Candle Making – Paraffin Wax vs. Natural Waxes

If you are a connoisseur of candles, then no doubt you have heard the great debate: paraffin wax vs. natural wax. While some candle makers choose to offer two separate candle lines, most crafters choose to focus their efforts on one type of wax or the other.

Although each wax offers its own benefits and drawbacks, one wax is not necessarily better than the other. It is up to you to decide which wax appeals to you and which you would prefer to work with. If you plan to sell your candles, you may also wish to keep in mind the types of shoppers you will be selling to when making your wax decision.

Paraffin candle wax has been around for centuries, and is most likely the wax that the majority of candle purchasers are familiar with. Paraffin wax is a petroleum byproduct, and therefore it indirectly supports the petroleum industry. In today’s marketplace, this fact alone has caused some long time candle makers to abandon their previous affinity for paraffin wax. As petroleum is a major component of paraffin wax, it also tends to emit more smoke and potentially hazardous toxins than its natural wax counterparts.

While there may be drawbacks to using paraffin, there are also many benefits. On the whole, paraffin tends to hold fragrance better, longer and easier than natural waxes. Typically, the scent throw (or strength of the scent emitted) from paraffin candles is stronger and can fill larger spaces more effectively. It is also typically easier for a candle maker to get fragrance to hold in the wax, avoiding fragrance ‘seeping’ issues. Overall, paraffin waxes tend to be less finicky than natural waxes, and require fewer additives and adjustments.

As an alternative to paraffin, natural waxes, such as soy, beeswax and palm wax, have become readily available to candle makers, and many are gravitating to these waxes for their natural and beneficial properties. While natural waxes may be slightly more expensive than paraffin, they are still an affordable option.

Because the scent throw of natural waxes is typically softer than paraffin, sometimes attaining a strong scent throw, or getting heavier amounts of fragrance oil to blend well with the wax, can be a challenge. Esthetic concerns are also usually more of an issue with natural waxes. Soy wax, for example, is prone to ‘frosting’, a white residue that can form on the tops and sides of the candle. Natural waxes may also have a tendency to form bubbles which make the candles less attractive to the eye.

On the flipside, there are many benefits to natural waxes. Overall, they do burn cleaner with less soot than paraffin candles, avoiding sooty build-up on walls. They also clean up with just soap and water in the event of a spill. Finally, they tend to appeal to many people because of their agricultural origins. Rather than support the petroleum industry as paraffin does, natural wax candles support agriculture.

Consider who you are selling your candles to, and what your own personal preferences are, when selecting the best wax for you. Regardless of which you choose, either type of wax is capable of producing excellent candles that you and your customers will enjoy.

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Candle Making – How to Select the Best Natural Wax

Selecting the ideal natural wax to use in your candles depends on several key factors.

For one, you need to determine what type of candles you are going to make. For example, the type of natural wax you would use for container candles is very different from the type of natural wax you would use for taper candles.

Next, you need to determine what the most important wax traits are to you. Is it important that the wax is easy to work with, requires very little to no additives, or offers a stellar scent throw? Ultimately, the decision comes down to personal preference.

The first and most common form of natural wax is soy wax. As the name implies, soy wax is made from soybeans, and is an all-natural vegetable wax. Soy wax, because of its composition, burns cleaner and cooler than paraffin wax. It contains fewer toxins and carcinogens than paraffin wax, but also tends to be a little bit more expensive.

Because soy wax is made from an agricultural product, many people like the fact that soy wax supports the agricultural economy versus the petroleum industry, of which paraffin is a byproduct.

Soy wax is most often used in container candles and votives, and very often requires the addition of additives to eliminate some esthetic concerns and to increase fragrance retention and scent throw. Although soy wax offers many environmental and health benefits, it can be tricky to work with.

Another natural wax to consider is beeswax. While beeswax is the longest burning of any candle wax available, it is also one of the most expensive. Beeswax is most commonly used to make taper candles, and while it can be used in other types of candle making, most people find it simply too expensive to use in most applications.

A common way that beeswax is often used is to blend it with other waxes. Because of the burn life of beeswax, many candle makers choose to experiment and develop a unique wax blend that includes beeswax, giving them the results they wish to achieve without significantly driving up costs.

There are other types of natural wax that you may encounter from time to time.

Two of these are palm wax and bayberry wax. Because of how they are derived, both of these waxes are considered to be vegetable waxes. Bayberry wax is derived from the berries of bayberry bushes. It is known as a very hard wax and has a natural bayberry scent. Palm wax is a wax derived from palm trees.

Both of these waxes are slightly more expensive than paraffin wax, and are most often used as additives or in blends with other types of waxes.

When considering using natural wax in your candles it is important to consider your personal preferences as well as your target market. If you feel strongly about supporting the agricultural industry and about offering a vegetable based product, then soy or other natural waxes may be a great option for you. If you plan to sell your candles at farmer’s markets or to natural food stores, than you probably want to choose a natural wax as opposed to a paraffin wax.

While natural waxes do tend to cost slightly more upfront, if you market your candles to the right clientele and plan to take the time to educate people about their benefits, then most consumers are also willing to pay a little more for your product. The choice all boils down to your sales goals, your buyers and your personal preferences.

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