Why We Are Transitioning from Candelilla Wax to Sunflower Wax

At NourishUs Naturals, responsible sourcing is an ongoing process. As we learn more about the ingredients we use and the supply chains behind them, we look for opportunities to make thoughtful improvements while continuing to provide consistent, reliable products for our customers. 

Candelilla Wax is one of those ingredients. 

What’s Happening with Candelilla Wax? 

Candelilla wax is a plant-based wax produced commercially in Mexico from the candelilla plant, which grows naturally in the arid regions of northern Mexico. Unlike many ingredients derived from cultivated crops, candelilla wax production relies heavily on wild harvesting.

The people who traditionally harvest the plant are known as candelilleros, and the work is physically demanding. Our producer reports that fewer harvesters are available and has identified this shortage as one of the factors limiting production.

There are other pressures as well. Harvesting is regulated in Mexico to manage the natural resource, while international trade in raw candelilla wax is subject to CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

An Appendix II listing does not necessarily mean the plant is threatened with extinction or that trade is prohibited. Instead, trade is controlled to help protect the species and support legal, sustainable sourcing. Our producer reports that export requirements are also adding time to shipments.

Weather conditions, including drought and excessive rainfall, can further complicate harvesting and supply, affecting how much material ultimately reaches the market.

These pressures do not mean candelilla wax is disappearing. However, a combination of fewer available harvesters, regulated wild harvesting, international trade requirements, and weather-related disruptions can make availability less predictable, extend lead times, and increase costs.

Why Sunflower Wax? 

With these factors in mind, we began looking at whether continued reliance on candelilla wax was the right long-term choice when a suitable alternative was available. 

Sunflower wax offers us that alternative. 

Derived from a renewable agricultural crop, sunflower wax is plant-based and can meet our formulation needs without the same reliance on a geographically concentrated, wild-harvested resource. This allows us to move  away from some of the supply pressures currently surrounding candelilla wax while continuing to use  a plant-derived wax in applicable formulations. 

Our decision doesn't mean candelilla wax is an undesirable or inherently unsustainable ingredient. In fact, the controls surrounding its harvest and trade play an important role in managing the resource for the future.

For us, this is about considering the bigger picture: availability, supply continuity, sourcing practices, sustainability, and the long-term needs of the products we manufacture.

Responsible Sourcing Is an Ongoing Process

Responsible sourcing isn't a single decision or a finished checklist. It means continuing to learn about the materials we use, paying attention when conditions change, and using better information to make thoughtful choices when opportunities arise. 

Our transition from Candelilla Wax to Sunflower Wax is one of those choices. 

Questions About the Transition? Contact our team at NourishUs Naturals