Candle Making Wax

The growing popularity of candle making at home as a hobby means that more types of candle making wax are more available and easier to find than ever before, with greater variety and choices for the home candle maker. The most common type of candle making wax found in candles is paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is refined from petroleum, but other types of waxes are refined from vegetable or plant materials, and are therefore what are considered, natural waxes. These natural waxes include soy, palm and bayberry.

Soy Candle Making Wax

Soy based candle making wax is gaining in popularity for many reasons and is a good type of wax for you, the home candle maker, to experiment with.  Soybeans are hydrogenated to create soy wax, and it is a renewable resource that is eco-friendly.  If you are concerned about buying American, one of the best things about soy wax is that the majority of soybeans are grown right here in the United States, primarily in states like Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.

If you want to buy natural candle making waxes because they are environmentally friendly and a renewable resource that is not only a great idea – but they also make great candles. A word of caution though when it comes to natural candle making waxes is that you must also be careful of the brands you purchase, as they might not be as friendly to the environment as you think.

Palm Candle Making Wax

This is especially true when it comes to palm wax. The growing popularity of palm wax has contributed to some countries, like Indonesia and Malaysia for example, clearing out large sections of rain forest in order to grow more palm. This practice can obviously devastate the local ecosystems and compromise the populations of endangered animals that live there. In fact, an organization was even founded to develop and define the best practices for sustainable palm cultivation, so when you are shopping for palm candle making wax make sure that they are obtaining wax in an eco-friendly way which won’t compromise the planet or your personal values.

Beeswax

Another of the more popular natural and environmentally friendly candle making wax is beeswax which is considered an animal product.  It is available in yellow or white colors, and it is a wax that candle makers are particularly drawn to because it burns well and cleanly, has a pleasant fragrance, and is very hardy. Unfortunately it can also be pretty expensive, so this is not always the best option for candle making at home for people on a limited budget, but it is a great wax to work with younger children with because it is the one candle making wax that doesn’t necessarily require melting. That’s right, one of the more popular types of beeswax candles is known as a rolled candle. This style of candle does not require melting the wax; instead, a sheet of beeswax is simply “rolled” with a candle wick in the center to produce a very attractively textured candle. The fact that you do not need to work with a potentially dangerous heat source to craft this style of candle is what makes it such a good choice for projects involving younger children.

Gel Candle Making Wax

Gel wax is an up and comer in the candle making at home arena.  Gel wax is clear and has a rubbery texture, but it works the same as regular waxes.  It is available in three different densities.  Which density you need to use depends on the type of candle you are making and how much fragrance you would like to add to it.  Low density gel wax is best for candles with a 0-3% fragrance load, and this 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, and this density is the most commonly used type.  High density gel wax is best for candles with a heavier fragrance load. Gel candle making wax is also popular because it is transparent which makes it ideal for suspending non flammable items for a custom and creative candle. One of the drawbacks to working with gel wax is that it typically requires a higher temperature to reach its optimal pouring state. Unlike more traditional candle making waxes, gel wax does not make such an obvious, or drastic, physical transformation when melting. Instead of going from a mere solid to a mere liquid, gel wax simply becomes more “syrupy”. Each type and density of gel wax will reach an optimal pouring consistency at a certain temperature range. Care must be taken to exceeding this optimal temperature range.

When you buy waxes to create your candles, make sure to read the packaging and see the recommendations – the particular wax you pick up may not be appropriate for your candle making at home methods. With so many different types of candle making wax out there, you can pick and choose to find the ones that suit you and your particular needs best.

Tips for Choosing the Right Candle Making Wax

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