Wax for candles: everything you need to know

What are the waxes used to make candles made of?

The market offers a wide choice of waxes for candle making. There is the traditional paraffin wax (a by-product of petroleum refining), which is used to produce candles that look great, as well as microcrystalline waxes and gels (a mixture of polymer and mineral oil). Healthier alternatives to waxes for candles are also suggested: beeswax or modern innovations in vegetable waxes such as soy, rapeseed, coconut, palm, apricot, hemp, etc. waxes. Almost any oil can be converted into wax, which is why there is a very wide range of vegetable waxes on the market for candle making.

Candle wax: which is best?

For a long time, candle making was carried out using paraffin wax. Over time, more and more negative aspects of the choice of paraffin wax for candle making have emerged:

• Concern for the environment;
• Non-renewable sources of generation;
• Possible health effects of smoke;
• Burns may occur if melted wax is touched;
• Damage to the surface on which the wax spills.

It is worth noting that beeswax and plant-based waxes are much better for health. By choosing to create plant-based candles, you are not only being kind to yourself and the environment, but you are also creating a product with a much longer burn time compared to paraffin.

Candle making: the main types of waxes

Soy wax, rapeseed wax, beeswax and palm wax have different characteristics that are worth looking at before buying candles. R. Narbutavičius, the manager of 'Gamtos dovanos', lists the advantages and disadvantages of these waxes. You can see all the candles made from different types of waxes and choose from them in the online shop www.aurae.lt.

Soy wax

Soy wax is an all-natural wax made from hydrogenated soybean oil. Different manufacturers give soy wax different forms: powder, flakes, droplets. This wax is ideal for making candles in containers including glass, tins, tealights.

Soy wax is often blended with other waxes to extract and combine the best properties of the blended products. Soy wax is most commonly blended with coconut oil, palm or beeswax. Many well-known manufacturers often choose soy-paraffin wax blends to enhance the properties of vegetable candles.

As a general rule, if the mixture contains at least 51% soya, it will be labelled as a soya wax mixture. Depending on the blend, small amounts of vegetable oils may be added to give the waxes their unparalleled, unique properties. These ingredients are chosen with the utmost care and, due to the competitive environment, are an internal company recipe that is not disclosed to anyone. Only the production staff knows the true ingredients.

Benefits of soy wax candles:
• Soybeans are natural, produced from renewable sources and biodegradable.
• Soya beans are environmentally friendly and free of toxic substances,
• It burns twice as long as conventional paraffin candles and is much cleaner, leaving no soot on surfaces.
• Spilled soy wax can be easily washed off with soap and water.

Disadvantages of soy wax candles:

• Soybean oil is a by-product of the massive soybean industry, and there are concerns about deforestation and the use of pesticides and fertilisers used to grow soybeans.
• Soybeans are usually produced in third countries, which raises their transport costs and increases CO2 emissions.
• Soy wax candles tend to have a more subtle scent diffusion, so it is particularly important to choose quality aromatic oils to achieve maximum scent diffusion.

,,We love soy wax. It is the wax that started our friendship with vegetable waxes. We use soy wax in many of our 'Aurae' candle collections. In our online shop you can choose scented soy wax candles from different, but unique collections. Here you will find both essential and scented oil-based products," says R. Narbutavičius, the manager of "Gamtos dovanos".

Rapeseed wax

Rapeseed wax (sometimes known as Canola wax) is an excellent odour absorber and has very good diffusion and long candle burn time. Rapeseed wax is a relatively new alternative to vegetable wax for scented candles. Recently, an increasing number of brands, especially in Europe, are using this wax as a local alternative to soy wax.

Benefits of Rapeseed Wax:
• Non-GM oilseed rape crops are grown in Europe.
• Local production in Europe not only means a stable supply of raw materials, but also less pollution and CO2 emissions than transporting goods from far-away countries such as the US, China, etc.
• Rapeseed wax has good aroma diffusion and slow burning.
• Ideal for the production of coloured candles, whether working with dyes or pigments.

You can find the exceptionally smooth, porcelain-coated 'Aurae' rapeseed wax for making pilar candles in the online shop www.aurae.lt. This wax sets incredibly quickly - it can be removed from the mould after just 4 hours!

Bees wax and coloured wax sheets

Bees wax is a completely natural wax. Bees wax is the oldest known type of candle wax. It is one of the best candle waxes on the market. This wax can be used to make all kinds of candles, including hard candles, votive candles and jar candles. Twisted beeswax candles made from wax balls (coloured bees wax wafers) are particularly popular.

Bees wax is rarely used in scented candles because it gives off a pleasant honey aroma that does not mix easily with other scents.

Bees wax candles are considered to be the healthiest candles because they do not flicker or emit soot and they help to clean the air.

Benefits of bees wax:
• Bees wax is naturally produced and recycled.
• Bees wax is healthy and helps clean the air.

The main disadvantage of beeswax - is the cost of the raw material. It is significantly higher compared to other waxes. It is also worth noting that working with beeswax requires skills. One of the biggest challenges is choosing the right wick. Beeswax is considerably harder than vegetable waxes, so it is important to pay special attention to the choice of wick. Bees wax requires particularly strong wicks.

"In our beeswax range, we offer natural yellow and white beeswax in granules. For creative beeswax making, which is particularly popular with children, we offer coloured beeswax sheets", says R. Narbutavičius, introducing Aurae's products.

Palm wax

According to Narbutavičius, all the palm waxes used in the production of "Aurae" candles are non-GMO and 100% palm oil based. The palm wax forms a beautiful crystalline structure when it sets. This structure is formed due to the different setting speeds of palm oil.
The palm-based wax producer is a member of the RSPO. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) was set up to improve olive oil production practices and to ensure traceability of palm oil stocks from the palm plantation to the finished product.
Palm wax is one of the hardest natural waxes, making it ideal for making hard candles. It has excellent stability in different climatic conditions, which makes it easy to transport, and it also tolerates a large number of scents and has very good scent diffusion.

Benefits of palm wax:

- Burns cleanly without leaving soot.
- It is non-toxic and contains no harmful chemicals.
- Has a bright flame.
- Excellent odour retention.
- Widely used in aromatherapy - blends well with aromatic and essential oils.
- Long, stable burning, non-fogging.
- It is a hard wax that can withstand hot temperatures without melting or softening.

Wax is the most important component of every candle and should be chosen carefully. If you make your own candles and are not sure which wax is the best choice, or if you are wondering which wax to use for your candles, please get in touch - the candle making team at MB ,,Gamtos dovanos" will be happy to advise you on any questions you may have, and to assist you in finding the right products for you.