Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax ●
TL;DR. It serves as an oil-phase thickener, structurant, and film-forming occlusive, giving sticks, balms, salves, and color cosmetics body, payoff control, and water resistance.
What does Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax do in a cosmetic formula?
It serves as an oil-phase thickener, structurant, and film-forming occlusive, giving sticks, balms, salves, and color cosmetics body, payoff control, and water resistance.
Is Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax clean?
It is generally low-irritation and chemically inert on skin. Clean standards often flag it because it is petroleum-derived and quality depends on high refinement to limit residual aromatic impurities.
Is Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax sustainable?
It comes from fossil feedstocks rather than renewable plant or mineral cycles. It is not readily biodegradable and can have long environmental residence compared with many plant-derived lipids.
Is Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS natural or organic standards because petrochemical-derived ingredients of this type do not meet the standard’s allowed-origin criteria. Its Green Chemistry fit is weak due to nonrenewable sourcing and limited biodegradability, although it is stable and low-reactivity in formulas.
How does Cera Microcristallina/Microcrystalline Wax work chemically?
This material is a high-molecular-weight mixture of mostly branched and cyclic saturated hydrocarbons with a fine crystalline structure, which gives strong oil-binding and plasticity. It is typically used at about 1 to 15% in balms, sticks, and anhydrous systems, is water-insoluble, stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, and melts roughly in the 60 to 90°C range depending on grade.
Last updated 2026-05-13