Want the Buzz on Bee-Autiful Skin Care? :: Health and Disease :: Allergies

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Want the Buzz on Bee-Autiful Skin Care?
by author Tanya Coad

Isn’t Mother Nature grand? Consider, for instance, the miracle of the common North American honeybee (Apis mellifera). This productive creature accomplishes more in its brief lifespan of a few months than you and I are likely to accomplish in the same number of years. Acting collaboratively with her fellow workers, and sustainably with the plants around her, she co-creates all the materials necessary to keep her highly organized society thriving. This minute but mighty marvel, measuring a mere half inch, can even send a six-foot human scurrying in the opposite direction!

Besides honey, the fruits of the beehive include royal jelly, bee pollen, wax and propolis, most of which have had cosmetic and beauty applications since ancient times. Today, as more consumers demand body care products derived from natural sources, bee products are all the more a hot commodity.

Honey

The amazing preservative properties attributed to honey are due to its antibiotic agents, which stop bacterial growth. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians used honey to keep meat from spoiling and to embalm their dead.

Unpasteurized, unrefined, raw honey still contains bits of pollen and propolis and is an extremely nutritious food packed with enzymes and trace minerals. Cleopatra is said to have used raw honey as a beauty potion. We now use unrefined honey to make soaps, hand creams, lip glosses and face masks, as well as other skin treatments. It is known to reduce inflammation, soothe itching and moisturize dry skin.

Bee Pollen

Pollen is the male seed produced inside flowering plants. Each plant species forms a unique pollen that falls into either the wind-carried or insect-carried category. It is the former that often causes allergic reactions such as hay fever in some individuals. Bee pollen, however, used in small amounts, has been used to treat allergy sufferers.

Honeybees collect pollen as food for their colonies while also performing the important task of pollination, distributing tiny specks of pollen from flower to flower. The collected pollen is usually mixed with nectar or honey and stored in honeybee combs where it becomes partially fermented. This is also called "beebread."

Bee pollen has been shown to possess many health and beauty benefits. Dr Lars-Erik Essen, a dermatologist in Halsinborg, Sweden, has successfully treated patients for acne through supplementing their diet with bee pollen. Used internally and externally, he reports that it nourishes the skin and stimulates cell renewal with its high concentration of the nucleic acids RNA and DNA, as well as numerous other components.

Beeswax

One of the most versatile and widely used bee products, beeswax is indispensable in the beauty product industry where approximately one-third of imported wax is used for cosmetics. Beeswax has the unique ability to add solidity to emulsified solutions, to help stabilize emulsions and to increase the water-holding capabilities of ointments and creams. In lipsticks, it improves sheen, consistency and the stabilization of colour. In creams and lotions, it creates a superior appearance and consistency. In hair products, beeswax improves condition and manageability. Beeswax is also used in deodorants, depilatories (removes unwanted hair), sunscreens and assorted cosmetics.

Bee Propolis

Propolis from trees and shrubs is collected by the honeybee and combined with beeswax to produce an antiseptic resin used to sterilize the hive and protect it from disease. This multifaceted bee adhesive is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-acne, anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties. A recent analysis done in England identified more than 180 compounds in bee propolis.

Bee propolis is used as a preservative, a deodorant and as a skin-purifying agent. It encourages tissue repair and regeneration. Its colour ranges from yellow to dark brown depending on the origin of the plant propolis.

In body care products, an extract of bee propolis is generally used rather than the raw material. Some common commercial applications include toothpaste and mouthwashes, shampoo and hair lotions, foam baths, aftershaves, anti-aging creams and soaps.

Royal Jelly

Undoubtedly the most exotic of all the bee products is the highly revered royal jelly. This is the milky secretion produced by worker bees to feed larvae destined to become queens. These larvae begin as ordinary female eggs, only to undergo a series of hormonal and biochemical changes as a result of their "royal" diet. The queen bee is selected from this group of "wanna-bees" and is allowed to continue gorging herself on this special food. The final result is a queen who is developmentally superior to her "subjects" in many ways, not the least of which is her extended lifespan, which is measured in years, not months.

Nutritionally speaking, royal jelly is a powerhouse of proteins, natural hormones, B vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, fatty acids and so much more. As is the case with bee pollen, scientific scrutiny has yet failed to reveal all the components of royal jelly.

Many dermatological preparations utilize royal jelly for skin refreshing, regeneration or rejuvenation. It is also used in therapeutic creams and ointments for healing burns or other wounds.

While the more "natural" beauty formulations generally offer safe, effective results, the downside is sometimes a more limited shelf life. Preservative-free products require more attention to packaging, storage and temperature conditions. Refrigeration can often prolong their stability. It is also imperative that these products be prepared with fresh ingredients in a hygienic environment.

Note: Cosmetics containing bee products can occasionally cause allergic reactions in some people. A simple test can be performed by applying a small amount of the preparation to the inside of the underarm. This sensitive area should reveal any allergic potential within 24 hours.

Tanya Coad is a freelance writer and researcher with a longtime interest in natural medicine. She has worked in the health food industry for six years. Her articles have appeared in numerous health journals and magazines.

Source: alive #233, March 2002

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