Cera Carnauba Wax) ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a high-melting structuring agent and film-former used to add hardness, gloss, and payoff control in sticks, balms, mascaras, and color cosmetics.
What does Cera Carnauba Wax) do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a high-melting structuring agent and film-former used to add hardness, gloss, and payoff control in sticks, balms, mascaras, and color cosmetics.
Is Cera Carnauba Wax) clean?
It is generally well tolerated, with low irritation potential and little clean-standard friction when properly refined. It is not a common allergen and is typically viewed as an uncomplicated natural structurant.
Is Cera Carnauba Wax) sustainable?
This material is plant-derived from leaves harvested from a Brazilian palm species, so it can be renewable when managed responsibly. Key sustainability questions are harvest practices, traceability, and labor standards, while environmental persistence is low compared with synthetic non-biodegradable film-formers.
Is Cera Carnauba Wax) COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when sourced and processed according to the standard. It fits Green Chemistry principles reasonably well because it is renewable, physically obtained, and biodegradable, though refining and long-distance sourcing add some footprint.
How does Cera Carnauba Wax) work chemically?
The molecule mix is dominated by long-chain esters, with smaller fractions of fatty alcohols, fatty acids, hydrocarbons, and resin-like components that create a very hard, glossy, high-melting solid. It typically melts around 80 to 86°C and is often used from about 0.5 to 20%, with higher levels in anhydrous sticks and lower levels for viscosity or film adjustment.
Last updated 2026-05-13