Einstein is rumored to have predicted that if bees disappear from our planet, humanity will soon perish. Although it is not proven whether the great scientist said this or not, our scientists are concerned.
Wild bee populations are being wiped out by a parasitic mite and beekeepers are working hard to protect their farmed bees from the same fate.
As the bees disappear, we take a look at the bee and the topic of beeswax, ethics and skin care.
Beeswax (gold dawn wax as it appears on ingredient labels) is an ingredient used by both commercial skin care manufacturers and many producers of natural and organic skin care products.
Beeswax is obtained from the honeycomb of bees in the hive and is used in skin care as an emulsifier and thickener, as well as for its purported skin care benefits.
People who choose to buy natural and organic skincare expect green, green, and ethical credentials from the producers.
The cruelty-free product ranks high on the green and ethical shopper’s list, so it’s important to look into the question of bees and beeswax.
Most vegans do not eat honey or use bee products, although vegetarians generally do.
The Vegan Society condemns the use of all bee products such as honey, beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly.
According to the Vegan Society, exploitation and cruelty to bees consists of:
- bee farming
- cruel treatment of the queen bee
- wing clipping
- Kill bees when harvesting honeycomb.
- Use of artificial foods and pesticides.
- Vivisection
- Destruction of winters.
Pretty damning, don’t you think? Or is that it?
Looking further into the subject, it would appear that not all beekeepers employ the above methods.
While it’s true that most, if not all, commercial bee farms practice cruelty to bees, many small ‘local’ beekeepers are more ethical.
The independent beekeeper would argue that the welfare of the bees is most important to them, both as a moral obligation to the bees and in favor of common sense for small business.
On many small bee farms, the bees are given extra space for their hives, the bees enjoy working and produce more honey than they need, and through the use of pesticides they are protected from the deadly mites, parasites and fungi that are killing the colonies of wild bees. Beekeepers are also keen to point out that although it happens in large commercial bee farms, they themselves do not kill the bees or destroy their hives.
Sadly, the number of small, caring and ethical beekeepers is far outnumbered by the huge commercial bee farms that cater to the demand of even larger commercial companies that want large quantities of cheap produce, regardless of the cost to the bees.
And the issue of exploitation remains as bees are still kept and farmed for their monetary value.
Therefore, it is important to choose cruelty-free natural and organic beauty products. This is not as easy as it sounds. Beeswax is a predominant ingredient in commercial and natural skin care, but bee-friendly alternatives do exist, so read the literature, website information, and product ingredients carefully.
It is not enough that manufacturers of skin care products claim to be against animal testing. If you have doubts ask!
A UK natural skincare company called Maia Skin Care (http://www.maiaskincare.co.uk) believes in using cruelty-free ingredients. They do not use any bee products in their natural beauty products and have excellent eco-ethics. All of their products are vegan-friendly and do not contain beeswax, honey, or any other bee-derived ingredients.
