Since I started sharing recipes for my aroma melts, people have asked me for a beeswax-free version. I was initially reluctant because the vegan wax alternatives can be a bit finicky, and I have always had great luck with beeswax. I finally decided to accept the challenge and took a retreat to my creative space to formulate a vegan wax melt recipe. After a few dozen rounds of trial and error, I discovered that carnauba wax is my preferred beeswax alternative. It has no aroma and is a much harder wax, so I don’t have to use as much of it as I would in a typical wax melt.

The hard part was finding the golden ratio to get the melts to stay solid at room temperature while also having them melt in store-purchased wax melters! And by golly, I have done it! It took hours of testing different ratios and combinations, but I finally came up with a core recipe I feel good about.

If you think “watching grass grow” is hard, you should try “watching carnauba wax melt.” Luckily, I have done lots of that for you so you can just jump to the fun part!

What is Carnauba Wax

Carnauba wax is a vegetable wax that comes from the leaves of a Brazilian palm tree (Copernica cerifera), which is also referred to as the “Tree of Life.” This palm species flourishes in Brazil and the wax comes from an annual leaf pruning which causes no harm to the tree. In fact, it helps the trees continue with their natural growth cycles.

Carnauba wax is the hardest of all the natural wax available on the market and is most often in things like vegan cosmetics and vegan body care products. In fact, it is the most widely used natural wax in the vegan cosmetics industry. In addition to its topical applications, carnauba wax can also be used to make green living recipes like homemade cutting board oil, natural candles, and in this case, wax melts.

Pros of Vegan Wax Melts

• The most obvious pro is that carnauba wax melts do not use bee products, making them suitable for vegans. 
• Vegan wax melts are less expensive to make when compared to the beeswax version. Melts made with carnauba use about 75% less wax, making the recipe less expensive.
• They will have a bit more of a glossy look: Carnauba wax is known to yield a glossier finish so if you like when wax melts have that sheen, you will enjoy these.
  
  

Cons of Making Vegan Wax Melts

• Beeswax has a delightful and alluring fragrance, which is absent in the vegan version.
• Carnauba wax takes longer to melt so it’s a little longer of a process than the beeswax version. The same applies when using it in a wax melter.
• The recipe is a little less forgiving so you need to be more exact in your measurements

DIY Vegan Wax Melt Recipe

Makes a little over a 1/5 cup of liquid wax.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup organic sunflower oil, or neutral-smelling oil of choice
• 2 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp. organic carnauba wax
• 30-40 drops essential oil or essential oil blend of choice

Directions

1. Add sunflower oil and carnauba wax to a double boiler over medium to high heat.
2. Once fully melted together, remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
3. Add essential oils and stir well.
4. Pour into molds of choice.
5. Allow to fully cool, then pop out of molds.
6. Store in an airtight container and label with the blend you used and the date.
   
   

Essential Oil Blend for Stress Relief

• 10 drops organic basil essential oil
• 10 drops organic rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops organic palmarosa essential oil
• 5 drops organic lavender essential oil
• 2 drops organic ylang ylang essential oil

This recipe is easy to make in bulk and can be used for homemade gifts or even wedding and party favors!

Pro Tips

• If you don’t have molds, you can pour wax drops on parchment paper and scoop some of the drops into your wax melter.
• After continued use, the aroma will begin to dissipate. When this happens, you can freshen it up with some new essential oils. Simply let the warmer do its magic in melting the solids and then add essential oils as desired.
• You can use the essential oils in this recipe as a delightful diffuser blend. Simply add the essential oils together in a separate bottle and follow the suggested amount that your diffuser calls for. 

Looking for more vegan wax recipes?

Check Out This Reusable Beeswax-Free Food Wrap Recipe

You may also enjoy:

• Vegan Salve Recipe
  
• DIY Cutting Board Oil
  
• Homemade Candle Recipe with Vegan Option: Orange Cream Scent