E903 carnauba wax

Carnauba wax is extracted from the leaves of the Copernicia prunifera tree native to Brazil, which belongs to the Palmaceae family.

It is a wax widely used in various industries due to its higher melting point and characteristic hardness compared to other waxes.

What it is used for and where

Food

Ingredient listed in the European food additives list as E903 as a coating agent.

In the food industry it is widely used for its chemical composition that contains stable and inert components, as well as a significant amount of esters.

For its characteristics it is suitable for the preparation of biodegradable and hydrophobic edible films.

It is used to give a glossy appearance, to delay the loss of moisture in the fruit (1).

Another application in the food sector is the duration of food storage and the extension of their storage (2).

Medicine

Carnauba wax has proven to be a promising excipient in the preparation of tablets for prolonged drug release (3).

Cosmetics

Film-forming agent. It produces a continuous ultra-thin film with an optimal balance of cohesion, adhesion and stickiness on the skin or hair to counteract or limit damage from external phenomena such as chemicals, UV rays and pollution.

Skin conditioning agent. An ingredient that is the mainstay of topical skin treatment by restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants.

Skin conditioning agent - Emollient. Emollients have the characteristic of enhancing the skin barrier through a source of exogenous lipids that adhere to the skin, improving barrier properties by filling gaps in intercorneocyte clusters to improve hydration while protecting against inflammation. In practice, they have the ability to create a barrier that prevents transepidermal water loss.  Emollients are described as degreasing or refreshing additives that improve the lipid content of the upper layers of the skin by preventing degreasing and drying of the skin. The problem with emollients is that many have a strong lipophilic character and are identified as occlusive ingredients; they are oily and fatty materials that remain on the skin surface and reduce transepidermal water loss. In cosmetics, emollients and moisturisers are often considered synonymous with humectants and occlusives.

It is the hardest wax used in cosmetics.

Cera carnauba studies

References___________________________________________________

(1) Quality and microbial safety of ‘Fuji’ apples coated with carnauba-shellac wax containing lemongrass oil. Jo WS, Song HY, Song NB, Lee JH, Min SC, Song KB.     LWT-Food Sci. Technol. 2014;55:490–497. doi: 10.1016/j.lwt.2013.10.034

(2) Effect of Carnauba Wax-Based Coating Containing Glycerol Monolaurate on Decay and Quality of Sweet Potato Roots during Storage.  Yang H, Li X, Lu G.  J Food Prot. 2018 Oct;81(10):1643-1650. doi: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-18-017.

(3) Carnauba wax as a promising excipient in melt granulation targeting the preparation of mini-tablets for sustained release of highly soluble drugs.  Nart V, Beringhs AO, França MT, de Espíndola B, Pezzini BR, Stulzer HK.  Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2017 Jan 1;70(Pt 1):250-257. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2016.07.070.