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Vegan Suitable Alternative to Beeswax - Formulating for the Vegan Colour Cosmetic Market

In recent years, innovation in veganism has been gaining momentum. Usually reflected in common food trends with widespread availability of meat substitutes, such as the acclaimed Impossible Burger, this fast driving demand for plant-based food options are no longer confined to dietary change. As stated by Vegan Society¹, Veganism is now a lifestyle choice for many, creating a demand for products beyond food.  According to The Economist², 25% of American millennials announce they are vegetarian or vegan, declaring 2019 as the Year of the Vegan.

Many brands are looking to reformulate their lines to be vegan. This requires replacing animal derived products for non-animal derived alternatives. For example, Beeswax, which is produced in nature by bees is not a direct animal product but is still not classified as vegan. This versatile ingredient is used in many applications, including mascara and lipstick, predominantly for its structuring properties. When formulating cosmetic products, natural waxes have long been an option for cosmetic chemists. They are not always the preferred option, and formulators may wish to include a synthetic structural wax ester instead, as these can offer stable, uniform properties in sticks and emulsion systems, while avoiding the variability in quality, availability and cost sometimes seen in natural options. Also, some natural waxes are not compatible with volatile silicones or short chain esters, often incorporated into color cosmetic formulations. So, a range of synthetic structural wax esters can offer an advantage to formulators in the development of cosmetics.

Croda, in keeping up with trend, has introduced the latest addition in the Syncrowax™ range of wax esters - Syncrowax SB1. This new synthetic beeswax variant is comprised of 100% non-animal derived, non-GMO waxes and emulsifiers that are especially blended to provide a vegan suitable alternative to natural beeswax. Due to its structuring properties, it is an ideal choice for a variety of cosmetic applications including lipsticks, lip balms and mascaras.  It is approximately 79% natural as defined by the ISO 16128 standard.  It is listed on the IECIC register therefore meeting this regulation for China and is also REACH registered. Syncrowax SB1 utilises palm derivatives made in accordance with the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm requirements for mass balance.

Croda offers five synthetic wax esters as part of its range.  Each has its own attributes and offers varying degrees of structuring and bodying properties.  They can be used alone or in combination to allow the formulation of products with a wide range of physical characteristics.  All are available in pastille form for ease of handling in manufacture.

SP Syncrowax SB1 MBAL can be considered to be generally suitable for vegan; however, as there is no single agreed definition nor a standard, global certification, if you are interested in making a vegan claim, please request our Vegan Suitability statement for specifics on this product and compare to the certification(s) you are seeking to meet.

https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics

https://www.worldin2019.economist.com/theyearofthevegan

Published by

  • Jolene Maloney Marketing Manager - Beauty Formulation

SP Syncrowax SB1 MBAL

SP Syncrowax SB1 MBAL consists of 100% non-animal derived, non-GMO waxes and emulsifiers specially blended to provide a vegan alternative to natural beeswax.
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Vegan Suitable

With the conscious consumer looking for more clean and sustainable products, more brands are looking for vegan solutions. While vegan is defined differently by brands, our vegan suitable credentials assure 100% plant derivation without any animal products or by products.
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cosmetic formulation utilising natural ingredients to create on trend formulations

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Explore our formulation finder for a range of formulations that use Syncrowax SB1. Get some formulation inspiration here.

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