# Beeswax (E901)
Beeswax is the natural wax produced by honey bees (Apis mellifera) to build their honeycomb. Harvested by beekeepers, it's used as a glazing agent in food (fruit, sweets), as a binder + thickener in cosmetics (lip balms, mascara, lipstick), in furniture polish, and in pharmaceutical coatings.
Because it is taken from bees, beeswax is not suitable for vegans. Most vegan cosmetics brands replace it with candelilla wax, carnauba wax, or rice bran wax.
Common appearances: lip balm (Burt's Bees, Carmex), lipstick, mascara, beard balm, polished apples, jelly beans, some hard candies, furniture polish.
Labelling: "E901", "beeswax", "cera alba" (the INCI cosmetic name), or "white wax" (refined beeswax). "Cera flava" is the unbleached form, also beeswax.