Every Field Fresh Skincare kit contains a heart of beeswax – why is this?
Beeswax is a fantastic skincare ingredient. Completely natural and protective it has great affinity to our skin and also provides substance and body to our creams and balms as well as its wonderful scent, there in the background behind all the essential oils. I’ve even had it suggested to me by those who use Field Fresh Skincare products that they suspect the local beeswax is helping with their hay fever, just as honey does.
Locally sourced
The beeswax in Field Fresh Skincare kits comes from Stancombe Beech Farm in Bisley, not far from the Field Fresh Skincare lab in the Cotswolds. Here the Dickinson family have been keeping bees and selling honey for decades from their wonderful farm shop. Their beeswax trade has recently picked up as I and other local producers are finding ways to put this wonderful by-product to good use. (Take a look at this fantastic alternative to plastic cling film made just down the road in Stroud).
Melted and measured
I get the beeswax in huge loaf-tin sized 4kg blocks. The smell is heavenly. Melting and remoulding it into accurately weighed and measured hearts is quite a labour of love. We really do put our heart into every kit.
But why a heart shape?
Well, why not? When I first created the kits I used different moulds for the different products – each requires it’s own specific weight of beeswax. There was a flower for the Summer Garden Hand Cream, an orange segment for Orange Smoothing Cream and lips for Lemon Balm for Lips. But as I ran demos and workshops with the kits the line ‘when your heart has melted, it’s ready to move on’ hit such the right note I decided to incorporate it centrally into the Field Fresh Skincare brand and put the heart in everything.
And now for the science bit …
That melting heart is a really important indicator, not just because it means you’ve fallen for natural skincare and the Blend It Yourself process ; )
What it actually signifies is that the oils are at the correct temperature for you to be able to add the infusion.
Beeswax melts at 70 degrees C, so ‘when your heart has melted’ you know that the blend of oils, butter and waxes that you have in your pan is at 70 degrees C, or thereabouts.
Meanwhile, you’ve been infusing your herb pocket by bringing it to the boil (100 degrees C) and then simmering it at a slightly lower temperature. By the time you introduce your tablespoon of infusion to the oils it will be at about 70 degrees C. Blending the oil and water components while they are both at the same temperature is an important part of getting them to emulsify together. We also stir lots at this stage, doing our best to give every water molecule a chance to collide with an oil molecule and make that bond. The mini whisks I recommend using ensure every flick of your wrist has maximum impact.
Made with love
So now you know, the real reason for that heart is because we want you to have a perfect Blend It Yourself experience every time you use a Field Fresh Skincare kit.
