Formulation and evaluation of alternative to beeswax for vegan lipsticks

Honeybees' success is strictly linked to the chemical and application properties of their products: honey, beeswax (BW), venom, propolis, pollen and royal jelly. Among these products, BW, a natural compound secreted by bees, is particularly valued for its stability and is widely used in cosmetics for make-up and skincare production or in dermatology to produce creams. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the critical role these insects play in the ecosystem. Animal-derived ingredients are controversial and borderline with consumers' necessities. Therefore, whenever possible, similar ingredients from other sources are sought. The demand for vegan products is a global trend that influences all segments of consumer behaviour, including the choice of cosmetics. Given the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products, BW, commonly used in lipstick formulations, needs to be replaced with a vegan alternative. In this paper, we report the development of a completely vegan lipstick. To predict the behaviour of structuring wax in a complex system, a compatibility study of the ABWAX (R) MIMIC BEESWAX MK, a vegan beeswax alternative (vBWA), with oils and colours was performed. The ABWAX (R) MIMIC BEESWAX MK and ABWAX (R) WHITE BEESWAX F.U. demonstrated similar thermal characteristics and penetration curves, showing overall comparable performances in finished products. We can conclude that ABWAX (R) MIMIC BEESWAX MK could be an innovative and highly effective alternative to animal-derived waxes in cosmetics.