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Candelilla Wax

Candelilla wax is scraped from the stems of the candelilla shrub, which grows in the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and southern Texas. The plant coats itself in wax to survive the heat.

On a list as
Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax
What it does
Plant wax: firmness and shine
Where it comes from
Plant: the candelilla shrub of northern Mexico and Texas
Vegan?
Yes

Why it’s in a formula

It is firmer and glossier than beeswax, so it holds a lipstick or gloss together and adds shine. It is one of the most common vegan replacements for beeswax.

  • Candelilla wax is plant-derived, but a piece containing it isn’t automatically vegan: check the rest of the list. L’Éclat, for one, also contains beeswax and lanolin.

Read from each piece’s published ingredient list. One piece.

L'Éclat

L'Éclat

Lip Gloss

$44

Listed as Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelila) Wax

Not vegan: lanolin and beeswax, and some shades may contain carmine

Is candelilla wax vegan?

Yes. It comes from a plant. Whether a product containing it is vegan depends on everything else in the list.

Is candelilla wax better than beeswax?

Neither is better in general. Candelilla is harder and shinier, so formulas use less of it; beeswax is softer and more pliable. Vegans choose candelilla because it contains no animal product.

What is the difference between candelilla and carnauba wax?

Both are plant waxes. Carnauba, from the leaves of a Brazilian palm, is the hardest natural wax and gives sticks and mascaras their firmness. Candelilla, from a desert shrub, is softer and glossier, and is the usual plant swap for beeswax.

How we know: every ingredient list on this site is the manufacturer’s own, read piece by piece and shade by shade, and the pieces above are worked out from those lists each time the site is built. Ingredient names and functions follow the EU’s CosIng database. This page describes cosmetic ingredients; it isn’t medical advice.