Honeyed Lips

The Melissae were ancient Greek priestesses whose name means “bees.” Nectar Melissae is a nourishing and protective lip treatment oil with propolis, an aromatic resin made by bees that is rich in naturally occurring antioxidants. We make each batch by hand, slowly infusing fresh jojoba seed oil with Sonoran Desert propolis and rare Mexican vanilla pompona beans. This gradual, cold infusion draws out the skin-beneficial properties of the propolis without potentially damaging exposure to heat, and imbues the lip oil with the soft, marshmallow sweetness of the vanilla.

In ancient Egypt, honey and propolis were used in unguents, salves, and skin preparations, applied to wounds, and used for the ritual preservation of the dead. Bee products were valued not only for their healing properties but for their ability to protect and condition the skin in a harsh desert climate. It is said that the Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of modern medicine, used propolis to heal sores, reduce inflammation, and support tissue regeneration, while the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder wrote that it “heals sores when it appears hopeless for them to mend.” During World War II, it was even known as “Russian Penicillin,” widely used in Soviet clinics before antibiotics became broadly available. An ancestral ingredient that has never disappeared from holistic healing traditions, propolis endures as a natural agent of repair and defense.