What are the differences between propolis and beeswax

Most people are familiar with propolis and beeswax. Some people even think that propolis and beeswax are both natural substances produced by bees, and that there is no difference between the two. Some people also think that propolis and beeswax are the same thing. In fact, this is incorrect. There are actually differences between propolis and beeswax. So what are the differences between propolis and beeswax? The following is a detailed introduction to the differences between propolis and beeswax.

Difference Between Propolis and Beeswax

What is the difference between propolis and beeswax?

Propolis is an amorphous or non-crystalline substance that is made from resin collected by worker bees from the buds and branches of plants and mixed with the bees' own beeswax, enzymes, and digestive juices. Beeswax is a substance secreted by four pairs of wax glands under the abdomen of worker bees. Its main components are: acids, free fatty acids, free fatty alcohols and carbohydrates. In addition, there are carotenoids, vitamin A, aromatic substances, etc. Beeswax is widely used in industrial and agricultural production, while propolis is only used in the edible field.

Beeswax is mainly used by bees to make nests; propolis is an effective substance used by bees to maintain the health of the entire colony. A bee colony of 50,000 to 60,000 bees can only produce 100-150 grams of propolis a year, which is known as "purple gold". Moreover, when the temperature of propolis reaches 60~70℃, it melts into a viscous fluid and beeswax is separated.

Beeswax collection and extraction

Beeswax is usually collected in spring and autumn. Beekeepers strengthen the breeding and management of bee colonies to encourage bees to secrete more wax and build more honeycombs. They then collect old honeycombs that have been used for many years, built supernumerary honeycombs, the wax caps and bases of the cut honeycombs, as well as the honey caps cut off when shaking the honey. They are artificially extracted, usually by putting the honeycombs after the honey is removed into a pot of water and heating them to melt. The upper layer of cocoons, bee corpses, foam and other impurities are removed. The honey is filtered while hot and cooled. The beeswax will then condense into blocks and float on the water. The wax can be taken out and is the yellow wax. The yellow wax is then processed through refining, bleaching and other processes to become white wax.

1. Beeswax is a fatty substance produced by the thoracic wax glands of worker bees. When the worker bees grow to more than two weeks old, the thoracic wax glands will begin to produce liquid beeswax. This liquid will become scaly when it encounters cold air, and these scaly substances will aggregate together to form the beeswax that people see.

2. Although propolis is also a substance produced by worker bees, its composition is very different from that of beeswax. Propolis is a natural substance formed by combining plant buds and natural resins with beeswax produced by worker bees, as well as various substances such as enzymes and digestive juices. Therefore, the nutritional content and health benefits of propolis are much higher than those of beeswax.

3. Beeswax is an important component of the honeycomb, while propolis is a natural substance used to sterilize and disinfect the honeycomb. Sometimes it can also be used as a supplement to the honeycomb to reduce the invasion of external enemies. Beeswax contains a large amount of heavy metals and is not suitable for human consumption. However, after propolis is purified and the beeswax inside is removed, it can become a high-end nutritional product suitable for human consumption. People can prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, heart disease and many other diseases after consumption.