ok, the oil experiment was a bust. I melted a bit of cocoa butter and coconut oil together, and tried to stir in a chunk of propolis. It just sat there. Stirring or trying to incorporate it just made it clump in different shapes. The vendor had said she was pretty sure a high heat would destroy it's properties, so I gave up. Didn't want the smell of that stuff scorching with smoking oil in my house anyway. ;-) And it was easily retrieved in entirety from the oil to try again.

So now I'm trying to dissolve it in alcohol. I've used a tablespoon or so of 80 proof vodka and it doesn't really want to melt smoothly, but it's definitely softened and creamier on the edges of the chunk I sacrificed. So, I'm applying it to a little spot I've had for a while - I suspect another small skin cancer or at least sun damage on my chest. I'd tried to put some on it in its original form, and the propolis wouldn't 'let go' of my finger in order to cover the wound and I didn't want to put a big layer on it and cover it with a bandage, cuz I get a reaction from the adhesive that is usually worse than whatever scrape I'm covering. And this shows at my collarwhile wearing my button up work shirts. Anyway - it spread smoothly using the toothpick I was stirring it with, and then the alcohol seemed to evaporate leaving a pretty good sealed covering, but it is discreet enough to not need to cover with a bandage. I'd call it a limited success!

Oh, and the funny thing is, I'd found the same vendor at the last faire of the season, so I bought another tin of it, so as to have plenty to experiment with - and also a good supply in case it WORKED. Then on the way home, I was discussing my ideas with my husband and he reached in his pocket and pulled out *another* one. LOL I love my husband. What other guy would buy 'bee poop' as a gift for his wife. :-)