The two recipes compared
The table follows the ingredient lists (INCI) on the forpeople product pages as of 8 October 2026. The list on the packaging is the one that counts.
| Solid Hand Cream - Beeswax | Solid Vegan Hand Cream - Bergamot | |
|---|---|---|
| Wax | Beeswax (Cera Alba) | Candelilla wax (Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax) |
| Oils and butter | Olive oil, sunflower oil | Jojoba oil, olive oil, shea butter, hemp seed oil |
| Plant extracts | St. John's wort, aloe vera | none |
| Essential oils | none | Lemon peel oil, bergamot peel oil |
| Fragrance constituents named individually | none | Limonene, Geraniol, Citral, Linalool |
| Entries in the INCI | 5 | 11 (seven raw materials, four fragrance constituents) |
| Vegan | no, contains beeswax | yes |
| In the metal tin | 30 g, €9.90 | 30 g, €9.90 |
| As a refill | 30 g, €7.90 | 30 g, €7.90 |
| In the set (tin and refill) | 60 g, €16.90 | 60 g, €16.90 |
An INCI is ordered by weight; anything below one per cent may follow at the end in any order (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Art. 19). Which raw materials come from certified organic farming is shown in the footnotes on the product pages. The beeswax is unbleached, comes from northern Germany and is from organic beekeeping with Bioland certification.
Beeswax or candelilla wax: what the wax changes
The wax turns liquid oils into a solid cream. Beeswax consists mainly of wax esters, plus hydrocarbons and free fatty acids. It melts between about 61 and 66 °C and already becomes pliable at around 32 °C (Huanbutta et al. 2026). Candelilla wax comes from a shrub of the dry regions of northern Mexico and consists mostly of long-chain hydrocarbons. According to the studies on wax gels cited there, it is stiffer but less elastic than beeswax, in other words more brittle (Núñez-García et al. 2022).
That does not mean the vegan cream is necessarily harder. How firm a piece turns out depends on the whole recipe: in a study that always used 6 % beeswax, the type of oil alone changed firmness and melting behaviour (Frolova et al. 2022). We have no measurements of the hardness or absorption of the two creams. Which one feels more pleasant is a matter of personal perception.
Both contain no water and leave a thin film of wax and oil on the skin. The raw materials are compared in detail on the page Candelilla wax or beeswax: the differences.
Scent: what the list says and what you smell
The INCI of the beeswax version contains neither “Parfum” nor an essential oil nor an individually named fragrance constituent. It is not odourless all the same: beeswax and olive oil bring a smell of their own. Where it comes from is explained on the page Why does beeswax smell of honey, and why does the scent change?
The Bergamot version contains two essential oils: Citrus Limon Peel Oil (lemon) and Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil (bergamot). Limonene, Geraniol, Citral and Linalool are constituents of these oils. They appear individually in the list because the EU Cosmetics Regulation requires this for certain fragrance substances as soon as their content in a product that stays on the skin exceeds 0.001 % (Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex III). In 2023 the EU extended this list (Regulation (EU) 2023/1545). More on this: Essential Oils and Fragrance Allergens and Without fragrance and essential oils: ingredients at a glance. Citrus oils and the sun have a page of their own: Citrus oils in cosmetics and the sun: what does phototoxic mean?
Which one suits which situation?
| Your situation | The obvious version | Reason according to the INCI |
|---|---|---|
| You want no added fragrance, for example because it is unwelcome at your workplace | Beeswax | no essential oils; a faint smell of wax of its own |
| You live vegan or avoid bee products | Bergamot | candelilla wax instead of beeswax |
| You like a fresh citrus scent | Bergamot | lemon and bergamot oil |
| You have been told to avoid Limonene, Linalool, Citral or Geraniol | Beeswax | these four appear only in the list of the Bergamot version |
| Care overnight | both | if you want no scent at night, take Beeswax |
The table does not say which version your skin tolerates better: waxes, plant oils and extracts can also trigger reactions in individual cases. Try a new cream on a small area first, see Trying a new product: how do I test it on a small area?
Both are care for the time after work; on the job, your employer's skin protection and hygiene plan applies. Right before sport, an instrument or tools, you use neither of them, because fresh cream makes grips slippery.
Tin, refill, set: the formats and how to tell the versions apart
Both creams are available in the metal tin, as a refill for the empty tin and in a set of one tin and one refill. The sets are called Hand Care Set – For Rough, Cracked Hands (2× Solid Hand Cream) and Vegan Hand Care Set – For Dry Hands (2× Bergamot). How refilling works is explained under Refillable Hand Cream: How the Refill Works.
