Mirana Ilieva is a chemical engineer by profession but an apitherapist at heart and has been into bee products for as long as she can remember. Her grandmother dabbled in herbs and taught her to recognize them. Later, her mother taught her a great deal until finally she herself got down to studying herb application. Then, after graduation she became a chemical engineer, until one day she discovered her true vocation:

“Years ago we were looking for ways to supplement our family budget and we came up with all sorts of ideas, but none that grabbed us. Then all of a sudden it dawned on us – beekeeping. It was rather comic – one Christmas we were sitting down at table and one of the guests said something about beekeeping. My husband put the horse to the cart and went out – he came back with two beehives in the middle of winter – people usually buy beehives in springtime. So, that’s how we started keeping bees. But when we got the hives in the courtyard, we realized we had no idea what to do. So we had to start courses.”

They got help from the same person who had given them the beekeeping idea and it took them a year to learn the intricacies of the trade. Finding out more and more about beekeeping, Mirana started mixing medicinal concoctions, based on honey products and herbs:

“Until my husband retired I made my own face creams and ointments, just for my own use and for friends. I had often wondered where my flair for herbs came from, until Emil Elmazov, a prominent scholar told me: “You were born on June 24, you came into this world with a mission!” he said. I started out with propolis – we made a very nourishing propolis vaseline with pronounced curative properties. Later, my granddaughter had a skin problem and we spent a lot of money on expensive cosmetics but to no avail. But I had chanced upon a book on apitherapy – there I found the ingredients for a face cream using vaseline and wax. I started experimenting – I added marigold, olive oil, vitamin A, until I got the right proportions. So, I made a face cream and a lotion. And all the ingredients are right there, in my garden – salvia, for example is an excellent choice.”

Around ten years ago Mirana got a severe allergy from the chemicals she worked with. So, in search of a cure for herself, she came up with a face cream made of herbs, honey, wax and royal jelly. And as the cream had an excellent effect, she offered it to friends and acquaintances:

“I have other ideas as well. It is not enough to create a new product, you have to have it in stock and offer a wide range of products as well. And that is by no means easy – our products are hand-made. We have, in fact, gone back to the most ancient knowledge of cosmetics and way of life. This is something that has always existed, all we have to do is look for it and use it.”

English: Milena Daynova