All About Wax

Wax On, Wax Off 

Ever wondered what the differences are between candle waxes and why it matters? We could talk your ear off on this, but we’re reining ourselves in to share a concise breakdown!

The common candle waxes on the market are soy, paraffin, palm and bees. There’s also apricot wax, rapeseed wax and coconut wax. Some factors when choosing a wax type as a chandler <aka candle maker> or consumer are:

• Is it natural or manmade? Does it matter to you?
• Color and texture
• Burn quality
• How well it holds fragrances
• Health benefits (perceived or real)
• Environmental impact

To keep it simple, we'll go through the three most common types of candle wax on the market in alphabetical order, and how we made our decision on which to use in our candle range! 

PARAFFIN - Used by many luxury candle brands, sometimes marketed as cream wax. Paraffin wax is a by-product when refining petroleum or crude oil. It’s easy to work with, very affordable and has amazing scent throw, but is a non-renewable resource. It’s not considered a natural wax. Paraffin wax burns faster in comparison to other candle waxes, and some camps believe the fumes have negative side effects. Although there are very few actual studies on the latter. 

PALM - Also known as vegetable wax. It’s a natural wax made from hydrogenated palm oil. There are numerous articles published about the palm oil industry and its environmental impact, from mass deforestation and human rights abuses to the destruction of natural habitats. Even the ethical suppliers aren’t spared in their supply chain. 

SOY - Derived naturally from soybeans, soy wax is considered to be one of the most eco-friendly waxes available on the market. We prioritize our candles being natural, and soy wax delivers, while maintaining good burn time and scent throw. We use non-GMO soy wax from a supplier in the UK. While no wax is truly perfect, we’re always striving to make better choices in our product range based on our brand beliefs.

All in all, the choice of which wax to use or buy is a personal decision, but most definitely has a large impact how your candle will perform (and even how they make you feel when you burn them!).

If you have further questions related to this topic, please don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram DM (@candlesoflight) or pop us an email at hello@candlesoflight.com! We'd love to discuss all things wax with you.