Encyclopedia
Waxs
19 wax ingredients explained in plain English.
Beeswax Cera Alba Classic animal-derived wax from honeybee hives. Structures balms, salves, and lipsticks with a soft, occlusive finish. Berry Wax Rhus Verniciflua Peel Cera Soft, low-melting plant wax pressed from sumac berries. Creamy texture for balms and lipsticks. Candelilla Wax Euphorbia Cerifera Cera Hard vegan plant wax from the candelilla shrub. Structures lip balms and bars with a glossy, non-tacky finish. Carnauba Wax Copernicia Cerifera Cera The hardest commonly used plant wax. Adds high shine and glassy structure in tiny amounts. Cetyl Palmitate Cetyl Palmitate A vegetable-derived wax ester that thickens, stabilises, and adds a soft, smooth feel to balms, sticks, and cream emulsions. Green Tea Wax Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract A soft, dark green CO2 extract of green tea leaves — technically an extract, not a true wax. Combines polyphenol-driven anti-aging with emolliency and barrier repair, but its vivid colour is not UV-stable. Jasmine Wax Jasminum Officinale (Jasmine) Flower Cera A soft, fragrant floral wax left behind after extracting jasmine absolute. Pale yellow to brown, with a gentle jasmine scent — used as both a mild structuring agent and a natural fragrance carrier in luxury balms and solid perfumes. Jojoba Wax Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil The hydrogenated form of jojoba oil. Sets soft, skin-mimicking balms with a near-perfect glide. Lauryl Laurate Lauryl Laurate A soft, coconut-derived wax ester that gives lotions and balms a uniquely creamy, fast-melt feel. Low melting point, low drag. Myrica Fruit Wax Myrica Cerifera (Bayberry) Fruit Wax Soft plant wax from bayberry fruit. Velvety skin feel, useful in balms and natural lipsticks. Myristyl Myristate Myristyl Myristate A vegetable-derived wax ester that gives lotions a silky, expensive-feeling slip. The often-overlooked alternative to cetyl palmitate. Palmitic Acid Palmitic Acid A 16-carbon saturated fatty acid found naturally in palm and animal fats. Used as a thickener, opacifier, and structure-builder in creams and bars. Rice Bran Wax Oryza Sativa Cera Hard plant wax from rice bran oil. Vegan beeswax-style structure with a smooth, glossy finish. Rice Wax Oryza Sativa Bran Wax A hard, high-gloss vegetable wax from rice bran — gives firm structure and natural sheen to lip products, balms, and styling waxes. Rose Wax Rosa Damascena Flower Cera / Rosa Damascena Flower Extract Fragrant floral wax from rose absolute production. Adds natural rose scent and firm structure to balms and solid perfumes. Soy Wax Hydrogenated Soybean Oil A soft, creamy vegetable wax from hydrogenated soybean oil — a vegan beeswax alternative for balms, lotion bars, and solid cosmetics. Stearyl Palmitate Stearyl Palmitate A firm, naturally-derived wax ester that adds structure and silky glide to balms, sticks, and rich creams. Sunflower Wax Helianthus Annuus Cera Hard, high-melting plant wax dewaxed from sunflower oil. Vegan structural workhorse with a glossy finish. Tribehenin Tribehenin A vegetable-derived solid emollient that gives creams a silky, cushioning feel and stabilises emulsions in hot conditions.