What We Do
At Bee Cosmetics, we formulate natural, effective and affordable skincare that’s kind to your skin and the planet.
We use beeswax, honey and propolis – along with nourishing botanical oils and butters – to create our award-winning range of naturally powerful products.
Meet Our Family of Beekeepers
Elizabeth
is the lead formulator and producer of our products. With an Advanced Diploma in Organic Cosmetic Science, she is dedicated to advancing product innovation and development.
Derek
is our Chief Beekeeper, with advanced qualifications in beekeeping, he is an expert in judging, teaching, and lecturing on all aspects of beekeeping.
Joseph
manages our marketing activity and contributes to both beekeeping and product making. He became a qualified beekeeper at the young age of 12 and went on to teach beekeeping for many years.
The Bees
are at the heart of our family business. In our own hives, and at hives owned by local beekeepers in Sussex, they produce the naturally effective beeswax, honey, and propolis used in our skincare range.
Why Bees?
It all started 20 years ago when a swarm of bees captivated our attention in our local town centre. Our fascination quickly led us to keeping our own bees, followed by the realisation of just how important these tiny insects are.
Honeybees are not only vital to the success of most of the food we eat, but they also produce beeswax, honey and propolis. This powerful combination of natural ingredients is packed full of skincare benefits.
And because bees produce two to three times more than they need, we can collect all three ingredients sustainably to power our Bee Cosmetics range.
Beeswax
Beeswax forms a protective film on the skin surface, helping reduce water loss. It is also non-comedogenic (non-pore blocking) and credited with anti-inflammatory properties making it particularly suited to sensitive skin. [1]
Honey
Honey naturally attracts moisture to the skin, hydrating and plumping the skin surface which helps smooth out fine lines. [1]
Propolis
Propolis is wildly used in medicine for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory benefits. Made up of resins, balsam, waxes, essential oils, pollen, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, propolis can help soothe and protect the skin.
You will never find bee venom or royal jelly in any of our products. Find out more about the unethical way these ingredients are collected in our blog here.
See our sustainability page to learn how we support biodiversity and bees.
[1] Kurek-Górecka, A.; Górecki, M.; Rzepecka-Stojko, A.; Balwierz, R.; Stojko, J. Bee Prod
How We Do It
We create our own formulas, using natural, traceable, and certified organic ingredients in our award-winning range. Our natural alternatives to synthetic substances make for gentle yet effective skincare that our customers love.
Because we love bees, we don’t like pesticides, so our natural formulations are infused with botanical oils and butters that are grown on organic farms. Just take a look on the side of our products, where we proudly display the percentages of our natural and organic contents.
When you buy from us, you can rest assured that every element of our business is carefully crafted to minimise our environmental impact. This is why we’ve been officially recognised as a climate-friendly business by our local council, who awarded us with a green grant.
Over 94% of our product packaging is plastic-free. Meanwhile, our Return, Refill, Reuse scheme saves 240g of C02 for each glass jar you return. We also work hard, every day, to help UK bee populations thrive. And it should go without saying that we stand firmly against animal testing.
Find out more about our sustainability practices here.
Where We’re Based
We handcraft every product at our ‘Bee Barn’ – our small lab based in the heart of the Sussex countryside on the pioneering Knepp Estate. Surrounded by rewilded landscapes and thriving biodiversity, it’s the perfect home for our eco-conscious approach to skincare.
Knepp is one of the UK’s leading rewilding projects, transforming farmland into a haven for wildlife. Its values of regeneration and sustainability align closely with our own, making it an inspiring place to create.