Candelilla Wax

Candelilla Wax is another popular vegetable wax. It is usually found either raw in lumps or in a refined state of flakes, pellets or powder. Candelilla is obtained from the coating of the “wax slipper plant”. Euphorhia Cerifera found mainly in Mexico. The entire plant is pulled up or cut from the base of the main stem. To extract the wax the plants are dried in the sun for up to 2 weeks, after which they are pulverised and dried with solvents which dissolve the wax. The resulting solution is filtered recovering the solvent for re-use. The remaining wax residue is broken up.

Candelilla Wax is sometimes used as a substitute in polishes for Carnauba Wax although it does not quite offer the same lustre and is not so easily emulsified.