Cera Bellina

Cera bellina is a modified beeswax (“the free fatty acids have been converted to polyglycerols esters“) that thickens oils and butters into very cool, glide-y oil gels.

Polyglycerol-3 Beeswax

Small off-white pellets/beads

This really depends on what you want to make. I did an experiment using it at different levels that you can review here. You aren’t likely to need more than 30% cera bellina in products.

Creates rich, slippy oil gels.

Nothing noticeable

Quite slow

63–73ºC (145–163°F)

Oil

Cera bellina does a few very cool things! Its primary use is as a thickener/solidifier, creating very smooth, slippy oil gels. It also helps with pigment distribution, reduces sweating in solid balms, and can function as a co-emulsifier. I love using it to create ointments and lip glosses, where it thickens and gives a beautiful gel consistency that is really well suited to those types of products.

No, but I would recommend it if you are especially fond of ointments or lip gloss.

It only exists as a refined product.

Creates very cool, smooth oil gels.

Not vegan, harder to acquire than most waxes.

Nothing really works the same way as cera bellina; you can try using beeswax instead, but you won’t get the oil gel effect.

Include cera bellina in your heated oil phase; it must be melted to use. Products made with it can feel quite greasy, so I’d recommend shifting your oil balance towards faster absorbing oils.

Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, cera bellina should last at least two years.

The inclusion of cera bellina in your formulas can help prevent graininess in butters like shea butter.

100g (3.3oz)

Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier.