Ozokerite Wax

Waxes can be animal, vegetable and mineral-derived, made by everything from otters and kale to beetles and bacteria. Waxes can even be found in the ground, with this earth wax or ozokerite found as veins in cracks in sedimentary rocks all over the world. It is thought that natural petroleum in fissures slowly evaporates and oxidizes, leaving behind this waxy residue. 

Check out our blog post for a longer read about the weird and wonderful properties of waxes, including beeswax (the glandular produce of the humble honeybee), earth wax that is mined from seams in the ground and Renaissance wax that used to protect Barbara Hepworth’s monumental bronze sculptures.