What is Beeswax Supposed to Smell Like?

[Em522]

On my last order I had purchased a 1lb bag of yellow beeswax pastilles. I was under the impression that beeswax should smell slightly like honey or really like nothing. However, as soon as I opened the bag I smelled this odd plasticy, burnt smell. Can someone tell me what beeswax should smell like. I would hate to call the supplier to complain if that is what the product normally smells like. Thanks!

 

[DeeAnna]

Not like plastic or burnt. Definitely!

Bleached beeswax might not have much smell depending on how it's been processed. Regular beeswax more or less fresh from the hive has a sweet, warm, indescribably pleasant smell. I can pick up the sweet smell of honey, the spicy fragrance of the plant resins the bees collect (propolis), the smell of the wood from the hive, and the warm scent of the bees themselves.

 

[QueenBeeSoap]

Beeswax that I've rendered myself straight from the hive has a sweet "warm and fuzzy" smell that DeeAnna did a perfect job of describing. I can still smell that scent in unscented beeswax candles that I've made that are years old. I've never bought bleached beeswax from a supplier, but I agree that it shouldn't smell like plastic or burnt; if anything, the sweet beehive scent would have faded during processing.

 

[Thistle Creek Honey]

You can give some of you local beeks a call in your area to get local wax. you probably can get it un-bleached, without pesticides and without shipping cost

http://www.ozarksbeekeepers.org/

 

[Obsidian]

I recently bought a pound of yellow beeswax pastilles and it smells slightly sweet, not plasticy at all. It doesn't even come close to the scent or taste of fresh wax.

 

[Em522]

Thanks for the replies, I didn't think it was supposed to smell like that but wanted to make sure. I guess I will contact WSP.

Thistle Creek Honey

That is exactly what I should have done but I was trying to meet the 40 dollar minimum for WSP free shipping...

 

[karenbeth]

To smell like that it may have been overheated at some stage