Beeswax broken down by hydrolysis, used as an emulsifier and emulsion stabiliser.
What it is
Hydrolyzed beeswax is beeswax that has been hydrolysed, splitting its esters into fatty acids and fatty alcohols. CosIng lists it as an emulsifying, emulsion-stabilising, light-stabilising and cleansing-surfactant ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
Hydrolysed beeswax is of animal origin. The INCI name does not show the degree of hydrolysis or whether the fatty acids are present as salts.
Functions
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- Emulsion stabilising
- Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
- Light stabilizer
- Protecting the cosmetic product from deterioration effects of light.
- Surfactant – cleansing
- Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.