Candelilla Wax Profile
Botanical Name- Euphorbia Antisyphillitica and/or Pedilanthus Pavonis
Origin- Mexico
Extraction- Hand Collected/Hot Water Separated
Shelf life- 3-4 years
Notes- Stores well under any condition but extreme heat and light may cause discoloration. Candelilla wax will vary in color from a pale yellow to a deep yellow. This difference is a normal occurrence. Candelilla melts, mixes and blends remarkably like beeswax and is a great alternative for cosmetic creations.
Specifications
Color- Yellow
Odor- Flat
Size- ¼ inch standard flake
Acid Value- 17.3
Melting Point- 156-158 degrees
Saponification Value- 51.4
Production:
Candelilla Wax is usually confined to rugged areas where climatic conditions produce the highest wax-yielding varieties. Plants growing in the hottest and driest areas produce a scale-like covering on the plant, which, after processing yields a hard vegetable wax of superior quality.
Once collected the raw “scales” or fans from the tree are boiled in water where the wax will separate, and here it is collected for drying onto large sheets. Once dried the crude wax is melted again, filtered, flaked and packaged.
Notes:
Candelilla wax is a natural vegetable wax which is hard, brittle, slightly tacky and is usually light yellow in color. The wax is derived from the Candelilla plant and is a perennial and native to the Chihuahuan Desert of northern Mexico and western Texas. Candelilla is known as the "weed" by Texans, and Mexican laborers simply call it "yerba". The wax forms as the outer coating of the shrub and helps the plant retain moisture, and the plants need from two to five years of growth before they produce significant wax. Production for Candelilla wax is year-round with somewhat less wax obtained in the wet season. Attempts have been made to grow and harvest the plant in other regions but the plants produced little or no wax at all. The harvesting of native plant stands and processing the wax under primitive conditions remains the best and may be the only method to extract the wax. After the wax has been refined it is harder and more brittle than beeswax and less hard than Carnauba and it should be noted that it does not reach its maximum hardness for several days after cooling. Candelilla wax has been used as a hardener for soft waxes and as a dilutant for beeswax and Carnauba wax, and when Candelilla wax is warmed, the odor resembles that of beeswax. The melting point is 67 to 68 degrees C (ca. 153 to 154 degrees F) and the solidifying point, 64.5 degrees C (148.1 degrees F). Few people in this country have ever heard of Candelilla wax yet nearly everyone has had personal contact with it. If you have chewed gum, used cosmetics, worn shoes, ridden horse-back, or waxed your car you have probably encountered Candelilla wax. The wax is best known as the ingredient in chewing gum giving it its chew and ability to hold the flavor. It has superior molding properties making it a good casting wax. It is also used in the cosmetic industry for many purposes like lipsticks and creams when the product requires a good glide property and is a vegan alternative to beeswax. Traditional or folk uses for the wax are candle making, religious statues, artificial flowers, cloth waterproofing, leather dressing, chewing gum, and coating for the small wax matches from Mexico. During the world wars when other waxes were scarce, Candelilla wax was important to the military for waterproofing and insect-proofing tents, tarpaulins, thread, and fabric.
