How we scored it
Wax exuded on carnauba palm leaves, collected and refined; wholly plant-derived wax esters → 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.
Where it comes from
Harvested by drying and beating the leaves of the carnauba palm, native to and sourced almost exclusively from northeastern Brazil. No synthetic alternative exists.
In plain English
A hard, glossy wax scraped from carnauba palm leaves, used to firm up balms and add shine. It is collected directly from the plant's leaf surface.
CosIng definition: Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax is a wax obtained from the leaves and leaf buds of Copernicia cerifera. The accepted scientific name for Copernicia cerifera is Copernicia prunifera.
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2COPERNICIA CERIFERA WAX. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 3COPERNICIA CERIFERA WAX. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=COPERNICIA%20CERIFERA%20WAX