Carnauba plant wax

Commonly known as:   Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax (I.N.C.I.), Carnauba palm wax, Brazil wax.

Botanical name:   Copernicia Cerifera

Extraction process:   Drying of the young leaves a few days in the sun, then beating of the withered leaves. The raw wax is then refined by distillation to remove impurities. It is a process which consists in separating the various components of a liquid mixture according to their temperature of fusion.

Family:   Arecaceae.

Extracted part of the plant:   Young leaves.

Cultivation area, origin:   Native to Central and South America.

Blooming:   In summer, from October to March.

Origin, provenance:   Brazil.

Phytochemical composition:   Aliphatic esters, fatty acid alcohols, ω-hydroxycarboxylic acids, 4-hydroxycinnamic acids, resins.

Sensory properties:   Appearance : Waxy chips ; Color : Light yellow to dark amber (depends on the age of the leaves used) ; Odor : Neutral.

Physical properties:   Density : 0,85-1,05 g/cm3 ; Insoluble in water ; Melting temperature : From 82 to 86°C ; Comedogenicity index : 1.

Concerns:   Emollient, film-forming, softening, antioxidant, thickening, soothing, nourishing.

Effect:   All skin types; All hair types, especially dull and damaged hair.