AYA Balm’s Direct-from-the-Hive Difference, pure beeswax for Active Skin, why it matters.
You know, it truly takes a special kind of heart to be a beekeeper. While many professions demand dedication and commitment, facing a buzzing swarm with calm composure is, for me, a whole new level. When I was pregnant with one of my children, I got stung by a bee, and I blew up like a balloon; you couldn't distinguish clearly the roundness of my protruding belly from the roundness of my chin. Over the last fourteen years of creating and manufacturing AYA Balm, the natural balm for dry sensitive skin, amongst other things, and as we loving refer to it as the AYA Balm solution, I have had the privilege of meeting many wild and wonderful beekeepers, but they can be a little scary at times. When we first moved to the Western Cape and I was off on an adventure in search of raw beeswax to meet a new beekeeper, he insisted I walk through all his beehives. He was very clear on his only instruction: be calm. Needless to say, I was a jibbering idiot and feeling quite murderous when I finally reached the relative sanctuary of his workspace while he was softly chuckling to himself. I still get part of the AYA Natural Skin beeswax allocation from him, and without a doubt, his spectacular honey!!
There was nothing new or exciting about the creation of AYA Balm; it began in our kitchen to address the skin challenges of our newborn babies. What makes our story so fascinating to me is the lessons we learned from the fabulously interesting people we met along the way. My husband was an aspiring beekeeper. While he is a wonderful person in every sense of the word, he doesn't have the magic touch, and reacting badly to bee stings didn't help at all. So I had quite a bit of natural beeswax to experiment with when I first set out. The first few attempts had stability challenges, but what was immediately evident was that AYA Balm worked a treat. Then I ran out of beeswax and, like any reasonable person, assumed that I needed cosmetic-grade beeswax. Excited to make my first cosmetic grade AYA Balm, I rushed home into my kitchen to play away. I was in absolute horror when, after the first time I applied this new batch to my lips, they started peeling. Turns out all the years I had battled with my dry and sensitive lips were because I am not a happy camper with petroleum products, and I have an allergic reaction known as irritant contact chelitis.
Off we went to the first of many encounters with a beekeeper, a very stern woman who came from Pietermaritzburg, where I spent my early childhood in boarding school. Mrs Van Tonder was as stern as my first dorm matron, and it was a petrifying experience. I showed her the cosmetic-grade beeswax and asked her why it caused this reaction. She instructed me to smell it and then eat it, asking me if it smelled like honey and if it tasted like honey. Mrs Van Tonder went on to describe the smell of beeswax in beautiful detail. It should have a subtle, honey-like sweetness, a natural, delicate sweetness that feels warm, mellow, and inviting. The cosmetic grade beeswax I had brought to her was near sacrilege and not up to standard. Here is the reality: cosmetic-grade beeswax can contain petroleum-derived products, such as paraffin wax, mixed into it, for reasons best known to the suppliers. Thus began our long and lovely journey to meet wild and wonderful beekeepers.
The Natural Powerhouse: What is Beeswax and Why Does It Matter for Your Skin
Beeswax is one of the many wondrous marvels of the natural world. The honey bees, aka the hardworking, industrious worker bees, produce the wax. These hard-working, industrious little creatures secrete wax from specialised glands on their abdomens, which they then chew and mould to construct the intricate hexagonal cells of their comb. Combs are the cells for honey, pollen and brood (a collective term for the developing bees in their egg, larval, and pupal stages). Beeswax is the fundamental building material, creating stable structures for the bees to store their honey, pollen and developing brood. Think of it like bricks for a house, but just so much more. Naturally, beeswax possesses inherent water-repellent and protective qualities, and even before any processing, it offers a degree of antimicrobial protection, safeguarding the bee colony.. These naturally inherent, magnificent properties translate beautifully to soothing and protecting your skin against environmental stressors, offering actual support for our skin's well-being.
Our Commitment to Ethical Sourcing and Your Well-being
The reason that beekeepers are a special, wonderful breed of human is because of who they are. Beekeeping is not just a hobby; it is an exploration into our magnificent natural world. Beekeepers not only have infinite patience, spending hours watching, listening, and learning from their colonies, but also to understand their bees better and optimise the health and well-being of their hives. They also possess an incredible ability to remain calm when faced with an agitated colony, thereby avoiding further upsetting the bees. Generally, being a beekeeper entails being deeply rooted and connected to the natural environment, as well as the fundamental role bees play in pollination and biodiversity. But the bottom line is that working with thousands of stinging insects by choice for the well-being of us all takes a special kind of person.
