🌿 About The Bee Fairy
At The Bee Fairy, we create handmade beeswax skincare and natural balms for people and animals, inspired by our countryside life in the beautiful Teme Valley, Worcestershire.
Founded by Mike and Belinda Palfrey, The Bee Fairy grew from a love of nature, beekeeping and a desire to make thoughtful, practical skincare using carefully selected beeswax, botanical oils, butters and essential oils.
Every balm is handcrafted in small batches at our home, Hanley Mill, with a focus on ingredient transparency, clear guidance and helping customers choose products suited to their individual needs.
🐝 Our Story
The Bee Fairy was born out of love, necessity — and one very special dog.
When our beloved dog Ola began experiencing skin problems, we were surprised by some of the ingredients used in everyday pet and skincare products. Wanting to care for her skin in a gentler, more natural way, we began exploring alternatives — starting with the ingredients and knowledge we already had around us.
At the time, I was already keeping bees, and as we explored natural remedies, I became deeply curious about the healing and protective properties of beeswax. That spark quickly turned into a passion. We began formulating simple, beeswax-based balms to soothe Ola’s skin — and they worked.
What began as a way to help her soon evolved into a broader vision: to create natural, effective, and chemical-free balms for people, dogs, and even horses — using ingredients you could trust.
From those early days around the kitchen table, The Bee Fairy took flight.
Today, we still handcraft every balm at our home, Hanley Mill, nestled in the heart of the Teme Valley. With the help of pure beeswax, natural oils, and a sprinkle of magic, we’re proud to make gentle products that support wellbeing — for people, animals, and the environment.
✨ Our Vision
As The Bee Fairy grows, we want to stay true to the values that inspired us from the beginning — respect for nature, thoughtful skincare and a genuine desire to help people care for themselves and their animals.
We believe in making our balms in small batches, choosing ingredients carefully and providing clear, honest information about what goes into every product.
Our vision is simple: to build a trusted, independent skincare business where customers feel confident about the products they choose, while continuing to look for practical ways to reduce our environmental impact.
💚 Our Promise
100% natural, cruelty-free ingredients
Bamboo and Aluminium packaging
Handmade in small batches
Safe for sensitive skin and the animals we love
No synthetic fragrances or harsh chemicals — ever
🍯 Why We Use Beeswax
Beeswax is much more than a natural ingredient — it’s at the heart of everything we do at The Bee Fairy.
Produced by worker honeybees to build their honeycomb, beeswax has long been valued in skincare for its protective, emollient and moisture-retaining properties. It helps form a protective barrier on the skin, reducing moisture loss while leaving skin feeling soft and cared for.
Scientific research has also investigated the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and skin-healing potential of beeswax and beeswax-containing preparations. These fascinating properties are part of what makes beeswax such an interesting natural ingredient and why we continue to explore its uses in skincare.
🌿 Inspired by Traditional Herbal Knowledge
For generations, plants, herbs and natural oils have been used as part of traditional approaches to everyday wellbeing and skincare. Many of the ingredients we use in The Bee Fairy balms have a long history of traditional use, and understanding that heritage is an important part of why we choose them.
Throughout our product pages, we share some of this traditional herbal knowledge and explain why particular ingredients have been chosen. This information is provided for interest and education, allowing you to understand more about the ingredients in our products and make your own informed choices.
Traditional use does not necessarily mean that a benefit has been clinically proven, and this information should not be taken as medical advice or as a claim that our cosmetic products can diagnose, treat, prevent or cure a medical condition.
Meet our team
Mike
Founder, Director
A beekeeper with a passion for natural ingredients, Mike develops and handcrafts The Bee Fairy’s beeswax balms at Hanley Mill in Worcestershire. His interest in beeswax and practical skincare grew from wanting to find gentler ways to care for the family’s animals.
Belinda
Director
Belinda shares the passion for countryside living, nature and animal welfare that inspires The Bee Fairy. Together with Mike, she helps shape the values and direction of their family business.
Ola
The Inspiration
Our much-loved Welsh Terrier and the inspiration behind The Bee Fairy. Ola’s skin problems encouraged us to explore beeswax and botanical ingredients, starting a journey that eventually grew into our range of handmade balms for people and animals.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ What are the benefits of beeswax in skincare?
Beeswax acts as a natural barrier, helping to lock in moisture without clogging pores. It’s known for its:
- Soothing and softening properties
- Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities
- Ability to protect skin from environmental damage
❓ Are your products 100% natural?
At The Bee Fairy, we’re committed to making our balms using 100% natural ingredients.
Our formulations combine pure beeswax with carefully selected botanical oils, plant butters and essential oils. Even the Vitamin E we use is naturally derived from sunflower oil.
