What is propolis?

We are hearing more and more about propolis or reading about it in various advertising brochures. Many people cannot say what propolis is or where the origin of this product comes from.

The word "propolis" comes from the Greek and is made up of the words "pro" (meaning "before") and "polis" (meaning "city"). A kind of defense of the city against intruders and bacteria. It is interesting to note that propolis is a natural product made by bees. The bees collect liquid, sticky resin from the bark of trees and transport it to their hives. But before I go into the usability in the bee colony, let's take a look back at the history of propolis.

Propolis in ancient Egypt

Even in ancient Egypt, the Egyptians used propolis for the mummification of the pharaohs as well as other bee products. A kind of beekeeping existed for several thousand years BC. The breeding of the various bee colonies and the use of bee products were recorded by the ancient Egyptians in their hieroglyphics. Inspired by the bee colony and the special queen bee, who was responsible for the cohesion and organization of the bees, the ancient Egyptians also liked to refer to the pharaohs as the queen bee, a metaphor for their holiness. They also discovered from the bees that the deceased bees were first coated with special propolis and then removed from the hive. The Egyptians also used propolis to prevent the bodies from decaying after death. They smeared the bodies with it or dipped the "bandages" in propolis and then wrapped them around the dead. A lot can be found about propolis in history. It was used as a mummification and sedative in ancient times and in the Roman Empire.

Propolis in the bee colony

In modern times, however, we can observe more closely what the bees use propolis for. Propolis is also known as "putty resin", as the industrious worker bees use it to protect themselves and seal openings and cracks in the hive. Each bee undergoes a special activity in its life, which depends on its age. From the 21st day onwards, bees are active as propolis collectors. They collect the resinous secretions from flower buds or tree resins (e.g. chestnut, spruce, birch, etc.) and transport them to the hive. The sticky secretions are transported in the bees' pollen sacs. Once in the hive, the hive bees help to remove the propolis from the worker bee with their mandibles. The propolis is then processed with certain enzymes of the bees and used either for plastering and insulating the hive or for lining the brood cells for the young bees. It is important to know that this is not the well-known beeswax. The bees use beeswax exclusively for the construction of honeycombs. The bees deliberately use propolis for their hive and brood cells because they attribute antibacterial properties to it. Inside a beehive, especially in summer, temperatures can reach 35°C, which is ideal for the growth of many fungi, bacteria and viruses. Despite the high humidity, propolis protects against the spread of these pests and germs. A beehive is sterile despite the densely living bee colony. The propolis plastered on the entrance hole of the hive is not only supposed to disinfect the returning bees with the "propolis doormat" (so that the germs and bacteria remain outside the hive), but can also keep other insects outside. While the foreign insects get stuck in the sticky substance, the bees can easily walk over the propolis. It is said that it was this use of propolis that gave it its name ("before the city").

Many beekeepers who own bee colonies are aware of this bee product and can obtain it by placing certain frames and grids in the hive. The bees identify these foreign bodies, which are unknown to them, and coat them with propolis.

The beekeepers can then easily remove the propolis from the bees and process it further if necessary. Each bee colony can produce up to 100 grams of propolis per year and depending on the number of bee colonies, the beekeepers receive a quantity of propolis.
The harvested propolis can be further processed with the help of various solutions (ethanol, glycol, distilled water) so that a liquid consistency is achieved through extraction. The result is an extract tincture. These extract tinctures can be used for various purposes and applications. Depending on the propolis content and extraction agent, care must be taken when using the tincture.

Ingredients of propolis

It is not possible to define a fixed composition of propolis, as the composition of each bee colony varies and depends on where the propolis is obtained, which trees the bees fly to and collect the respective secretions. The seasons and the country of origin also play a role. Each country has different trees and plants that the bees use for propolis.

The approximate composition of the ingredients and components can be summarized as follows:

50% resins (possibly bee resin)

30% wax

10% essential oils

5% pollen

5% organic substances, bee enzymes, minerals and sugar

The organic substances are trace elements, vitamins and active plant substances (secondary). Propolis contains the following special substances and vitamins:

Vitamin A

vitamin B3

Flavonoids (flavonoids are also known as antioxidants)

Zinc

selenium

silicon

Properties of propolis

The smell of resin is reflected in propolis, so propolis smells slightly resinous. The consistency of propolis is brittle, brittle and firm, but can take on a soft, sticky consistency from 30°C and becomes liquid at 60°C. The taste of propolis is slightly pungent and bitter. The taste of propolis is slightly sharp and bitter. In propolis extract tinctures with ethanol, the slight taste of ethanol alcohol is noticeable.

