BUCKHORN CLIFFS

Compounds and Cleaning · Compound · Natural wax

Beeswax

A natural wax for candles, salves, wood finish, and waterproofing. It burns clean and keeps for years.

INDEFINITEHazardousWorks without power

Quick facts

Melts at
~145°F
Form
Solid wax
Hazard class
Low; flammable molten
Shelf life
Indefinite
Storage
Sealed container
What to avoid
High heat

See everything beeswax must never touch

What it's good for

Candles

Clean-burning light

Salves

Skin balm base

Wood finish

Furniture polish

Waterproofing

Seals gear and cloth

Melts near 145°F and resets solid while keeping water out, so it seals, waterproofs, and burns slowly.

Good to know

Made by bees, sheds water. Beeswax is secreted in flakes from glands on young worker bees, and it takes six to eight pounds of eaten honey to make one pound of wax. It melts near 145°F and is intensely water-repellent, which is what lets it seal, waterproof, and burn with a slow, bright flame. The pale bloom that sometimes forms on stored wax is just soft waxes rising to the surface, and is harmless.

Handling and safety

Melts near 145°F

Low, gentle heat melts it; never overheat wax close to flame.

Burns clean and bright

Beeswax candles burn slowly with very little smoke.

A simple salve base

Melted with oil it thickens balms that protect skin.

A natural bloom is fine

A whitish film on stored beeswax is harmless and wipes off.

Recipes for beeswax

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

What is beeswax used for?

Candles that burn slowly and clean with very little smoke, salves where it thickens oil into a protective skin balm, wood finish and furniture polish, and waterproofing gear and cloth. It melts near 145°F and sheds water, which is why it seals so well.

How long does beeswax last in storage?

Beeswax has an indefinite shelf life in a sealed container. A pale, whitish bloom can form on stored wax, which is soft waxes rising to the surface. It is harmless and wipes off.

How do I store beeswax?

Store it in a sealed container away from high heat, since it melts near 145°F. A whitish film that shows up in storage is a natural bloom, harmless, and wipes off.

Keep going

Read nextParaffin WaxAn inexpensive wax for candles, airtight jar seals, fire starters, and waterproofing cloth and gear.Compounds and Cleaning · Compound

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Compounds and Cleaning · CompoundSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Chapter 22, p. 121 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

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