Database/Binding/Microcrystalline Wax
100% petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Microcrystalline Wax natural?

No. Microcrystalline wax is refined directly from petroleum residue into fine-crystal saturated hydrocarbons.

INCI nameMicrocrystalline Wax
CAS63231-60-7
FunctionBinding · Bulking
FeedstockMicrocrystalline wax is refined from the heavy residue…

How we scored it

High-MW saturated hydrocarbon wax; CosIng states derived from petroleum; no natural fragment; 0.00.
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

Microcrystalline wax is refined from the heavy residue of petroleum distillation, separating fine-crystalline saturated hydrocarbons from crude oil. No natural alternative route exists commercially.

In plain English

A firm wax that thickens and stabilizes lotions, balms and lipsticks. It is refined from petroleum, the same crude-oil source as paraffin wax, and contains no plant or animal material.

CosIng definition: Microcrystalline Wax is a wax derived from petroleum and characterized by the fineness of its crystals in contrast to the larger crystals of paraffin wax. It consists of high molecular weight saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

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References

  1. 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.
  2. 2MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=MICROCRYSTALLINE%20WAX