When it comes to candle and wax melt making, choosing the right type of wax can make or break your project. The kind of wax you use affects not just the appearance of your candles and wax melts but also their scent throw, burn time, and eco-friendliness.
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned crafter, it’s essential to understand the strengths and weaknesses of different wax types so you can choose the best one for your projects.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the most popular waxes for candle making—soy wax, paraffin wax, beeswax and others—to help you find the perfect match!
Soy Wax - The Eco-Friendly Choice
Best For - Beginners, eco-conscious consumers, container candles, scented candles and wax melts
Soy wax has become one of the most popular choices for candle makers, and for good reason. It’s made from soybean oil, which is a renewable resource, making it an eco-friendly option. Soy wax is known for its clean burn and smooth appearance, making it a great choice for beginners and experienced candle makers alike.
Benefits of Soy Wax:
Eco-Friendly: Made from natural, renewable resources.
Clean Burn: Produces less soot than paraffin wax.
Excellent Scent Throw: Holds fragrance oils well.
Smooth Finish: Gives a smooth, creamy appearance.
Long Burn Time: Soy candles tend to burn slower than paraffin, giving candles and wax melts a longer life.
Challenges of Soy Wax:
Lower Melt Point: This means it’s more prone to melting in warmer climates, making it less ideal for outdoor candles, for example.
Frosting: A natural effect where white spots appear on the candle surface. While it doesn’t affect the candle or wax melts performance, some makers find it undesirable for aesthetic reasons.
Paraffin Wax - The Versatile Classic
Best For - Beginners, vibrant colours, pillar candles, votives, novelty candles and wax melts.
Paraffin wax has been a go-to choice for decades, mainly due to its versatility and affordability. It’s a petroleum-based wax, which means it’s not the most eco-friendly option, but it excels in other areas like color vibrancy and scent throw.
Benefits of Paraffin Wax:
Vibrant Colours: Holds dye exceptionally well, making it perfect for colorful candles and wax melts.
Excellent Scent Throw: Provides a strong fragrance release, making it ideal for scented candles and wax melts.
Variety of Forms: Available in a range of melting points, making it versatile for different types of candles like pillars, votives and containers.
Affordable: Generally cheaper than other waxes, making it a budget-friendly option for beginners.
Challenges of Paraffin Wax:
Soot Production: Burns with more soot than natural waxes, which can blacken jars and affect air quality.
Not Eco-Friendly: Being a petroleum byproduct, it’s not renewable and can contribute to environmental harm according to some studies.
Shorter Burn Time: Paraffin candles burn faster than their soy or beeswax counterparts, meaning you’ll go through them quicker.
Beeswax - The All-Natural Powerhouse
Best For - Taper candles, allergy-sensitive users, outdoor candles, unscented candles.
Beeswax is one of the oldest waxes used for candle making, dating back thousands of years. As a natural byproduct of honey production, beeswax has a lovely, subtle honey scent and is completely chemical-free. It’s an excellent choice for those looking for a natural, sustainable wax.
Benefits of Beeswax:
Natural and Sustainable: Beeswax is renewable and biodegradable, making it one of the most eco-friendly waxes.
Long Burn Time: Burns longer than soy or paraffin candles, making it a great option for slow-burning candles like tapers.
Naturally Scented: Comes with a natural honey-like aroma, which can be left unscented for those sensitive to synthetic fragrances.
Produces Negative Ions: When burned, beeswax releases negative ions, which can help cleanse the air by trapping airborne pollutants.
Challenges of Beeswax:
Expensive: Beeswax is often more expensive than soy or paraffin, making it a premium choice.
Hard to Scent: Its natural honey scent can overpower other fragrances, making it harder to blend with essential oils or fragrance oils.
Harder to Colour: Its natural yellow color can be difficult to cover with dyes, so it may not be the best choice for vibrant, colorful candles.
Coconut Wax: The Luxe Newcomer
Best For - Luxury candles, container candles, blended waxes.
Coconut wax is relatively new on the candle-making scene but is rapidly gaining popularity due to its high performance. Derived from the oil of coconuts, this wax is known for its creamy texture and excellent scent throw.
Benefits of Coconut Wax:
Superior Scent Throw: Coconut wax is one of the best at holding and releasing fragrance.
Eco-Friendly: Made from a renewable resource, coconut wax is biodegradable and more sustainable than paraffin.
Smooth, Creamy Finish: Provides a luxurious, smooth appearance that’s perfect for high-end, aesthetically pleasing candles.
Burns Clean: Produces very little soot, making it a good choice for indoor use.
Challenges of Coconut Wax:
Costly: Coconut wax is more expensive than soy or paraffin, making it a better fit for luxury candle lines.
Softness: Coconut wax is softer than other waxes, so it’s usually blended with harder waxes like soy to improve its structure.
Palm Wax: The Textured Beauty
Best For: Pillar candles, textured finishes, decorative candles.
Palm wax is a plant-based wax derived from the oil of palm trees. Known for its unique crystallized, feather-like texture, it’s a popular choice for making decorative, textured candles.
Benefits of Palm Wax:
Beautiful Texture: Creates stunning, crystalline patterns as it cools, making it ideal for decorative pillar candles.
Long Burn Time: Palm wax candles burn slowly, extending the candle’s lifespan.
Firm Structure: Great for making pillar candles that need to hold their shape.
Challenges of Palm Wax:
Environmental Concerns: Palm wax production has been linked to deforestation and habitat destruction. It’s important to source from sustainable, RSPO-certified suppliers.
Harder to Work With: Palm wax requires more precise temperature control during the candle-making process, making it less beginner-friendly.
Conclusion: Finding the Right Wax for Your Project
Each type of wax has its own strengths and weaknesses, so the best wax for your project depends on what kind of candles you’re making. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option with a clean burn and long life, soy wax is a great choice. For decorative, colorful candles, paraffin wax is ideal. If you’re after something completely natural and premium, beeswax or coconut wax could be your best bet. And for those seeking texture and visual effects, palm wax or gel wax can offer something truly unique.
In the end, the right wax for your project depends on your priorities—whether that’s price, sustainability, burn time, or aesthetics. Now that you know the ins and outs of each wax type, you can confidently choose the best one for your next candle-making project!
