Candelilla Cera; Candelilla Wax

(in 6,044 products)

1. Glazing Agent - A waxy coating which provides protection and prevents water loss

2. Occlusive (Cosmetics) - Forms a protective layer to retain skin hydration

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.

It is mostly used mixed with other waxes to harden them without raising their melting point. As a food additive, candelilla wax has the E number E902 and 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 is as a binder for chewing gums.

Candelilla wax can be used as a substitute for carnauba wax and beeswax.

It is approved to use as food additive in EU.

1. PubChem: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/12410

1. EU Approved Food Additive [2018]

- E902

2. US FDA Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) Food Substances (21 CFR 184) [2017]

- § 184.1976 - Candelilla wax