Candle Making Wax Varieties

Nowadays, with the increasing popularity of Making Candles, candle making wax has made strides to become better, more accessible, and with more variety then before.  People are constantly searching for the new thing and since wax is the chief element in candle making, the changes have been there.

Most of the wax used in candles today is refined from petroleum like paraffin wax.  This is the type of wax that is in most candles.  Paraffin wax is readily obtainable and affordable.  Additional types of waxes are natural and refined from vegetable or plant materials such as soy, palm, or bayberry. 

A natural wax increasing in popularity is soy based wax.  It is processed by hydrogenating soybeans which allows them to be suitable for candles.    Soy wax is a renewable resource that is eco-friendly.  The best part about soy wax is that the bulk of soybeans are grown in the United States chiefly in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.  Soy candles are made out of 100% natural soy wax without any additives.  These candles have a wonderful aroma without having fragrance added to them.  Soy was is also more inexpensive than other waxes. You will save money on the wax and you won’t need to purchase additives or scents.  Therefore, if you are planning to make soy candles to sell, you can make more profit because your costs are lower.

Palm wax is also natural and a renewable resource.  Unfortunately with the growing popularity of palm wax, countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are  clearing out immense regions of rainforest in order to plant palm plantations.  These are destructive to ecosystems which compromises the habitats of endangered animals like orangutans, rhinoceroses and the Sumatran tiger.  Thankfully, the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) intervened and established RSPO.  This organization was founded to formulate and specify the most beneficial practices for sustainable palm cultivation.  They also assist member organizations to carry out and verify the operations.  Therefore while you're buying palm wax make sure that they are getting wax in an eco-friendly process. 

A lot of candles are made from other natural materials like beeswax.  Candles manufactured from beeswax, palm, and bayberry were offered by companies in the past.  Lately there has been a new and increasing interest in making candles out of these natural products.  One of the more popular natural waxes is beeswax.  It is available in yellow or white.  Though the price of beeswax can be costly, candle makers are attracted to its pleasing fragrance, the burning characteristics it contains, and the hardiness of the product. 

One type of candle gaining in popularity over the last few years is the gel candle. Gel candles are easy to make as well as inexpensive. It is a clear, elastic texture but works identical to wax. You can add your favorite scents to your candles.   Gel wax is available in three different densities.  The density of the gel that the candle requires depends upon the type of candle you are planning to make and how much fragrance you are planning to use.  Low density gel wax is best for candles with a 0-3% fragrance load.  Also, the low density can be poured at a lower temperature.  The medium density gel wax works well with candles that have a 3-5% fragrance load.  It is probably the most popular gel wax to work with.  High density gel wax is better for candles with a heavier fragrance load.

With so many different kinds of wax available, the candle maker is able to pick the type that works best for them.  Candle makers should look into all types of candles and the waxes that are used to make them.