If you look at the bee world, propolis can be said to have an antibacterial, antibiotic and disinfectant effect on bees. The returning bees leave any bacteria and pests outside through the strips on the propolis carpet. People can make use of this disinfecting effect in their daily lives. Today, propolis is said to have over 70 different effects, which can be divided into physical, biological, pharmacological and chemical effects. These effects and properties can have a positive and beneficial effect on humans and animals against diseases.

Nowadays, a lot of research is being carried out in the field of bees. There is already a special therapy with bee products, especially bee venom, called apitherapy.
You can easily incorporate propolis into your everyday life, depending on your possibilities and wishes.

Propolis extract tincture:

Depending on the tincture, it can be used in different ways. Water-soluble propolis can easily be mixed with liquids using the drops and used for gargling, for example, while the propolis extract tinctures are great for mixing with toothpaste, creams, ointments and other care products. Propolis drops can also be applied directly to the skin and massaged in. It is important to keep the propolis extract tinctures with ethanol alcohol away from children.

Propolis mouth spray:

The water-soluble propolis mouth spray is suitable for simplified application. The atomizer distributes the propolis directly in the mucous membrane and is thus absorbed by the body. The mouth spray can also be used on the skin.

Propolis capsules:

The propolis caps ules can be consumed practically and easily at any time. Depending on the recommended daily dose, the propolis capsules can be taken daily with sufficient water.

Propolis creams:

Propolis creams are often used for external application and are very popular in cosmetics. We have put together a DIY (do it yourself) for your own propolis cream from our propolis kitchen:

Propolis cream (DIY)

How about making your own propolis cream? With our propolis tinctures, you can easily make your own cream free from any chemical additives. You can apply the cream to your skin over a larger area and more easily. The basis of this cream is the propolis tincture refined with two other special bee products.

You need:

80 ml vegetable oil (e.g. coconut oil or olive oil)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp beeswax
Between 30-50 drops of bedrop propolis tincture as desired

Preparation of the propolis cream:

Place the beeswax in a bowl and melt in a water bar. As soon as it has melted, mix it with the vegetable oil of your choice (with coconut oil, please note that it is only liquid at warmer temperatures and may also need to be heated). Once the beeswax and plants have been mixed together, put them to one side so that they can cool down. After cooling, gradually add honey and the desired amount of propolis tincture and mix (important: propolis can lose its effect when exposed to heat and warmth, as the molecular bonds of the substances can dissolve). Once a light golden-brown color has been achieved, the propolis cream can be poured into a jar or other container and left to rest for about five hours until it can be used.

Propolis tinctures from bedrop

With us you can not only buy a good quality propolis tincture, but also a propolis tincture where sustainability and a high-quality product are important. The propolis is obtained from an idyllic, rural region, e.g. Latvia. Free from any harmful influences and the bees have enough freedom to fly to the various trees and plants. Propolis (good and high quality propolis can be recognized by its dark brown color) from the best conditions of the bees and the environment. We have tried to translate these positive images of the environment into our sustainable packaging. The round tube of our propolis tincture is not only sustainable, but also practical to take with you at any time without worrying about the tincture breaking or leaking. We offer you the different tinctures as water-soluble 10% propolis, 20% and 30% propolis extract. In contrast to other manufacturers, the 10% propolis extract tincture is not extracted with glycol or macrogol, but with distilled water, so that there are no chemical additives in the water-soluble tincture and it can be used without any concerns for children.

You can buy our bedrop propolis tincture here.

List of sources:

https://archive.org/details/cu31924086199548/page/n10/mode/2up
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275024324_Insects_in
ancient_Pharaonic_Egypt_a_review_of
fauna_their_mythological_and_religious_significance_
and_associated_diseases
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/964149/
Book: Zittlau, Jörg (2020); "Die Heilende Kraft der Bienen"; 1st edition, Munich
Book: Dr. med Stangaciu, Stefan (2015): "Sanft Heilen mit Honig, Propolis und Bienenwachs"; 3rd edition, Stuttgart