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Cera Alba

What Cera Alba is & what it does

Beeswax, a natural wax used to thicken, stabilize, and give formulas a protective, water-resistant film. It conditions the skin surface and adds body to balms and creams.

What is Cera Alba and what does it do in sunscreen?

Cera Alba is the INCI name for beeswax, a natural wax. In a sunscreen it thickens and stabilizes the formula and helps form a protective, water-resistant film on the skin. It adds body to balms, sticks and richer creams, and conditions the skin surface as it does so.

What else is Cera Alba called?

Cera Alba is simply the Latin INCI name for white beeswax. You may also see it written as Beeswax, or as Cera Flava when it is the unbleached yellow form. They are the same wax from the honeybee, with Cera Alba being the refined, bleached version.

Is Cera Alba safe?

Yes. Beeswax is a long-used, well-tolerated natural ingredient that stays on the surface of the skin. It is non-irritating for most people and is common in lip balms, sticks and creams. The main thing to note is that it is an animal-derived ingredient, so it is not vegan.

Does Cera Alba clog pores?

For most people, no. Beeswax is generally considered low on the comedogenicity scale, though it is a wax and very breakout-prone skin can occasionally find heavier waxy textures harder to tolerate. In a balanced formula it is not a notable pore-clogging flag. Lighter fluid sunscreens skip it if you prefer to avoid waxes.

Is Cera Alba vegan?

No. Cera Alba is beeswax, which is produced by honeybees, so it is an animal-derived ingredient and not vegan. It is fine for vegetarian preferences but not for a strictly vegan routine. Plant waxes like candelilla or carnauba are the vegan alternatives formulators use instead.

Sunscreens with Cera Alba

We rate 526 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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