Myrica wax comes from the berries of myrica plants, also known as bayberry plants. These are small evergreen trees and shrubs found across the globe (save for Australia and, of course, Antarctica). Myrica wax is light yellow or off white in color, and is most frequently sourced from North, Central, and South America, specifically from the myrica cerifera tree. <\/p>
Myrica wax is one of many natural vegan waxes growing in popularity as an alternative to beeswax. In alphabetical order, the most common vegan alternative waxes are berry wax, candelilla wax, carnauba wax (aka Brazil wax), myrica wax, rice bran wax, and sunflower wax. Other waxes touted as alternatives are often actually pseudo-waxes <\/i>(like hydrogenated oils, as with hemp wax, castor wax, and vegetable wax), or produced from the waste of floral absolutes (so the quality ingredients have already been extracted, as is the case in rose flower wax and lavender flower wax). <\/p>
Not to confuse this train of thought, but myrica wax is unique in that it is naturally hydrogenated, meaning it requires no process by which it is converted from its liquid form into a solid one. Its fatty acid quantities suggest that it is more like a butter than a wax. That explains why, from this roster of vegan waxes, myrica wax has the lowest melting point\u2014yielding a soft, smooth finish in beauty and grooming products. It prevents these products from being syrupy and greasy, making it especially ideal in lightweight stylers like hair creams, as well as conditioning agents.<\/p>
When discussing waxes, it is common to look at their \u201cfatty acid profile\u201d to better understand them. The fatty acids comprising myrica wax are myristic acid (58%), oleic acid (1.3%) and palmitic acid (36%). And this profile of fatty acids can shine a light on a wax\u2019s benefits. <\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n