One last thing before I discuss the reasons why we chose to meet the beekeepers and buy our wax directly from them: did you know about Bee venom therapy, also known as BVT? Historically, bee venom has been used for centuries. Hippocrates was a great fan of using it to treat arthritis and joint pain. Bee venom is composed of biologically active compounds, including peptides and enzymes, which make it anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain-relieving), antimicrobial, and is believed to possess potential anticancer properties. There is also research exploring the potential benefits for Parkinson's disease, which is close to our hearts. As I publish this blog, there is a 2025 South African Apitherapy Workshop Tour happening in South Africa, led by the Bee Effect and hosting Dr. Stefan Stangaciu, President of the International Federation of Apitherapy.
Cosmetic Grade vs. Raw Beeswax: Understanding the AYA Balm Difference
So what exactly is cosmetic grade beeswax, and why would brands choose to use it above pure beeswax directly from hives? One thing I am absolutely certain about: buying cosmetic-grade beeswax is much easier, simpler, and faster. Cosmetic grade beeswax is a refined form of natural beeswax that has undergone processing to reduce impurities such as pollen, propolis, and other foreign matter. This allows for the term pure to be applied to it, which I find quite challenging, as whenever I have used this cosmetic grade, I have never been inundated with bees banging at my door, a regular occurrence when I bring my new batch of pure beeswax from the hives to AYA Balm head quarters. The beeswax preferred by the beauty industry undergoes filtering and, in some cases, actual bleaching to achieve the desired shade of yellow or white, to remove any particles that are assumed to affect the stability and appearance of cosmetic formulations. AYA Balm is never one shade of yellow; we wrote a blog about this.
Cosmetic-grade beeswax is generally valued in formulations for its sensory, visual, and application properties, serving as a thickener to give products their desired consistency and texture, while also acting as a stabiliser to help maintain the product's structure. The consistency of beeswax allows a product to feel rich and luxurious while providing the right consistency to spread easily and evenly, and achieve the desired gloss. None of these values above contributes to the actual functional healing elements of the product. Cosmetic-grade beeswax is an excellent emollient, helping to soften and hydrate the skin, and is film-forming, creating a protective layer on the skin. Additionally, it is non-comedogenic, meaning it doesn't clog pores, which speaks more to its functional value.
The Unrivalled Benefits of Raw, Direct-from-the-Hive Beeswax
Raw, minimally processed beeswax is what we refer to as raw or unrefined beeswax, which ensures that firstly it is derived directly from hives and secondly has undergone minimal processing before being added to our AYA Balm formulations. Ultimately, besides the natural shades of yellow and the honey-like aroma, the reality is that raw beeswax is still filled with its essential purity and many natural compounds. There will be a propolis content which has magnificent anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Pollen traces can also be found, and that is filled with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. With the traces of honey residue, which adds to the humectant functionality of the beeswax, it also adds antimicrobial benefits.
At AYA Natural Skin, we believe that from seed to skin, and we have written about what the term 'natural' means to us, clearly laying out our definition. The bottom line for us is that minimal processing means maximum benefits, fulfilling our guiding principle of transparent ingredients in skincare for dry skin and all skincare experiences. Not only does raw beeswax possess all the functionality of cosmetic-grade beeswax, but it also has numerous additional healing and nourishing capabilities. One of the most valued ingredients in beeswax is Vitamin A, as it helps to keep our skin healthy by supporting cell regeneration and turnover, which encourages the growth of new, vibrant skin cells. Vitamin A also helps with our skin's natural collagen production, and its antioxidant properties help to shield the skin from environmental damage caused by free radicals. The reality is that the processing of beeswax reduces the levels of Vitamin A, and so you find higher levels in pure raw beeswax.
Our Skin's Best Ally: Embracing Purity and Purpose in Every Balm
As we, here at AYA Balm headquarters, and we continue to learn from the marvellous characters we meet along the way, such as the terrifying yet calm and wise guidance of beekeepers like Mrs. Van Tonder, we move closer to the principles that truly matter to us and continue trying to find our way of treading lightly. With this in mind, one of the greatest choices we made was to relocate to our current home simply because, while the western cape or also known as the cape honey bee, is a remarkable creature able to to re-hive itself and, crucially, for its worker bees to produce a new queen even in the absence of a mated queen, making working with our ethical and wonderful beekeprs more in line with the sustainable values we hold dear. If you are ready for genuinely healthy, comfortable skin, choose AYA Balm as your go-to skincare balm, the multi-purpose natural balm for dry, sensitive, and active skin. We only use ethically sourced, unrefined beeswax from our trusted beekeepers, making it the best eco-friendly, sustainable natural skincare balm choice for busy women in our beautiful South Africa. Find it on Faithful to Nature and read the reviews for yourself.