USES OF BEESWAX
Beeswax has hundreds of uses, of which the following are but a few examples.
Around 40 percent of the world trade in beeswax is used for the cosmetics industry, which requires first class beeswax that has not been overheated, is pure and free from propolis. The world price is
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usually around US$4-10 per kilogram. At a local level, making skin ointment from beeswax can be one of the most profitable beekeeping activities.
In pharmaceutical preparations
Around 30 percent of world trade in beeswax is used by the pharmaceutical industry that, like the cosmetic industry, requires good quality wax.
Candle making
Around 20 percent of the beeswax trade is used for candle making. Beeswax candles are less common and more expensive than candles made from paraffin wax. In the past church candles had to be made of 100 percent beeswax, and this is still followed in some societies.