Beeswax Alternatives Exist

There are a plethora of sites with
vegan beeswax alternatives.

OB Farmers Market

Last week, my husband and I stumbled upon the Ocean Beach Farmers Market.  We were headed there for some ice cream - my choice was a vegan "nice cream" mint chocolate chip shake - and to watch the sunset.

OB is usually our first choice, because there's always lots of interesting stuff going on.  But wow, how were we missing the smells, sounds and sites of this amazing farmers market all these years?!

Little did I know that this would be another reminder that it's all about Intention, Not Perfection.

The sunset over the Ocean Beach Pier
is always a beautiful site.

Beeswax Hand Lotion

I was pursuing the vendors, when a young lady asked me to view her products.  She flashed a bright smile and invited me to try her hand lotion.  I reciprocated her friendliness by putting my hand out.  She gave me a pump of the lotion, and I rubbed it in and commented about how good it felt. The smell was invigorating - you can't beat the fresh scent of lemon verbena.

She then called my attention to the ingredients list.  One of them was beeswax, and my heart kind of sank.  In a second, a few thoughts raced through my mind:
- Beeswax is an animal product
- I should've paused before accepting
- Due diligence is my responsibility
- It's already on my hand
- This will be a learning experience

So I asked her what other vegans think of her lotion.  She politely explained that most of them choose not to buy it.  We focussed the rest of my visit on her vegan products, and I ended up buying several soaps and lip balm.

My Vegan Evolution

Common vegan sentiment - including that of PETA - is that beeswax is harmful and should be avoided. The good news is that there are very suitable alternatives.

I had to remember that it's all about Intention, Not Perfection.

Lighthouse Ice Cream has several 
flavors of vegan ice cream.

I made a mistake.  It couldn't be reversed.  Getting upset with myself or anyone else wouldn't make things right.  Every mistake is a learning experience.  I'm continuing to evolve as a vegan.

I felt better, and knew that I would go forward being more careful.  Plus, I now have a great new source for locally made vegan self-care products, I had met a really nice person, and I am more aware of the alternatives.  All of this can only enrich my life.


The smells..........................sounds.............................................& sites of the OB Farmers Market...