Beeswax is a secretion of the abdominal glands of the honeybee. When freshly secreted, beeswax is white and colourless, but will acquire a colour primarily by the bee picking up and storing pollen and honey. For cosmetic purposes, yellow-grade beeswax is defined as cera flava and white-grade beeswax as cera alba. Beeswax has a relatively low melting point (61–65°C), is moderately hard, and somewhat sticky, plastic and kneadable at body temperature. It is one of the best oil-binding waxes known, therefore considerable amounts of beeswax are used in lipstick and lip balm preparations to produce creamy textures, favorable adhesion to the skin, and films that are well-received among consumers. The oil-gelling properties of beeswax are helpful for stabilizing water-in-oil emulsions for skin and hair applications and for texturizing effects. Beeswax is also used as a means of enhancing texture and adding volume in mascara and make-up.

Source: Cosmetic Formulation Principles and Practice - Heather A.E. Benson, Michael S. Roberts, Vânia Rodrigues Leite-Silva, Kenneth A. Walters