Company History – Bioceuticals
Company History
The unique properties of fresh royal jelly are now widely appreciated. BioBees® Fresh Royal Jelly was established in 1979 by a team of eminent London based Pharmacists, and from there the brand has grown to become the UK’s leading premium British royal jelly range.
In 1979 the British pharmacists discovered that many of their patients were experiencing skin conditions and feelings of poor wellbeing. As pharmaceuticals products were unsuitable for many of these conditions they sought alternative treatments. Discovering how royal jelly had been used to promote health and vitality for centuries across the world, the pharmacists learned that this remarkable substance to be so effective that they actually have hospitals that only use Bee Products for treating patients.
The pharmacists employed the services of a cosmetic scientist to help develop a range of royal jelly skin care and natural health products. The products quickly gained a loyal following, particularly amongst royalty, film stars and wealthy Londoners.
Products from the range were secretly formulated for members of the British royal family and the products have been used by royal families across the world ever since.
Word of the BioBees® Royal Jelly products soon spread and luxury retailers across the world began to stock the products. For most of its life, BioBees® has relied on word of mouth to spread the word as well as stockists such as Harrods, Selfridges and specialist royal warrant pharmacy, John Bell & Croydon.
The History behind Royal Jelly
Royal jelly also known as bee milk was found to be the product of the salivary glands of nurse bees. It is fed to worker and drone larvae for the first few days of their life after which their diet is changed to pollen and honey. Queen bees on the other hand are fed royal jelly, and only royal jelly, for their entire life, both as larvae and as adults. Worker bees are sterile and only live for a few months while queen bees are fertile and live for several years. The reproductive and life extending properties of royal jelly on queen bees led some to investigate its effect on humans.
Scientific interest in the regenerative properties of royal jelly goes to the 1920s at least, a decade noted for the work of Serge Voronoff [1866-1951] and Eugen Steinach [1861-1944] into the rejuvenating effects. For example, in 1929, Frederick G. Banting [1891-1941] – one of the discoverers of insulin – and his associates at the University of Toronto, Canada, began a study of the chemistry of royal jelly to determine the ingredient that was responsible for its stimulating effects.
The research that royal jelly provided rejuvenating or anti-ageing properties led to a number of medicinal and cosmetic claims. European literature of the time suggested that it prevented wrinkles, rejuvenated skin, cured acne and helped male pattern baldness (deNavarre, 1962, p. 163).