Michael Mullinax has been an advocate for the "magical" little insects since she was a little girl. Her father, as the "keeper of the bees," instilled in her the importance of apiaries and keeping the bees safe. 

“I was born and raised as a conservationist,” Mullinax said. “I was born and raised to respect our environment and to protect our environment. And that has become near and dear to my heart as I’ve gotten older.” 

And what Mullinax has also found are the advantages of doing so. A part of being an apiarist is also extracting honey and beeswax from the combs. 

Using a hot knife, Mullinax said beekeepers cut the wax, which are called “cappings”, off the top of a honey frame. 

And it is this process that has allowed her to cultivate an entire business creating hand-made, natural products–solely from extracted beeswax.

Her family business, Brown's Creek Honey Farm, is a full circle moment, and is named after the very place where she first laid eyes on the bees–her family farm. 

From body lotion, heel balm and lip balm, to food wraps, decorative candles and raw honey, Mullinax said she makes and sells it all. 

During her process, she said she begins by removing all the propolis from the wax. From there, a yellow color and fragrant aroma are left.

 She then adds in additional products such as organic raw shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil, peppermint oil, Vitamin E and other natural ingredients to soften it up, creating a range of various blends.

Mullinax said that beeswax holds many health benefits, including its natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. She said it’s also a humectant and an emollient, making it great for skin care.

That’s why she recommends people to use it in their daily routine. 

At first, Mullinax didn’t set out to start a business. She initially believed that her skillful product-making was normal. 

Growing up in South Carolina, she said it was common for people to make their own all-natural products. But, once she got to Florida, she noticed just how different things were. 

“I’ve been rendering beeswax for so long, I just thought everybody knew how to make their own niches,” Mullinax said. 

She saw a dire need for more handcrafting businesses, but also ones where the products were completely "all-natural."

That is what inspired her to start her own. 

Using her father’s apiary back in South Carolina as a source for her beeswax, Mullinax said she is able to make the products straight from her home.

Mullinax also said she makes it a point to support other nationally domestic apiaries as well. 

She said it is important to support the beekeepers that exist and their products because it better empowers the United States to start using our own.

“We want U.S. beekeepers,” Mullinax said. “And we want to grow the population of beekeepers in the United States.”

In her early days, she began by experimenting with beeswax and making teak wood scented lotion for her husband, as well as products to care for her daughter’s eczema and relieve her dog’s brass allergies. 

And it eventually became bigger than what it initially was. 

Continuing to make her mark in the industry, Mullinax, with the help of her family, showcases her products in many local pop-up events, as well as some events in South Carolina. 

She said it's amazing to see old and new customers come out to support her business. No matter who it is, she said she is excited to share just a little bit of life’s extras with them. She said she can spot a former customer from a mile away. 

Additionally her products can be found on her online shop and at the Queen Bee Amelia, as well as in the local boutiques Rustic Rose and Sweet Hydrangea. 

Rustic Rose Boutique owner Stephanie Male said her partnership with Mullinax has been all about supporting small businesses. And, she is glad to be helping. She said her store has had a lot of traction to Mullinax’s products

“They love it. They come back for more,” Male said. 

For the future, Mullinax said she is always looking for ways to expand and will continue searching for how far she can go with her creations.

Because for her, there is no limit to "bee"-ing natural.