Candelilla Wax – Vegan Wax
We use Wild Harvested Candelilla wax from the deserts of the USA & Mexico.
Plant Description
Often mistakenly called a cactus, Candelilla is actually a species of spurge shrub native to the southern US states of Texas and New Mexico, as well as several states in Mexico. It rarely grows above 3ft, with densely clustered stems, short-lived tiny leaves and yearly Spring blossoms which are small but beautiful. Being a desert plant it loves dry and hot conditions with well-drained soils. It is a succulent so requires little water, and is tolerant to both hot and cold conditions.
The wax is extracted from the plant by boiling up the stems and skimming off the released wax. Workers in this field are called Candelilleros. Interestingly the yield of wax is lower when the plants are cultivated rather than from wild plants, this means the wildcrafted candelilla wax is pesticide free, but can’t be certified organic as it’s not from a controlled farm.
History of Candelilla Wax
The name ‘Candelilla’ means ‘small candle’ and comes from the use of the wax by colonial Spaniards. It’s use grew from the beginning of the 20th century, during the wars to waterproof tents & equipment, as well as also being used in various products including lubricants, polish, chewing gum, phonograph records and of course cosmetics.
Candelilla Wax Skin Benefits
Candelilla wax is the perfect alternative to Beeswax in cosmetics, it imparts a lovely sheen and smooth texture to balms. It helps protect the skin whilst locking in moisture, aiding the other skin softening ingredients in balms to stay on the skin imparting their qualities. It has also been known to help reduce inflammation of skin disorders and allergic reactions.
Find it in.. all of our vegan lip balms.
Image: “Euphorbia antisyphilitica2 ies” by Frank Vincentz – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Euphorbia_antisyphilitica2_ies.jpg#/media/File:Euphorbia_antisyphilitica2_ies.jpg