Perhaps the most well known wax to add to bath and body products is beeswax. However, there are a few other choices – particularly if you are vegan, and would prefer a wax that is derived from plants. This post looks at some of the different types of waxes you can use in your bath and body product making.

Beeswax for Bath and Body Products

Beeswax is extracted from the honey bee (genus Apis). Worker honeybees secrete a waxy substance in order to build the walls of the honeycomb. The beehive has to be at just the right temperature (91 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit) for the worker bees to be able to secrete the wax.

Secreted beeswax is a white to colorless substance in liquid form; this turns into a yellow, tough, waxy solid substance on contact with the air. The color of solid beeswax may vary due to resins and plant material in the geographical area where the beeswax is produced.

Beeswax is softened by heat and used to make such products as balms, butters, lotions, creams, and solid perfumes.

Carnauba Wax for Bath and Body Products

Carnauba wax is extracted from the wax of the leaves of Copernicia prunifera. It is also called Brazil wax or Palm wax. The tall palm tree is native to Brazil. The wax is collected from the leaves of the tree by drying and beating them to loosen the wax.

Carnauba wax is sold as hard, yellow wax flakes for inclusion in bath and body products. It can be combined with beeswax or used on its own in the same type of products which beeswax is added to. If you use carnauba wax in place of beeswax in bath and body product making, you will need to adjust the quantity used for beeswax.

Candelilla Wax for Bath and Body Products

Candelilla wax is extracted from the wax of the leaves of Euphorbia cerifera. The Candelilla or Wax Plant is a small shrub, native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The wax is extracted from the plant by boiling the leaves, and diluting the mixture with sulfuric acid.

Candelilla wax is hard, brittle, aromatic and yellow in color. It can also be used in making bath and body products in place of beeswax. Again, the quantity used will need to be adjusted in place of beeswax in your recipes.

Other Waxes to Use in Bath and Body Products

There are also other waxes that you can use in making bath and body products. These include:

• emulsifying wax

• myrtle wax

• floral waxes.

Learn How to Make Bath and Body Products with Sedona Aromatherapie

If you would like to learn more about making bath and body products consider taking one of the Sedona Aromatherapie Home Study Aromatherapy Courses. If you have a specific request for a course, contact me prior to purchase and I will be happy to discuss your needs.

For more information, visit the Sedona Aromatherapie courses home page.

References:

• From Nature with Love website, accessed December 9, 2013

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations website, Candelilla Wax Data Sheet, accessed December 9, 2013

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations website, Carnauba Wax Data Sheet, accessed December 9, 2013

• Bee-Hexagon.net, Beeswax: Production, Properties, Composition and Control, accessed December 9, 2013