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Glite Dictionary
candelilla wax

candelilla wax

9.9
A hard plant wax from the leaves of a shrub used in cosmetics, food, and polishes
  • noun
  • /ˌkændəˈlɪlə wæks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cera de candelilla
  • The best substitute I can think of is vegan wax, like candelilla wax (I admit I haven't tried making this lotion with it, though.)

OK, her recipe calls for X amount of of candelilla wax, X amount of coconut, coconut oil.

Examples

  • OK, her recipe calls for X amount of of candelilla wax, X amount of coconut, coconut oil.

    Lex Fridman

  • The recipe for the lip balm includes candelilla wax to give it a smooth texture.

  • Many natural skincare products contain candelilla wax as a thickening agent.

  • You can find candelilla wax in many eco-friendly cosmetics and homemade lotions.

Surface Forms

candelilla wax singular
candelilla waxes plural

Morphology

candelilla + wax

The meaning 'a wax obtained from the candelilla shrub' is directly compositional: it names the type/source of wax by combining the plant name 'candelilla' with 'wax'. This noun–noun compound follows a common product‑of‑X naming pattern that is cross‑linguistically regular, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Candelilla wax comes from the Spanish word candelilla, which means 'little candle', because people long ago collected wax from the small candelilla shrub and used it like candle wax. That's why candelilla wax today means a hard plant wax used in lip balms, polishes and some foods to give shine and make things firmer.