We don’t add synthetic fragrances, petroleum-based ingredients or unnecessary additives. We believe in being transparent about every ingredient, so customers can make informed choices about their skincare.
We never use synthetic fragrances, petroleum, parabens, or preservatives.
❓ What are the benefits of essential oils in your balms?
Each essential oil we use at The Bee Fairy is carefully selected for its natural aromatic characteristics, traditional uses and suitability within a particular formulation.
For example:
- Peppermint – Known for its refreshing, cooling sensation and distinctive minty aroma. Research has also explored its antimicrobial properties.
- Rose Geranium – Valued for its floral aroma and traditional use in skincare. Its potential antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties have also attracted scientific interest.
- Lavender –Traditionally valued for its calming fragrance and use in skin care. Scientific studies have investigated its antimicrobial and skin-supporting properties.
We use essential oils thoughtfully, choosing them to complement the other ingredients in each balm. Their inclusion does not mean that every finished product has been clinically demonstrated to provide all the effects associated with an individual oil.
Full ingredient information is provided to help customers choose products suited to their needs.
❓ Are your products safe for sensitive skin?
At The Bee Fairy, we carefully select our ingredients to create gentle, nourishing skincare, including options for people with dry or sensitive skin.
Our balms use beeswax, botanical oils and plant butters to help soften the skin, support its natural protective barrier and reduce moisture loss.
Because everyone’s skin is different, some people may prefer simpler formulations, particularly those without essential oils. We provide clear ingredient lists and practical suitability guidance to help you choose the most appropriate balm.
If you have particularly sensitive skin or known allergies, we recommend checking the ingredients and carrying out a small patch test before wider use.
❓ Are your products vegan or cruelty-free?
Our balms are not vegan because beeswax is an essential ingredient in every formulation.
At The Bee Fairy, we have a deep respect for bees and the natural world. Our interest in beeswax began through beekeeping, and we believe in treating bees and other animals with care and respect.
We do not carry out animal testing on our finished cosmetic balms, and we carefully select our ingredients with animal welfare in mind.
Our aim is to create natural skincare while remaining transparent about the ingredients we use and where they come from.
❓ Are your products suitable for pets and animals?
Yes! At The Bee Fairy, we create dedicated natural beeswax balms for dogs and horses, with formulations developed for their particular skincare needs.
Our animal care range includes balms for everyday paw and nose care, skin conditioning, and protective care for horses.
We carefully select beeswax, botanical oils, butters and essential oils according to the intended use of each product. Because dogs and horses have different sensitivities, we provide individual ingredient information and instructions for each balm.
Some of our formulations contain carefully measured essential oils, including tea tree oil. Essential oils are not automatically safe for animals simply because they are natural, so it is important to follow the guidance for each product and avoid applying human balms to animals without checking their suitability.
For dogs, prevent licking until the balm has been absorbed, and discontinue use if irritation occurs. If your animal has a persistent skin condition, broken skin or signs of infection, seek veterinary advice.
❓ What kind of packaging do you use?
At The Bee Fairy, we believe that thoughtful packaging is just as important as the ingredients inside.
Many of our skincare balms are presented in our distinctive bamboo jars, while our lip balms come in elegant bamboo tubes. We also use practical tins for selected products, including our hand and animal care ranges.
We choose our packaging with appearance, practicality, product protection and environmental considerations in mind.
Our aim is to reduce unnecessary packaging wherever possible, while ensuring every balm reaches our customers safely and in excellent condition.
We continually explore packaging options that balance sustainability, functionality and affordability, without compromising the quality of our handmade products.
❓ Where are your products made?
Every balm is handmade by us at Hanley Mill, in the heart of the Teme Valley. Our workshop is surrounded by nature, bees, and a growing wildflower haven.
❓ Are The Bee Fairy products safe to use during IVF, pregnancy, post-operation recovery, or cancer care?
We understand that choosing skincare during pregnancy, IVF, medical treatment or recovery can involve additional considerations.
At The Bee Fairy, we believe in providing clear ingredient information so customers can make confident, informed choices.
Our balms are made with carefully selected natural ingredients, including beeswax, botanical oils and plant butters. Some contain essential oils, while others are made without them, offering a simpler option for those who prefer to avoid fragrances.
Different formulations have different suitability considerations, which is why we encourage customers to look at the guidance for each individual balm rather than assuming the whole range is identical.
For example, our Skin Rejuvenation Balm may be an option worth considering for those who prefer its particular ingredient combination, while our essential-oil-free Natural Hand Balm offers a simpler formulation.
Everyone’s circumstances are individual. If you are pregnant, undergoing IVF or medical treatment, recovering from surgery, or have been advised to avoid particular ingredients, we recommend checking with your healthcare professional if you are unsure.