Carnauba Wax

This hard yellow-brown wax comes from the Carnauba palm tree (Copernicea Cerifera) and is found only in the northeast of Brazil in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara and Piaui. The wax is obtained from the film of powder that coats the sword shaped leaves protecting them from the severe climate of that region. During the harvest period (August-January) the leaves are cut, bundled together and put to dry in the sun. The powder is then mechanically threshed from the leaves and graded by colour, the lighter powder originating from the younger leaves. Once refined, the Carnauba Wax is offered in different colours, grades and forms. The most widely used are the Prime Yellow grade which is a very pale yellow wax usually available in flake, lump, micronised or powdered form.

This wax is ideal for the Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries as it conforms to British, European and US Pharmacopoeia Specifications. Next is the Light Fatty Grey, a medium yellow/brown wax available usually in flake and occasionally in lump form. This wax is widely used in the Furniture and Automotive Polish Industries where its hard characteristic gives an excellent surface shine. Thirdly there is the Fatty Grey grade which tends to be brown in colour and offered in flake or lump form. This wax is also popular in the Polish Industry, particularly in the manufacture of darker shoe polishes.