Both lids say “Hand – Feste Handcreme” in large letters. The difference lies in the line above, in the colour and in the symbol. This is what the product images in the shop show as of October 2026:
- Beeswax: coral-red label with yellow lettering, above it “Organic Bienenwachs”, at the bottom a honeycomb symbol.
- Bergamot: apricot-coloured label with pinkish-red lettering, above it “Vegan” and “Organic Bergamotte”, at the bottom a sliced citrus fruit.
- Refill: the box has the colour of the respective label and names the variety in a white field, with “Vegan” added for Bergamot.
There is no cream with beeswax and bergamot together. To be sure, read the start of the INCI: “Cera Alba” is beeswax, “Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax” is the plant wax. Use a separate tin for each version, so the label matches the contents.
And the bee salve?
The Beeswax Salve Larch & Mandarin in a Glass Jar (50 g, €12.90) is not a third hand cream but a soft salve. Among other things it contains olive, almond and castor oil, beeswax, larch resin, propolis and essential oils, and it has a distinct scent. You take it up with a fingertip for individual rough spots and for the evening, for example as an overnight hand mask; read the notes on resin and propolis first.
When to seek medical advice?
- Neither of the two creams belongs on open, bleeding or weeping areas.
- If your skin turns red, stings or forms small blisters after application: wash it off and stop using the product. If it does not settle within a few days or comes back, have it checked by a doctor.
- If you have a known contact allergy, for example to fragrance substances or bee products, compare the INCI with your allergy pass and, if in doubt, ask a skin specialist.
- If your hands stay rough and cracked after two to three weeks of regular care, have a doctor look at them.
Frequently asked questions
Does the solid hand cream Bergamot also contain beeswax?
No. Its INCI lists candelilla wax and no Cera Alba. Bergamot is the vegan version.
Is the solid hand cream with beeswax unscented?
According to the INCI it contains no added fragrance and no essential oils, but it smells faintly of its raw materials beeswax and olive oil.
Which of the two solid hand creams absorbs faster?
We have no measurements on that. How long you feel a film depends mainly on the amount: two to three strokes across the palm are enough for both hands.
What does the hand care set contain?
One tin and one refill of the same variety, 60 g in total. When the tin is empty, you put in the refill.
Are both solid hand creams water-free?
Yes. Neither list contains “Aqua”, and neither contains a preservative. So only reach into the tin with dry fingers.
At forpeople
- Solid Hand Cream - Beeswax, 30 g in the metal tin, €9.90: with beeswax, without added fragrance.
- Solid Vegan Hand Cream - Bergamot, 30 g in the metal tin, €9.90: vegan, with candelilla wax and essential oils of lemon and bergamot.
- Solid Hand Cream Refill - Beeswax, 30 g, €7.90: the same recipe without a tin.
- Solid Vegan Hand Cream Refill - Bergamot, 30 g, €7.90: the vegan recipe without a tin.
Both creams are for external use only; if you notice a skin reaction, stop using them.
More on this: Solid hand cream: how to recognise a good one · Candelilla wax or beeswax: the differences · Without fragrance and essential oils: ingredients at a glance
From the blog: The first solid hand cream - the Daumenschmaus - how it all began
Sources
- Europäisches Parlament und Rat (2009): Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1223/2009 vom 30. November 2009 über kosmetische Mittel, Art. 19 und Anhang III. ABl. L 342 vom 22.12.2009, S. 59. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1223/oj
- Europäische Kommission (2023): Verordnung (EU) 2023/1545 vom 26. Juli 2023 zur Änderung der Verordnung (EG) Nr. 1223/2009 hinsichtlich der Kennzeichnung allergieauslösender Duftstoffe in kosmetischen Mitteln. ABl. L 188 vom 27.7.2023, S. 1. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1545/oj
- Huanbutta K, Chuttong B, Danmek K, Sriamornsak P, Suwanpitak K, Sangnim T (2026): Beeswax in Pharmaceutical Sciences: A Comprehensive Review of Its Chemical Composition, Functional Applications, Types, and Formulation Roles. Int J Mol Sci 27(8): 3486. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27083486
- Núñez-García IC, Rodríguez-Flores LG, Guadiana-De-Dios MH et al. (2022): Candelilla Wax Extracted by Traditional Method and an Ecofriendly Process: Assessment of Its Chemical, Structural and Thermal Properties. Molecules 27(12): 3735. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123735
- Frolova Y, Sarkisyan V, Sobolev R, Makarenko M, Semin M, Kochetkova A (2022): The Influence of Edible Oils' Composition on the Properties of Beeswax-Based Oleogels. Gels 8(1): 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels8010048
