Myrica Fruit Wax

Overview

Myrica fruit wax (sometimes called bayberry wax) is pressed from the small waxy berries of the bayberry shrub. The berries are boiled and the wax floats to the surface, where it is skimmed, filtered, and cooled into pale green-to-tan pellets or flakes. It has a very faint herbal scent that disappears completely in a finished product.

The melting point is around 45-50 C — even lower than berry wax — which makes it one of the softest natural waxes used in DIY. It feels almost like a firm butter when you press it. At room temperature it holds shape but will soften noticeably in a warm hand.

Myrica is a slightly niche ingredient in EU DIY supply chains, but it is worth knowing because it brings a unique skin feel: silky, slightly powdery on the dry-down, and notably non-tacky. Think of it as the wax that does not feel like a wax.

Shelf life is 1-2 years stored cool, dark, and dry. It is more delicate than beeswax because of the triglyceride content; keep it sealed.

What it does in a formula

Myrica is mostly long-chain triglycerides with palmitic and lauric acids as the dominant fractions. The lauric content is unusual for a wax and is part of what gives myrica its silky, fast-spreading character.

In formulas it acts as a soft structuring agent and a skin-feel modifier. It does not provide the firmness of beeswax or candelilla, but it gives oils enough body to behave like a cream and leaves a non-greasy, almost matte finish. Lipsticks with myrica have a velvety glide that pure candelilla cannot replicate.

It has mild film-forming properties and a slight occlusive effect, but the main reason to use myrica is the texture — soft, silky, and very wearable.

How to use

Add to the oil phase. Heat to 55-65 C. Like berry wax, myrica melts low, so you do not need to push the heat hard.

Usage rates by product type:

• Lipsticks and lip balms: 5-12% (velvety glide)
• Cream blushes and stick foundations: 8-15%
• Solid serums and balm cleansers: 5-12%
• Natural deodorant sticks: 3-8% (paired with carnauba or candelilla)
• Whipped butters: 2-5% (texture refinement)
• Hair pomades for matte hold: 5-10%

Best for / Worst for

Best for: velvety lipsticks and lip balms, cream colour cosmetics, natural deodorant sticks (paired with a harder wax), products where you want softness without tackiness, premium-feeling balms.

Worst for: lip balms that need to survive a warm pocket (too low melting), structural lotion bars, vegan beeswax swaps where you need firmness — pick candelilla instead.

Common pitfalls

Used alone in stick formats. A push-up balm with only myrica wax will collapse the first time it touches body heat. Always pair with candelilla or carnauba (3-8%) for any structural product.

Wrong impression of firmness during cool-down. When myrica is still warm it looks like it will set hard. It will not — the final product is much softer than it appears at the pour stage. Build firmness with a harder wax rather than upping the myrica.

Cost vs. benefit. Myrica is more expensive than candelilla and the difference is purely in skin feel. For a basic lip balm where finish does not matter, candelilla is more economical.

Substitutes

• Berry wax — closest plant analog, similar softness, slightly less silky.
• Refined shea butter — overlapping creaminess, no structuring effect.
• Candelilla wax — much harder and waxier; not a feel swap.
• Cupuaçu butter — close on silky finish, no wax behaviour.