Natural ingredients characterize cosmetic products from South Korea, as they are said to be particularly effective. Many therefore rely on the propolis effect. This bee-derived ingredient is said to be antibacterial, among other things, which is why it is particularly popular for skin impurities. We will tell you what else you should know about it now. Read on here!
Propolis Effect: What does it look like?
Before we delve into the effect of propolis in cosmetics, let's look at the basics: What exactly is it? The brownish-resinous substance is extracted from beehives and is also widely known as bee glue, bud resin, or propolis. Are you already curious about the properties of this substance and whether there are alternatives? Then jump to our active ingredient comparison here!
How Bees Make Propolis
There is a strict division of labor in a beehive – most people probably learned that watching Maya the Bee. This means that every insect pursues a specific mission. There are those that defend the hive, those that take care of the honeycomb, and also those that produce propolis.
The latter depend on the resin of the surrounding trees. They process this together with pollen balm and essential oils, which they extract from flowers, into propolis. The bees' own salivary secretion is also essential for production, ensuring that a uniform, usable mass is created. Depending on the size of the hive and its position relative to the forest, up to half a kilo can be produced per year.
What is propolis used for?
Like everything in the beehive, propolis also has a special task: in this case, protecting the colony. A large number of insects are out in the world all day and can easily pick up bacteria and pathogens when they land. If they carried these into the beehive, they could quickly spread. After all, the ideal conditions prevail here: it is humid and warm.
Propolis therefore has an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effect – in short: it fights these pathogens and bacteria. That's why there is a kind of fluff made of propolis at the entrance of every beehive. The insects land on this when they return and thus clean their legs.
But not only that. If a foreign body – such as another insect, some dust, or even a small animal – has entered the beehive, it is coated with propolis. This prevents the spread of diseases. A kind of mummification takes place, which isolates the foreign body and thus cuts it off from the hive.
How Bee Resin Reaches Humans
To utilize the positive effects of propolis, the substance must first be harvested. Since bees only line the entrance of their hive with it, this seems very laborious. After all, the beekeeper would have to painstakingly scrape it off, and in doing so, would also endanger her colony. After all, more pathogens could now enter the beehive.
To prevent this, an alternative strategy is usually employed. Here, it is exploited that foreign bodies are also encased in the substance. The beekeepers therefore hang a narrow grid in the hive, which is then covered with propolis by the insects. Once this is done, the grid is removed again and cooled to 15 °C. At these temperatures, the resin solidifies and simply peels off. Now it can easily be processed into propolis cream, lozenges, tinctures, etc., for example.
This method is considered harmless in terms of animal welfare, as the bees are hardly affected. The harvesting is usually concentrated during a period when a lot of propolis is produced anyway (July to September). Nevertheless, a healthy balance must always be maintained so as not to endanger the hive.
Miracle Weapon Propolis Effect: The Bee Glue for Humans
We humans also take advantage of what bees have come up with when we use propolis creams, tinctures, and the like – and have been doing so for several centuries. The ancient Egyptians demonstrably used bee resin and relied on its mummifying effect. After all, the material effectively counteracts fungal infections and the spread of viruses and bacteria.
Today, these properties are also utilized in cosmetics. It is specifically used for wound healing – both for cleaning and for closing wounds. Especially for pimples, where bacteria and other germs can easily nest and then lead to further skin impurities, this propolis effect is a welcome helper.
You will also often find bee glue in Korean natural cosmetics as a natural preservative, which is intended to make products last longer. You can also buy tinctures and similar products with this ingredient in many pharmacies. These are said to strengthen the immune system, among other things, although this propolis effect has never been clearly proven.
Cosmetics with Bee Resin: When is it useful?
Do you want your cosmetic products to be as natural as possible? Ideally, they should also be cruelty-free? Then imports from Korea are exactly what you're looking for, because that's the basis here. It's therefore not surprising that many creams, serums, and tinctures gladly rely on the propolis effect. But what exactly can these products be used for? And are they even suitable for your skin type?
Combating minor skin irritations
It is not uncommon for us to get sunburned in summer despite sunscreen. Minor wounds, for example from shaving, are also part of everyday life, as are a pimple or blackhead here and there. But what do all these skin irritations have in common? Well, on the one hand, they are annoying, but they all also benefit from the propolis effect.
Because a cream enriched with it has a soothing effect and can, for example, together with aloe vera, combat the itching of a sunburn. It has an antibacterial effect on pimples and blackheads and can thus help prevent a single pesky one from being followed by several others. And even small abrasions and the like are cleaned by the bee resin and their healing process is stimulated.
Propolis effect on skin diseases
Many cosmetics that use bee glue are also said to have a positive effect on various skin diseases. These tinctures are often used for neurodermatitis to combat itching and reduce skin rashes. In a lighter form, such a lotion can, of course, also be used to make dry skin supple again.
And if you want to combat your acne with natural products as much as possible, the propolis effect could also be beneficial for you. Here too, the antimicrobial property is utilized to reduce the spread of infections.
Fighting the Signs of Aging
Anti-aging is a constant topic in our society – after all, who wouldn't want to look young and fresh for as long as possible? Bee resin is also used for these products. Here, the antioxidant effect is in the foreground. This is supposed to make the skin appear softer, but at the same time firmer.
This is said to smooth out small wrinkles and minimize skin aging. In addition, the pimples that often appear in women as a result of hormonal changes can also be combated. Here too, the soothing property of bee resin comes into play.
Do you want to know more about skin diseases, impurities, and skin aging? Then read on here:
Is the propolis effect safe?
A natural substance that helps you fight acne or the aging process? That sounds good to many ears, and therefore it is no wonder that propolis, which relies on the propolis effect, is gaining increasing popularity. But can everyone use it without problems? The answer is unfortunately no. This is mainly due to the fact that bee resin can trigger reactions in various allergies due to its ingredients. These include:
- Allergy to bee and/or wasp stings
- Pollen allergy
- People with atopic predisposition
Just because you suffer from one of these problems doesn't mean that all propolis creams and other products are taboo for you. For example, with hay fever, you usually react to one or more specific pollens. If the colonies are far enough away from these plants, it won't be in the bee resin, and you generally won't show a reaction.
The difficult part is then figuring out which product is right for you. Because only in rare cases can the manufacturer make statements about where the propolis is obtained. Therefore, it is best to test cosmetics carefully on a small area first. If in doubt, however, it is better to completely avoid the ingredient. Fortunately, there are some alternatives that have a similar spectrum of effects:
| Active Ingredient | Properties | Application |
| Propolis | rich in antioxidants, antibacterial, and antiviral | supports wound healing, scar treatment, acne and skin irritations, wrinkle reduction |
| Tea tree oil | antimicrobial properties and mild antioxidant effect | often used in products against acne and skin fungi |
| Aloe Vera | mild antimicrobial and antioxidant effect, moisturizing and soothing | supports wound healing and cares for sun-damaged or irritated skin |
| Centella Asiatica | mild antimicrobial effect, also works as a good antioxidant | good support for wound healing, stimulates skin regeneration |
The effect of propolis on the skin is very special. If you tolerate this natural ingredient, you should definitely give it a try and opt for products containing it. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us. We will advise you personally.
Further links
www.utopia.de/.../propolis-bienenharz-naturheilmittel/
www.verbraucherzentrale.de/.../propolis-fuer-ein-staerkeres-immunsystem-21056
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propolis
www.haut.de/.../propolis-extract/
www.diehochlandimker.at/propolis-gewinnung-und-verarbeitung-in-unserer-bio-imkerei
