined with borax to work. From a forum I'm a member at: "When borax is dissolved in water it produces boric acid and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide interacts with cerotic acid in the beeswax - a free fatty acid that makes up about 13% of beeswax by weight - and forms an anionic emulsifier, while the boric acid buffers the system." These cold creams are quite heavy and waxy, and I have found most people do not want this consistency in a lotion. They want something light, non-greasy, and fast absorbing.
This video is not called "you can never ever use beeswax as an emulsifier", though. The entire point of this video is that you cannot simply swap out beeswax for emulsifying wax in formulas that were designed to work with emulsifying wax, which is something I get a lot of questions about.
Why? The bees wax can be used for a lotion bar and not your lotion? Is it because of the water Part?
Do you have a recipe for a lotion bar? Thank you so much for the information 💖👍🏻
Question: could I use Castile soap as my emulsifier in lotion, or do I need straight borax? It intimidates me to use borax as a single ingredient because of its potential to give chemical burns. 😬 I know plenty of people use it, but it scares me.
Hi! If you're interested in natural lotion formulation I would start here: th-cam.com/play/PL4cZgaY9j7fMXbuFZvAv_rL83f23YJjer.html. The ingredients used are elegant, effective, all-natural, and safe.
Hi do you have lotion with spf ? Or ordinary face cream with spf too thank you
I'm afraid not-give this a read: www.humblebeeandme.com/why-homemade-sunscreen-is-never-a-good-idea/.
Thank you so much! This was an extremely helpful video. So glad I watched it BEFORE attempting to make my lotions.☺
Wahoo! Thanks for DIYing with me, and happy making :)
Hopefully not a dumb question but why do you even need the water part? I've never used water in any of my lotion/salve recipes.
The whole point of this product is that it's an emulsion, which requires a water part. 100% anhydrous products don't require emulsifiers, but they're also quite different sensory experiences and play different roles in skin care :)
I have a question about shea butter. I have been making balms for about 2 months now and I notice that my balms get that grainy texture. I have read that you need to get the butters at 175 degrees (Fahrenheit) and held at that temperature for about twenty minutes. After pouring the melted oils and butters in a tin container you need to put it in the fridge. This helps stop any crystallization forming in the butters. Is this true?
Do you have any tips to get that perfect pasty buttery texture?
Thanks so much for everything, you rock!
I have read the same thing, though I haven't tried it myself. If you like shea butter you should buy LisaLise's ebook on it! www.lisaliseblog.com/ You may find her recent post on clays in balms helpful as well :)
Why not include some sunflower lecithin to get the emulsion down between the oils and water, then add the beeswax.
Because the entire point of this video is showing "what happens if you use beeswax instead of emulsifying wax" :)
I have made emulsions using lecithin as the emulsifier, and this formulation would have to be restructured quite dramatically to work with lecithin :)
I am planning on getting emulsifying wax particularly btms 50. Do you know if this wax has an odor? Which E Wax doesn't give off a bad smell? I just purchased btms 50 from brambleberry and this is their note about it. "Note: This product has a distinct odor that can be a bit surprising if you've never smelled it before. We've found that the odor isn't noticeable in finished products when used at 15% or less." Kinda weird..hmmm
The smell from BTMS 50 is similar to that of all cationic/conditioning ingredients I've worked with, and is unique to that category of ingredients. It sort of smells like old ocean/beach :P Polawax, e-wax NF, and emulsimulse don't have that smell, but they also aren't conditioning.
Eddfrree
Can I use emulsifying wax for body butter instead of bees wax? Hope to hear from you. Thanks
Hey! You'll find the answer to your question in my FAQ on my website at humblebeeandme.com/faq/ 😊Happy making!
If you add the water to the wax (both are on 70 degrees celsius) then the trick accually DOES WORK!
www.lotioncrafter.com/beeswax-yellow-nf_pastilles.html
The borax is not nescessary..beewax will do the job when used with the right temp. and speed of the making..
What about using caranauba wax? or is there a way to making your own emulsifying wax? Its not a product that is available in my country.
I've had beeswax work for me - actually how I first learned, but it's been tempermental (oftentimes a recipe for messy frustration).
If I ever missed, at all, on temperature (as in the oils/waters weren't exactly the same temp) or I used the wrong tool (mix all I want with a wisk or mixer and I get a nicely mixed but not emulsified oil/water combo. Toss that into a blender (or start with oil in the blender - preferably tall/skinny) and *slowly* trickle the water in, and stop pouring water in when the mixture decides it's done taking in water (so you don't end up with a waxy/water mix). And, I never quite got a full 1:1 ratio. I got it down pretty good so I can get 1water:2-3oil work out nicely. Not saying I'd never do it again, but it's a very different animal! I've been loving playing with the ewax!
