What are the Different Types of Wax You Can Use to Make a Candle?

Wax is the main fuel for candles. It helps the candle burn and also gaining some unique features.

For those who are passionate about making candles, well, first thing first is choosing the best wax for their purpose. And the offer of home-made-candles waxes is generous. Thinking about the past, the only choice when making candles was to stick a piece of wick in the middle of a lump of tallow or into some grease. This way, people have achieved an inexpensive “tool” to light their homes. From rudimental ways to make candles, today there are so many other options to get the best ingredients for a special candle.

Nowadays, there are many types of waxes, some are natural, some are synthetic and some are a mixture of these two. But each of these materials has unique particularities. Like many ingredients, like different are the preferences of candle makers. In this article, you will find information about making great candles from the best materials.

We will discuss the different finishes of each type of wax and see how it can be used according to how you want your candle to appear.

Try to read here also why do candles burn black.


wax candle

Types of waxes for making candles

There are so many choices when it comes to the wax used for scented candles. Some of them offer a better shine to the flame, another burn longer and are cleaner, or have certification for bio ingredients.

So, given the numerous options, it gets a little confusing to find the most suited wax for your candles. This is why we decided to take a look and write some words about each type of wax.


Which are the most important factors to consider when choosing the wax?

  • The form of candles you would like to obtain
  • Type of wax you prefer: all-natural wax or artificial
  • The amount of scent you are going to add in the candle
  • The level of difficulty of the project and your experience in making candles
  • The finish the candle will have
  • The time you have left for the candle-making project

Types of waxes for candle-making

wax candle

Paraffin Wax

Starting with the paraffin wax, people should know that this material is one of the most versatile and easy to find. Also known as the straight wax, paraffin can be used to make lots of types of candles.

Using paraffin wax, you can easily create types of candles like:

  • Pillars
  • Containers
  • Tealights
  • Tarts
  • Tapers
  • Votives

The material comes in different melt points, from 110 degrees F to 150 degrees F. It burns very well and comes in colorless blocks or slabs.

Due to its versatility, most of the candles you see in supermarkets are made of paraffin. However, this material is not embraced by everyone because it is related to petroleum. But it doesn’t mean paraffin is toxic. Although paraffin is made from the leftovers of the crude oil refinement process, the good part is that these leftovers are not thrown.

Benefits of the paraffin wax:

  • Paraffin wax holds color and scent very well, this is why high street candle brands often prefer this main ingredient
  • It is easily available

wax candle

Beeswax

The most expensive ingredient for candle-making is still the beeswax. And it is also the oldest one. It dates back from the Egyptians, who were using to dip the papyrus leaves in the wax before burning them. As its name says, the product comes from the bees during their honey-making process. First, the wax is extracted from the beehive and then filtrated and melted several times.

Then the beeswax is put in blocks, prerolled in sheets or slabs and rolled into candles, without needing to be melted. Although this type of wax is not used so much in preparing scented candles because of its own sweet smell, beeswax is excellent for the slowly burning. Beeswax can be used as the single ingredient or mixed with coconut wax or soy wax for a natural soft texture.

Benefits:

  • Beeswax is considered the healthiest, as it is sootless, smokeless and can help on purifying the air.
  • Beeswax is 100% naturally made and processed

Soy Wax

The soy wax is made all natural, from hydrogenated soybean oil. Some of the soy wax is made of other vegetable oils or waxes and they came as a great substitute to paraffin or beeswax. This type of wax is not expensive and shrinks very little.

Many of the big candle companies choose to work with soy because it seems to be more environmentally friendly than traditional paraffin wax, for instance. It burns slower and cleaner and it is way cheaper than other waxes, like the beeswax. Many candle-makers prefer soy wax because it has also a softer scent and doesn’t hold so much fragrance.

Although soy wax doesn’t have such a great history behind, as it was invented only in 1996, it is one of the most popular ingredients for a candle- making.

How you can blend Soy Wax?

People are often blending the soy wax with other ingredients, to obtain the best combination for candles. For instance, you can add coconut, palm or beeswax, even paraffin.

Benefits of Soy Wax

  • Soy wax is burning much slower than other materials
  • Soy Wax candles are longer lasting for the same money you would pay to the ordinary paraffin wax candles.
  • Soybeans are biodegradable, renewable and all natural

wax candle

Coconut Wax

Coconut Wax is the new candle wax that is more and more popular among the candle makers. It has become a great option as it has a great scent and burns nicely. It’s a little pricy, but people are too excited not to buy this interesting product.

Coconut Wax has a unique color, that is soft creamy and it is a really eco-friendly choice. The organic process of harvesting the oil is continuous and sustainable as the coconuts themselves are a permanent resource.

Benefits of Coconut Wax

  • Coconut wax is a slow burning and luxurious material
  • The scent is very pleasant, whether the wax is cold or hot
  • The coconut wax gets the best eco-friendly points

Palm Wax

The palm wax is made from natural oil, similar to the soy wax. As the name says, the palm wax is made of the palm oil. While 75% of palm oil is used in food applications, the other 25% is used in the beauty industry. You will find palm oil in products like soaps, candles, agricultural products and last but not least, candles.

The palm wax is used in the candle industry as it is very firm and stays good in pillars and votives. The Palm Wax produces a crystalline effect in the candles that looks very magical. When it isn’t used as the single ingredient, palm wax can be also blended with soy wax so it gets harder.


Gel Wax

Although it is not actually a wax, the gel offers a nice translucent quality to a candle. The gelatin is a mix of mineral oil and polymer resin. So if you want to make a really special candle, with a clear glass container, then choose this special material. For a nice effect, you can insert in the gel some decorative, nonflammable items and make the candle really special.


Types of Wax for Candle Making 


Conclusion

Each type of candle has positive and negative aspects and it is hard to choose the best ingredient. This is why there are so many versions of candle waxes. It’s about playing a lot and finding the best option for the final product you want to achieve. You may also check here the reasons why do candles flickr.

 

 

 

1 thought on “What are the Different Types of Wax You Can Use to Make a Candle?”

  1. hi i really want to start my own candle business, and would love to work with coconut wax but have no idea how to make the wax ( i live in the costal side and surrounded by coconuts) so if its possible to get a manual of somesort on how i can make coconut wax from scratch please sent it my way. Thank you.

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