Beeswax Absolute

Latin name :

Cera alba

Botanical profile :

The bees that produce the wax extracted in perfumery are animals of the Choreutinae family and the genus Anthophila.
The term Cera alba is the scientific name given to beeswax.

Geographic origin :

As beeswax can be found all over the world, the main producers in terms of quantity are Spain, France and Morocco

Chemotypes :

There are two types of beeswax :
The european (used in perfumery)
The oriental
. These two waxes are distinguished by their saponifying ability. The saponification value of the European wax is 3 to 5, while the oriental one is 8 to 9. This value corresponds to the necessary quantity of potash to saponify a gram of wax, in milligrams.

Extraction process :

Beeswax is collected from beehives, emptied of their bees and then immersed in boiling water. The water resulting from this decoction is collected and decanted: the wax rises to the surface. The solid wax is separated from the water to melt again. Once melted, it is filtered to remove impurities. After it is cooled, the absolute is obtained conventionally by precipitating the wax in alcohol and glazed with a temperature gradient of 140 °F to 32 °F.

Major Components :

Data not available.