Yeah, that's how I first learned as well! It's definitely a much bigger mess, more effort, and I don't like the end product as much, so I haven't made a lotion like that in probably... 5 years?
Pls inform me how to carnuba wax disovle in water
Is there a way I can emulcify honey and oil?
I'd like to make a face cleanser with them both.
There are many ways :) Search "rose honey" at www.humblebeeandme.com/search for a cleansing cream formulation I made with honey and oil. Happy making!
I might be going off topic here but do you ever experience unrefined beeswax clashing with essential oils? No matter what I do or what kind of essential oils I use this yellow unrefined beeswax always overpowers my beard balm. I think I might just go with it but don't know what essential oils will blend well with this unrefined yellow beeswax.
A little, I suppose, but I love the scent so I think of it more as complimenting than clashing :P You may want to get some refined beeswax if you're finding it too strong for your tastes :)
Humblebee & Me where do you get your unrefined beeswax?
I just watched multiple diy lotion/cream videos using beeswax and none of them had this result.
This video is not called "you can never ever use beeswax as an emulsifier". The entire point of this video is that you cannot simply swap out beeswax for emulsifying wax in formulas that were designed to work with emulsifying wax, which is something I get a lot of questions about.
I know it's possible and I've done it: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-lotion/. The beeswax must be combined with borax to work. From a forum I'm a member at: "When borax is dissolved in water it produces boric acid and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide interacts with cerotic acid in the beeswax - a free fatty acid that makes up about 13% of beeswax by weight - and forms an anionic emulsifier, while the boric acid buffers the system." These cold creams are quite heavy and waxy, and I have found most people do not want this consistency in a lotion. They want something light, non-greasy, and fast absorbing.
Gotcha, I am very new to trying this whole DIY lotion stuff so I was really confused when I just watched videos that said "yes you can use it" to "no it won't work"... I still don't understand how some work and some don't. Thank you for your informative video though.
Humblebee & Me hi nice to talk to you I have a question
Humblebee & Me what is the best ingredients to us for a pasty stick waxy thick substance, I can explain in more detail if you respond to me personally through message please and thanks
Hi I am just wondering how is carnauba cream made? I am a leather worker and have often thought about making some myself (I use loads of it). Do you happen to know how it would be made, if you do I would love to know how.
have two large glass measuring cups with expensive oils and bees wax,shea butter,coconut oil etc. and hyaluronic acid and water ,not mixing at all ,,i bought glycerol monostearate for an emulsifier,,is there a chance to make my face cream,please help?
I'm sorry, but no-glycerol monostearate is not a complete emulsifier. You'd need to re-develop the recipe to include an appropriate amount of a complete emulsifying wax; I cover how to do that here: th-cam.com/video/5YZkfn71iB0/w-d-xo.html. Good luck!
Please I need help🥺🥺🥺… I was trying to make a lotion out of sheer butter beewax and read but it looks sooo clumpy and bad what can I do
I think the problem was the beewax
Please I need help and quickly
Great video... and understand the difference between the two but what about substitutes for beeswax? Would soy wax, or any of the other waxes work?
I've done a bunch of different experiments here that you can review: www.humblebeeandme.com/faqs/can-use-_______-wax-instead-wax-called-recipe/ :)
I don’t make lotion at least not yet, but I do make a whipped body butter which doesn’t have water in it. I use a small amount of beeswax along with ewax. In the winter It gets too hard and crumbs. Should I not use beeswax at all if I want to keep it fluffy?
Hey Amanda! I'd recommend watching the video I shared today-it details how to make a whipped body butter that stays nice and soft :) Read the blog post, too!
I just did that thing I should not have done, then I found this video.
I just made a lotion today with beeswax. and it is not separated at all. It works like a charm.
Please read the pinned comment.
It works. You just have to get it right
hey I bought btms and cetearyl alcohol to make a hair conditioner . I melted the btms and the cetearyl alcohol with sheabutter , using a double boiler . After I took it off the stove I was mixing it with my mixer and it never thick, it still have the water consistency 😔
Hey! I need way more details than this to give you any advice. What are the exact weights of every ingredient you used?
I was wondering the basic paraffin can it be used? Like what you use to can with if graded down? Just wondering because the way it was at the store they had the paraffin in pellets and then in block form for canning but yeah just wondering. The label on the package I got says (gulf wax)- it says common household wax for crafts, canning, candle making, soap making, with others and this is what my grandmother used but i haven't experimented with it yet and wanted to double-check if I got the correct stuff.
Paraffin will not emulsify, either, if that's what you're asking?
what about for a sugar scrub? do you think the beeswax will work?
I really don't recommend it-I made something like that when I first got started and I recently included it in a video on the worst things I've ever made 😬You can learn more about why it was awful here: th-cam.com/video/gpTvzgXqP-4/w-d-xo.html. Happy making!
