Looking for an *actual* alternative to animal waxes

[Sable982]

I've been searching for a vegan, naturally and ethically sourced alternative to animal waxes for human topical use. I've found that plant waxes create an occlusive covering over the skin, while beeswax and lanolin form a semi-occlusive layer- allowing the skin to breathe through the topical application. I contribute this to the evolutionary fact that animal waxes are created by nature to protect animal cells, while plant waxes (such as carnauba and candelilla waxes) are made to protect plant cells. Therefore, I see no actual vegan replacement for the use of animal waxes, and feel that this is proof of nature's intent for the diversity of our resources.

Does anyone know of a semi-occlusive, natural, ethically sourced plant wax?

 

[winter.frost]

Hi @Sable982

I think some vegans would reconsider their diet if we lived in a truly sustainable world. Of course, many vegans keep to the diet because they care about animals (myself included) - however not all animists are vegans. In a sustainable and self-sufficient world, I suspect I could possibly be vegetarian.

It is my understanding that polyglyceryl 3-derived plant waxes are semi-occlusive.
KahlWax 6240, Dow Corning HY-3050 Soy Wax, and Elevance Smooth are also semi-occlusive (you might need to double check their 'ethical' credentials - I'm posting this whilst on-the-go).
Jojoba, and sunflower waxes also tend to be semi-occlusive (they are polyg- 3 derived).

I didn't have long to conduct this research, I might have made mistakes, but there should be leads for you to follow here?

Really interesting post thank you!

 

[Sable982]

Hi, thank you for the reply, but these are not natural, ethically sourced waxes. KahlWax and Dow Corning are both mass produced from soy waxes, an industry that is destroying the ecology of South East Asia and South America- not to mention the tragic effects of those changes on the people of these countries. Elevance is actually rather dodgy in the exact chemical make-up of their wax (sketchy), and say they "might be using" soy, palm and canola waxes, also mass produced, using GMOs, and subsidized by the US government.

Jojoba wax is actually hydrogenated jojoba oil, so it is techinally not an actual wax, and does not behave the same as (say) beeswax. Also the hydrogenation process is a chemical reaction using nickel and copper catalysts, and must be carried out in a lab. Therefore, jojoba "wax" (as it is technically, incorrectly named) is not a natural product.

 

[winter.frost]

Hi @Sable982

Thanks for looking into them. As I said, I was on the go and not able to look into them in greater depth.

I recommend looking into polyglyceryl 3 as I suggested above. See what that throws up, because there were a few lists I could see online detailing which plants contain it.

Otherwise the point you make about diversity is an interesting one. You'll find on another thread here on the forum that I explore the lack of the protein casein in the vegan diet - casein is excellent for dental health, and after I had gone vegan I realised how much my teeth were aching for it (there is a whole thread where I explain trying every vegan alternative for better dental health).

Other primates are omnivores. There is not a single herbivore primate. So I tend to talk about veganism as a conscious decision, and I look to science to keep making the diet better for us. For instance, vitashine is a very recent breakthrough and I suspect more will follow. Of course, there are raw vegans who appear to be very healthy. I am not a vegan advocate who you would find saying that it is the 'natural state', but I am - like many - motivated by animal rights and environmental concerns. We have generations of healthy vegan babies now that are testament to the fact that it can be perfectly healthy - even the USDA has to concede to this.

Anyway, it's an interesting and contentious point.