Beessential

Beessential’s founder, David Rzepka, never set out to be a skincare entrepreneur. His path to natural beauty products began most unexpectedly: by saying “yes” to a friend’s unusual request. Around twenty years ago, David agreed to let a colleague place a beehive near Cleveland, Ohio on his family’s land. Not long after, the colleague moved away, leaving the hive behind—and David, unintentionally, became a beekeeper.
Instead of abandoning the bees, David leaned in. Curious and inspired, he began learning everything he could about apiary care, attending workshops at The Ohio State University’s agricultural school and immersing himself in the science of the hive. What began as a reluctant responsibility soon transformed into a passion—and even a kind of therapy. Beekeeping helped David reconnect with nature, develop patience, and reflect on how bees support the ecosystem and human life.
After his first successful honey harvest, David and his family began experimenting with beeswax and honey-based recipes. A few batches of homemade lip balm and bar soap became holiday gifts. Then came requests for more. Soon after, Beessential was born, with a mission to create honest, natural products using the power of the hive.
What Makes Beessential Different
There’s no shortage of skincare companies claiming to be “natural.” But Beessential stands out by actually living that philosophy—from sourcing ingredients to formulating every product in-house. We’re one of the rare body care companies that controls the process from hive to bottle. Here’s what truly sets us apart:
Bee-Based and Bee-Conscious
We raise our bees and harvest honey, beeswax, and propolis. This gives us an intimate understanding of the quality of our ingredients, ensuring that everything we use is sustainably harvested and ethically handled. We never use bleach or harsh processing methods that could strip these materials of their beneficial properties. If we don’t have enough honey for our products, we use beekeepers who have our natural beekeeping philosophy.
Propolis, for example, is a resin-like substance bees produce to protect the hive. It’s antimicrobial, antioxidant-rich, and incredibly soothing for the skin—making it a key ingredient in many of our products.
Truly Natural Ingredients (No Greenwashing Here)
Beessential avoids all synthetic fragrances, harsh preservatives, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, PEGs, and other commonly used chemical additives. Instead, we rely on essential oils, plant-based surfactants, botanical extracts, and cold-pressed oils to create effective, nourishing products.
Our ingredient lists are transparent and easy to understand. You won’t find “fragrance” as a vague catch-all—what you will find are ingredients like rosemary extract, cupuaçu butter, calendula, and aloe.
Handcrafted in Small Batches
Every Beessential product is made in small batches at our Cleveland facility. This allows us to maintain strict quality control, ensure freshness, and adjust recipes when needed based on seasonality and ingredient availability. Our cold-process soap bars, for example, cure for weeks before being packaged to ensure a hard, long-lasting bar with luxurious lather.
Family-Run and Purpose-Driven
We take pride in being a family-owned and operated business. This commitment ensures we don’t cut corners, compromise quality for cost savings, or make decisions solely for profit. We aim to create products that we would happily share with our family—and we do just that. David works daily with his wife, Amy, and their son, Nathan.
Our Product Line: Nature-Powered from Head to Toe
Beessential offers a comprehensive collection of natural skincare and haircare products, all rooted in clean, effective ingredients and bee-based benefits.
Foaming Hand Soaps
Beessential’s Foaming Hand Soaps are one of our most popular and giftable products. Thanks to ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera, and raw honey, these soaps clean thoroughly without drying out the skin. Available in fresh, essential-oil-based scents like Grapefruit and lemongrass, Lavender, Orange Ginger, and Tea Tree, they leave your hands clean, soft, and subtly scented.
We never use triclosan or synthetic foaming agents, so the experience is gentle yet effective—even for sensitive skin.
Bar Soaps
Our cold-process bar soaps are made with olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, raw honey, and beeswax for an ultra-moisturizing cleanse. Popular varieties include:
Totally Hip Hemp & Lemongrass – Crafted to elevate your bathing experience, this vegan soap brings peace and delight to every wash without any bee products.
Dead Sea Mud – Dead Sea mud is renowned for its ability to nourish and detoxify, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Lavender & Honey – Provides a gentle, moisturizing cleanse while enveloping you in lavender’s soothing floral scent.
Honey & Oat– Infused with fresh peppermint, this soothing bar combines oatmeal’s gentle exfoliation with honey’s hydrating properties, leaving skin soft, moisturized, and refreshed.
Each bar is hand-poured, hand-cut, and cured for 6 weeks before packaging.
Lip Balms
Our beeswax-based lip balms glide smoothly and stay put—no waxy buildup or constant reapplication. We use nourishing oils like olive, avocado, cupuaçu butter, and propolis for their healing properties. With scents like Orange Ginger, Coconut Lime, Vanilla, and Honey, they’re a fan favorite for good reason.
Hand & Body Creams
Our rich body creams are made with honey, shea butter, and cupuaçu butter to lock in moisture. We’ve formulated them to absorb quickly, leaving no greasy residue behind. A little goes a long way, making them ideal for hands, elbows, knees, and anywhere skin needs extra TLC.
Shampoo & Conditioner
Our sulfate-free haircare line is designed to gently cleanse and nourish the scalp while leaving hair soft and manageable. Infused with honey and botanical extracts, it’s suitable for all hair types, including color-treated and curly hair. Ingredients like rosemary and nettle help support scalp health and promote shine.
Our Mission: Be Good. Do Good. Feel Good.
Beessential’s mission is as simple as it is powerful: to create products that are good for people, good for bees, and good for the planet. That means avoiding shortcuts and honoring nature. We believe in business as a force for good and that you don’t have to compromise your health or values to have beautiful skin.
Our tagline, “Be Good. Do Good. Feel Good,” isn’t just a slogan. It’s the compass to guide every decision we make, from sourcing and packaging to customer service and philanthropy.
Fun & Fascinating Facts About Beessential
David, our founder, still keeps bees on the original family farm—and yes, the honey in our products often comes straight from those hives and from our friends’ hives.
We use cupuaçu butter, a sustainably harvested Amazonian fruit butter, in our lip balms and body creams. It absorbs better than shea and holds 440% of its weight in water.
Every formulation is developed and tested in-house—nothing is white-labeled or outsourced.
Our name is a play on “Be Essential”—and a nod to the bees who inspire everything we do.
Our gift boxes and packaging are recyclable and often made from post-consumer waste.
Beessential products are made in the USA and shipped nationwide via our website and select retail partners.
We’re frequently featured in gift guides for conscious shoppers, clean beauty lovers, and eco-friendly households, and have received glowing praise.
The Beessential Promise
We understand that the beauty industry is crowded and that “natural” is often used as a buzzword. That’s why we invite our customers to look closely at our labels, stories, and practices. We believe in transparency, education, and accountability.
At Beessential, we promise never to make a product we wouldn’t be proud to give our loved ones. We promise to respect the bees that make our work possible. And we promise to keep listening, improving, and crafting products that make you feel good inside and out.