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Paraffin Wax Substitute
Hi Folks! I did a search on here and looked for information on Paraffin Wax but didn’t find what I was looking for. I want to do a pomade from an old formula but need a more natural substitute for Paraffin Wax. While I think of it I would also need a substitute for Mineral Oil! I’ll start looking for that as well but if any of you have any suggestions, I would appreciate you help!
Thanks everyone! -
8 Replies
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Mineral oil is natural - comes right from the earth!
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Yes, David, I know that but it has a certain reputation among certain people. I don’t make any attempts to create “all-natural” products but I am often asked by customers in my store if this or that is “all-natural”! I do make an effort to create products with short ingredients lists and products that contain ingredients that are familiar to people and many are ingredients that are edible. That being said, I did start to do a search on here for Mineral oil and found some useful information. Not so much on Paraffin and that would be something I would like to replace with a wax easily and readily found in nature and familiar to one and all. Considering my customer base, I think that would work better for me!
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There are good natural substitutes for mineral oil. Check with AAK, for example, or Barnet.
For direct replacements of Parafin Wax…not so much. Probably going to take a combination of Beeswax, Carnauba, and Candelilla. Many other natural waxes exist, some more expensive than others. Koster Keunen has a good selection - you should try asking their technical service department for a suggestion - but have a budget in mind first. Getting a great performing substitute that costs $20/pound more than you can afford is very, very frustrating. -
beeswax has a brittle/crumbly texture very similar to paraffin wax, and since it’s harder and has a higher melting point, you need less of it to get an equivalent/very similar effect
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Paraffin wax is the cheapest wax on the market, it also helps to get vicosity in the product, we used it to offer a very cheap cream, but you could use stearic acid or carnauba wax instead but they are way more expensive.
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Thanks, Gentlemen! Sorry for the delay in replying…
Bob, I appreciate your recommendation of those three waxes. I do have sources for all three and it helps to know that these should work as I am using a “unpetroleum jelly” that Strahl & Pitsch makes which contains some of these already and resellers sell all three of the waxes online so that makes it easier in the beginning of a new project before you need to go to someone else to source them!
Bill, that comparison is very helpful and I will take that into consideration when I make my first attempts!
luis, I always have Stearic Acid onhand for my shaving cream so those 50 lb. bags will come in handy and I appreciate hearing that Stearic Acid could be a contender! (sorry Marlon!)
I have also seen Octyldodecanol. Is anyone here familiar with it here? Would it work as a sub for Mineral oil?
Thanks all for your insights!
David -
I would try soy waxes of different grades and they are not expensive. The Palm kernel hydrogenated oil would also work great
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I do have some Soy wax that I could try and I have to admit that I never heard of hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil but just looked it up! Thanks, Vitalys!
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