Candelilla Wax: the vegan answer to beeswax
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If you want to make balms and lip products without beeswax, candelilla is your wax. It's completely plant-based and it does a beautiful job.
Where it comes from
It's harvested from the candelilla shrub, Euphorbia cerifera, which grows in the deserts of Mexico and the southern US. It's a hard, glossy wax with lovely thickening power.
What it does
It thickens and firms oil-based products and gives a nice gloss — perfect for vegan lip balms, body balms and solid bars. It's harder than beeswax, so the golden rule is: use about half as much. Where a recipe calls for beeswax, start with roughly half the amount of candelilla and adjust from there.
How to use it
- As a 1:1 vegan swap for beeswax — but halve the quantity and top up the difference with oil or butter
- Around 5 to 10% of a balm, depending on firmness
- Melt it gently with your oils and butters until clear
Do the spoon test to check your texture before pouring the whole batch — candelilla sets firmer than you might expect.
Steph x