Maybe you could head to work without shining your shoes, could do romance without a substantial collection of candles, and might even consider the loss of furniture polish a bonus when it comes to cleaning. But could you really live without your beauty faves?

It seems like another crisis might be lurking for the cosmetic industry, as a substantial number of  beauty products are being affected by an unprecedented drop in the number of honey bees over the last year.

According to a survey carried out by the British Beekeeper’s Association (BBKA), one in three of the UK’s 240,000 honeybee hives failed to make it through the winter and spring of 2008, a figure well above the predicted normal yearly loss of around 5–10%.

While the reasons for hive losses are still unknown, many factors may be accountable; the use of pesticides which can be picked up by bees during pollination of crops, bad weather, pests such as varroa mites, viruses, and genetic narrowing of the species by breeding high honey-yielding insects, could all be held responsible for the reduction.

Primitive people originally used beeswax as an antiseptic for wound healing, and today the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals industry account for about 60% of total beeswax consumption.

With a growing preference for cosmetic products that are free from synthetic ingredients, beeswax (Cera Alba) acts as the perfect natural thickening agent, emulsifier, and humectant. It contains compounds called wax esthers that are found in human skin, and remains biologically active even after processing, with proven anti-bacterial properties.

Beeswax helps the skin to retain moisture by performing as a soothing and softening agent. It contains vitamin A, an essential component for normal cell development. Cera Alba is often an ingredient in hand and body creams; renowned skincare expert Eve Lom uses it in her luxury range of skincare products, and it is a component in many lip and body butters from fair-trade organisation The Body Shop.

Information released by the Co-operative Group, suggests that in total, approximately 4000 of the UK’s favourite cosmetics are under threat, including a staggering 643 varieties of mascara, 589 lipsticks and at least 453 moisturisers. Brands such as Max Factor, who use beeswax in their Lipfinity products, Wella who manufacture the Shockwaves styling collection, and Lush known for their gorgeous range of indulgent soaps, could all be affected.

So how can we help in the quest to keep our cosmetics? Plan Bee, launched earlier this year by the Co-operative group, aims to raise awareness of the worrying problems facing world honey bee populations, and educate us in ways we can help to save them. This includes tips on everything bee-friendly from planting your garden and installing a ‘bee box’, to becoming an amateur keeper.

Whilst many of us prefer the buzz of city life to that of the great outdoors, it is important to remember that nature is just as vital to our everyday lives as technology. Struggling to contemplate the loss of your favourite lippy? Then it’s veils on time, girls…