Types of wax for candles. Pros and cons.

Candles - the new trend of today. If 20 years ago they were mainly used as a way to illuminate the dark times, today there is a whole candle culture in which candles are more about comfort, aesthetics, style, and self-expression. It depends on what appeals to you.

That's why the list of materials for making candles is constantly growing and improving.

Paraffin is a waxy product of oil refining. The most health-friendly paraffin is considered to be grade P2 (food-grade). ☝️ To improve the quality, it is recommended to mix paraffin with stearin. It is mostly sold in the form of solid semi-transparent white plates.

2. Beeswax.

Beeswax - natural wax created by bees for their own needs and borrowed by humans, including for candles 😁
☝️Has a pleasant natural honey aroma. Sold in the form of yellow plates or formed blocks. It is also sold in the form of wax and in the form of pastilles if we are talking about bleached beeswax.

 

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4. Coconut Wax.

 

 

5. Palm Wax.

 

Palm wax is produced in the form of white granules from the waxy coating on palm leaves or from palm oil. Another name is palm stearin. It is sold in the form of small bead-like white or colored granules.

Pros	Cons
✅️ genuine palm wax is natural and environmentally friendly;	❌️ Often made synthetically;
✅️ hard and not oily;	❌️ Often has a specific aroma;
✅️ suitable for molded, container, and votive candles;	❌️ Very brittle, requires special packaging and handling;
✅️ leaves a beautiful frost effect on the surface after solidifying (only with metal and glass molds);	❌️ Structure breaks down when adding essential oils;
✅️ easily colored with oil-soluble dyes;	❌️ Frost effect does not appear in silicone and plastic molds;
✅️ accepts fragrances for candles;	❌️ Dangerously high melting temperature (above 100°C);
✅️ low price;

 

 

6. Candle Gel (Gel Wax).

 

 

Candle gel (gel wax) is a transparent jelly-like substance consisting of a mixture of mineral oils (such as vaseline) and a gelling agent. There is also a version with the following composition: gelatin, tannin, glycerin.  

Pros	Cons
✅️ Odorless;	❌️ Requires special gel dyes;
✅️ Transparent - offers great design possibilities;	❌️ Melts slowly and requires a high melting temperature (90-95°C);
✅️ Good scent transmission;	❌️ Highly flammable;
✅️ Safe when burning;	❌️ Relatively high cost;
✅️ Very long burning time (~ 4 times longer than paraffin);	❌️ Becomes cloudy even from a drop of water;
✅️ Bright, clean flame;

 

So, today we've discussed the types of candle waxes, what they look like, and what they're made of. We've also gone through the main pros and cons of candle waxes and seen what kind of candles can be made from different types of wax.

In the next articles, we will introduce you to each type of wax in more detail!

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