Paraffin is the most common wax produced worldwide, and it’s relatively common in cosmetics. But paraffin is made from petroleum, and a market has popped up for renewable alternatives to beauty products.
US startup Upwell Cosmetics has entered into an agreement with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) of Massachusetts and Western Washington University (WWU) to make and market a marine microalgae-derived wax for personal care products.