Beeswax is a natural wax that honeybees produce to build their honeycombs. Worker bees secrete tiny flakes of this wax from special glands on their bodies, then chew and mold it into the familiar hexagonal cells where they store honey and raise baby bees. Pure beeswax has a sweet, honey-like smell and a warm golden color.

People have used beeswax for thousands of years. It makes excellent candles that burn clean and bright. Woodworkers rub it on furniture to create a protective finish. It's an ingredient in lip balm, lotions, and even crayons. Because it's waterproof and slightly sticky, beeswax works well for sealing things: before modern glue and tape, people sealed important letters with melted beeswax, pressing their signet rings into it to prove the letter hadn't been opened.

You might hear someone say “none of your beeswax” when asked a nosy question. This casual phrase means “mind your own business.” The exact origin of the phrase isn't known, but it plays on how “business” sounds a bit like “beeswax.”