GOOD FOR ALL SKIN TYPES

INGREDIENT FEATURES

astringent

skin conditioning

emollient

USER BENEFITS

toning

smoothing

moisturizing

thickener

emulsifier

emollient

Candelilla extract is derived from candelilla plants and used as a thickening agent and emollient to give products such as lipsticks or stick foundations their form.

Characteristics of the plant and its wax

Candelilla wax is a wax derived from the leaves of the small Candelilla shrub native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, Euphorbia cerifera and Euphorbia antisyphilitica, from the family Euphorbiaceae. It is yellowish-brown, hard, brittle, aromatic, and opaque to translucent.

Candellila wax is considered a hard vegetable wax, brittle, lustrous, and slightly tacky. It's color varies from light brown to light yellow. It has a low coefficient of expansion and contraction. Candelilla is softer than carnauba wax.

Uses and Applications

It is mostly used mixed with other waxes to harden them without raising their melting point. As a food additive, candelilla wax is used as a glazing agent. It also finds use in cosmetic industry, as a component of lip balms and lotion bars. One of its major uses was a binder for chewing gums. Candelilla wax can be used as a substitute for carnauba wax and beeswax.

Did you know . . .

Candelilla’s extraordinary molding qualities capable of reproducing fine detail make it a superior precision casting wax.

Composition and production

With a melting point of 68.5–72.5 °C, candelilla wax consists of mainly hydrocarbons (about 50%, chains with 29–33 carbons), esters of higher molecular weight (20–29%), free acids (7–9%), and resins (12–14%, mainly triterpenoid esters). The high hydrocarbon content distinguishes this wax from carnauba wax. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in many organic solvents.