Bushman’s Balm. Made with Sarcocaulon Mossemedes wax, with no added colours, fragrances or preservatives.
Simple is often best and with only 3 ingredients, this Bushman’s Candle-Lip Balm really shines. The Amber scent of the wax blends beautifully with the sweet notes of the unrefined Ontario Beeswax creating a smooth texture and a sensuous natural accord.
Sarcocaulon Mossemedense is a flowering shrub of the Geranium family that thrives in the hot, harsh and bone-dry Namib desert of Western Africa. The succulent interior of the plant is preserved and protected by a thick waxy, resinous bark which endures on the parched desert floor for many years after the plant’s demise and can be utilized in a wide range of skin-care products
The fallen bark is collected by members of the Himba tribe and often processed into a resin extract for the perfume industry. Collecting the bark provides an extra income to members of the tribe.
However, besides the aromatic resinous material, there is a natural wax present in the bark which is discarded as waste after removing the resin portion for perfume use.
Utilizing this fragrant wax is a simple process and if a market can be created for it, this value-added product could generate extra income for the tribe.
This amber-scented wax is perfect for cosmetics, candles, moustache waxes, and therapeutic skin-healing formulas.
Both the wax and the resin extract can be prepared from the same material, doubling its usefulness and value as a sustainably collected harvest.
Bushman’s candle resin extract and wax share a beautiful Amber scent that is rich, sweet, warm, woody and tenacious.
It is easy to extract 2 separate products from the raw bark, the alcohol extract for perfume and incense and a wax which can be used in candles and cosmetic/therapeutic preparations.
Bushman’s Candle wax separated from the spent material using hot Fractionated Coconut oil. the wax can be collected by either pressing it out of the solids or hot filtering.
HOW TO PREPARE A 25% EXTRACT OF BUSHMAN’S CANDLE
- Coarsely grind 100 grams of Bushman’s Candle bark.
- In a sealed glass vessel, cover with 300 grams 94% to 96% Ethanol.
- Let sit in a warmish, (30 degrees Centigrade), place for 6 weeks, stirring or shaking periodically.
- Filter through a paper coffee filter and bottle in glass.
- A 50% extract can be made in the same manner but with 100 grams alcohol instead of 300 grams.
- A resin extract or absolute can be prepared by evaporating the alcohol from the extract at room temperature.
HOW TO EXTRACT THE WAX FROM BUSHMAN’S CANDLE
- Collect the spent material left over after the resin extract of Bushman’s Candle.
- Dry thoroughly.
- When the material is bone dry place in a glass vessel and cover with an equal weight of Fractionated Coconut oil or a carrier oil of your choice.
- Place in a water-bath and bring the bath to a boil.
- Maintain the temperature of the bath for 2-4 hours.
- Press the liquid wax, (carefully), from the solid material, or-
- Filter the material hot, through a metal mesh coffee filter or –
- paper in a vacuum filter.
If you would like to make your own resinoid and wax extractions of Sarcocaulon mossemedense, you can find the unprocessed bark in the shop here-https://www.etsy.com/listing/671100242/bushmans-candle-a-unique-aromatic-from
You can find Bushman’s Balm in the shop here-https://www.etsy.com/listing/692128510/bushmans-candle-lip-balm-from-the-harsh
Dan
Thank you for sharing your knowledge, very interesting post.
Hello Dan, it is lovely as always to sniff your Alchemistry. x
Is the wax left over in the filer or will it separate from the oil after pressing?
Thanks
Jb.
Hi.
The wax dissolves into the oil creating a soft solid wax at room temperature
I am going to suggest that if one boiled the bark in water that the pure wax would float to the top allowing it to be separated when cooled. I will have to try that.
Dan