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If you’re going to make candles, obviously you’re going to need wax. But that isn’t as simple as many beginners think – there are a lot of choices to choose from. While the following description is by no means encyclopedic, it does list the most common and popular options.
Paraffin Candle Wax
Paraffin is the workhorse of waxes. Most commercially made candles are made from paraffin wax.
Paraffin is a residual of the process of refining crude oil.
Paraffin works well as a candle wax. The wax is affordable and quite versatile – it works in any number of different candles – and it’s performance can be enhanced with additives.
Soy Candle Wax
Soy candle wax is a recent invention. It was developed in the 1990’s as part of the search for a natural candle wax. Soybean oil is liquid at room temperature. With the addition of hydrogen, it becomes solid and suitable for making candles. However, unless the candle maker uses additives, most soy candle wax is usually too soft to use reliably to make taper candles or pillar candles.
Soy candle wax really shines when it comes to making container candles. It has a long burn time, burns cleanly and does well with added fragrance and color.
Beeswax
Beeswax is a great, albeit expensive, candle making wax. The wax comes from bee hives. Bees make the wax to form honeycombs to store honey. When a beekeeper empties the honeycomb, the wax can be used to make candles.
Beeswax has a long burn time and burns even more cleanly than paraffin. It is hard enough to make tapers and pillar candles. Although it can hold fragrance, many people prefer not to add scent because they enjoy the mild, soft aroma of the beeswax itself.
Unfortunately, beeswax costs more than other waxes. This has always been the case. Historically, beeswax candles were the candles of the wealthy. Beeswax is less costly these days, but still more expensive than most other candle waxes.
Where to Learn More
The waxes I’ve mentioned here are by far the most commonly used candle making waxes out there. You’d do just fine if these were the only ones you knew about.
However it’s well worth digging a little deeper and visiting the page: Candle Making Wax. As you’ll see, there’s a lot more to discover that I’ve mentioned here.
Of course you need more than wax to make a candle. You can find out about the necessary equipment at: Candle Making Equipment
And here’s a good source to learn everything you need to know to produce candles every bit as beautiful as those you buy: The Candle Making Connection. I’ve learned the hard way that you can save a lot of time and frustration if you visit sites like that and get some insider tips and advice before you start experimenting on your own.
Candle making is a very rewarding hobby and I hope this information inspires you to give it a try yourself.
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