Can I use emulsifier without water in shea butter?
What about adding lecithin? It's a food safe ingredient and emulsifyer
While it can be used as an emulsifier, it only works in quite particular formulas, and this isn't one.
Interesting...I just saw this video from 2016. Thanks for keeping it up. Does using bees wax do the same in a mix for body butter?
No, it's a great ingredient as long as you aren't trying to use it as an emulsifying wax!
Hi Marie! Love the video and it was a good demo on why we can't use beeswax in lotions. I've been making lotions now (you got me inspired) for about a year now and I'm formulating my own recipes! I was speaking to another friend who makes her own natural products as well and she uses beeswax and xanthan gum as her emulsifier. Just curious to see what your input on that method is. I don't think it would work (especially without a preservative) but she makes it that way anyway. Would this method be similar to the beeswax and borax method?
Thanks!
From a forum I'm a member at: "When borax is dissolved in water it produces boric acid and sodium hydroxide. The sodium hydroxide interacts with cerotic acid in the beeswax - a free fatty acid that makes up about 13% of beeswax by weight - and forms an anionic emulsifier, while the boric acid buffers the system."
So... that's my understanding of how beeswax can work as an emulsifier, making me think it would not work when combined with xanthan gum. It is possible that they're creating a mechanical emulsion that is further stabilized by the xanthan gum, but it's pretty hard to say without knowing exactly what she's doing. Hope that helps!
can I use beeswax and stearic acid both together in body butters?
Yup!
Thank you. I have question about preservative. Do you use any preservative since your lotion contains water? Do you have any suggestion of which preservative to use? Is there a formula to calculate how much preservative to use?
Hey! You'll find the answer to your question in my FAQ on my website at humblebeeandme.com/faq/ 😊There's an entire section on preservatives, including a calculator. Happy making!
I was wondering what would happen if you used Cera bellina wax? because that is a derivative of beeswax would you get the same result as shown here? Even if you use beeswax and it holds together initially as a "lotion", with the water component it will separate out. Oil and beeswax are fine partners and that is a "balm".
It would still fail-it's still not an emulsifier, and that's what's missing here. It does make a lovely balm/ointment, though!
Hi Marie, I tried to use the formula with both Beeswax and Emulsifying wax, why does it still not work? It separated quite fast. I needed to use Beeswax because i wanted to make a more waterproof formula
What is the INCI for the Emulsifying Wax you're using? It may be that it is not actually an emulsifier. Try looking it up here to learn more about what you are using: www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/. Good luck :)
Hi @@HumblebeeAndMe , I have added Emulsifying Wax NF alongside the Beeswax, and still got the separation, do advise me how can i still prevent this. Thanks!
@@jiayichan6159 Ok, Emulsifying Wax NF should work if you're using enough. Here's a few more things to check: www.humblebeeandme.com/faqs/why-didnt-my-lotion-emulsify/.
@@HumblebeeAndMeAlrightie! Thank you
Hello greetings from mexico!! I have been through a pain trying to find emulsifying wax nf here in mexico, the only thing I found was span 60, I'm trying to make a pomade with oil and water as ingredients , do you think span 60 could work? thanks for your help!!
Span 60 sounds like a liquid emulisifer like polysorbate 80, in which case, no-they do very different things and are unsuited for solid emulsions. www.humblebeeandme.com/faqs/can-use-emulsifying-wax-instead-solubilizer-solubilizer-instead-emulsifying-wax/
Hi, what are the ingredients to combine Beeswax 🐝 + soap + oil, thanks
I wouldn't really recommend that combo-I've tried it and I basically just made a very unpleasant body glue/paste ha.
@@HumblebeeAndMe thanks for quick reply, I wanted to make saddle. Soap for my boots, I did once but didn't work out.. I think I need emulsifier ingredient
girl thats a lot I was so curious to know what would happen if I put beeswax
Happy to share my messes 😄 Thanks for watching!
Hi there what ingredients can I add in formulation of body butter to prevent melting during summer
Hey! You'll find the answer to your question in my FAQ on my website at www.humblebeeandme.com/faqs/will-this-melt-in-hot-weather/ 😊Happy making!
I know this is a weird question but Is it possible to soften wax without oil?
Yes, you can soften a wax with anything that's softer than the wax and will blend with it. Water will not work, but a butter or ester could. Happy making!
can you tell me the difference between BTMS 50 and BTMS 25? Thank you for taking the time to answer this question. I have used both I’m not quite sure what is the difference
I've got encyclopedia posts on both-give those a read to learn more :) I have previously stated in the past that BTMS-25 cannot be used as a complete emulsifying wax, though, and that is wrong-it can! www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-encyclopedia/