Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Survey of Demand: Vapor and Hand salves

I am currently contemplating two new beeswax products: a lavender or eucalyptus vapor salve (very similar to Vick's vapor rub) and a hand salve. These products would be very useful for the approaching winter season.

I'd like to get a feel for the demand. If you would like to see these products available for purchase, please leave a comment in the "comments" section of this post.

Thank you for your help!

13 comments:

Aubs said...

I'd be interested in the vapor salve.

Melinda Brown said...

Especially the hand salve! Conner's hands (since he works outdoors) every winter become very cracked and bloody. We've yet to find a good hand product that works and is not greasy.

Jessica said...

Lavender is one of my favorite things. We would be interested in the hand salve. Anything to help during the next few months while we burn our wood stove.

Unknown said...

We would be interested in the vapor salve.

Anonymous said...

I would probably be interested in both the vapor and hand salves! I’m already in need of hand salve and winter hasn’t even started yet!



Kel

Anita said...

I would love to see, smell, and touch both!

Anonymous said...

Do you accept PayPal?

Anonymous said...

I would definitely be interested in the vapor rub. What would be the ingredients? Also maybe interested in the hand salve depending on the fragrance. Wouldn't want lavender for that one.
Thanks,
Michelle

Eyren said...

I am interested in the vapor rub. I used a lot of Vicks with lavender in it last winter! Would the hand salve be good for any kind of dry skin, like knobby knees and elbows? Have fun experimenting!

the Mrs. said...

Michelle, I'd be interested to know the fragrance you'd prefer for the hand salve. One of my favorites in the past has been Burt's Bees Rosemary hand salve.

Yes, Eyren, I found this salve useful for my own hands, knees, and elbows, which tend to show extreme dryness depending on the season.

Ivory said...

I'd definitely love some of this hand salve.

Mandy said...

Since I wash my hands between patients, my hands get severely dry. I would definitely be interested in the hand salve.

the Mrs. said...

Yes, Mandy. I would imagine the salve would be a great tool to combat dryness from the gloves--even to apply and wear inside them!

Lavender and chamomile oils, vitamin E, sweet almond oil, and beeswax... your hands will thank you!

I will notify you when it's ready.

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BEE well...

BEE well...
as we share our hobby with you.

THE SKINNY ON BEESWAX

Beeswax is a byproduct of honey production. It makes wonderful lip balms, hand lotions, hand creams, moisturizers, in cosmetics, wood finishes, waxes, leather polishes; waterproofing products, and dental molds.
It is impervious to water and unaffected by mildew. It has a melting point of 143 to 148 degrees F. and should only be heated using a double boiler as it is flammable when subjected to fire and flames. It is pliable at 100 degrees F.

Beeswax is produced by the (female) worker honeybees. The wax is secreted from wax glands on the underside of the bee's abdomen and is molded into six-sided cells which are filled with honey, then capped with more wax. When honey is harvested, the top layer of wax that covers the cells, the cappings, must be removed from each hexagon-shaped cell.

Bees use their wax to "glue" together the wooden frames in their hive, and that must be scraped off so the frames can be separated. The beeswax, which contains some honey, bee parts, and other impurities, must be melted and filtered or strained.
Most beeswax is gold or yellow but can also be in shades of orange, brown, etc. The color of the wax is in most part determined by the type of plants the bees collect nectar from. Beeswax has a delightful, light fragrance of honey, flower nectar and pollen.
Beeswax makes superior, slow burning candles. Beeswax burns more beautifully than any other wax. It exudes a faint, natural fragrance of honey and pollen. When candles are made with the proper size of wicking, they are smokeless, dripless, and burn with a bright flame.

If you wonder why beeswax is so expensive, consider this: It has been estimated that bees must fly 150,000 miles to produce one pound of wax. Bees must eat about six pounds of honey to secrete a pound of wax. For every 100 pounds of honey a beekeeper harvests, only one to two pounds of beeswax are produced.