Beeswax is what holds the structure in Lê Mai's tea-light candles and body balms. Not an oil, not a butter, something else. This piece records where the wax comes from and what it does in a formula.
Bees and flowers of the Mekong
Lê Mai sources beeswax from small beekeepers in Ben Tre and Vinh Long. The bees forage freely, taking nectar from longan, coffee, and melaleuca flowers in the surrounding wild. After each honey harvest, beekeepers keep the old combs.
Old combs hold wax that bees have built over months. This differs from industrial wax taken from large-scale apiaries where bees are fed sugar instead of flower nectar.
An average comb yields 200-400 grams of raw wax per harvest. Lê Mai buys directly, no middleman. The wax arrives in Saigon still in comb form, with bits of bee debris and broken cells.
Naturally raised versus industrial beeswax
Comb wax is melted in water at 70°C, filtered through coarse cloth then fine cloth to remove impurities. The clear melted wax ranges from pale yellow to deep amber, depending on the flower source.
Naturally raised wax carries a faint honey scent, characteristic of the flower source. Industrial wax is usually scent-free, due to chemical bleaching or deodorising.
Held in the hand, naturally raised wax is slightly tacky, softer than industrial wax. This reflects a more complex composition, with more natural esters and hydrocarbons.
Melting point 62-65°C
Pure beeswax melts at 62-65°C. This is an important sign for testing purity.
Below 60°C means it is cut with paraffin or vegetable wax. Above 67°C means it is cut with microcrystalline wax. Both indicate adulteration.
In a formula, the 62-65°C melting point means beeswax stays solid at room temperatures (below 30°C) and softens on skin contact (36°C). This is an important property for body balm.
Beeswax in Lê Mai tea-light candles
Lê Mai tea-lights use 60% beeswax, 30% vegetable butter, 10% vegetable oil. Cotton wick, no metal core.
Beeswax burns 20-30% brighter than paraffin, with less soot, and releases negative ions while burning. The burn scent is light honey, no chemical smoke.
A 30-gram tea-light burns 4-5 hours. Compared with paraffin, beeswax burns slower but gives warmer light.
Beeswax in body balm
Lê Mai body balm uses 8-12% beeswax by weight. This ratio is enough for the product to hold a stick shape at room temperature, but soften right on skin contact.
Below 8% the balm is too soft, melting in a handbag during hot months. Above 12% the balm is too firm, hard to scoop. 10% is the balance for Vietnam's climate.
Applied to skin, beeswax forms a thin seal that retains moisture beneath. Dry hands soften visibly after 30 minutes of lipid penetration.
A bee. A comb. A wax.
Beeswax does not dissolve in water. Does not evaporate. Stays there, holding structure, waiting for skin heat to change phase.