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Candle Making Wax…Basic Characteristics

Candle making has grown tremendously in the past few decades and this exponential growth has led to the further improvement in quality, availability and sheer diversity of wax, which as we all know, is one of the main ingredients of candle making. From the dawn of time, candles have been made from a variety of waxy materials and today, wax is derived from two major sources - natural sources like vegetable, insects and animals, and artificially manufactured materials like paraffin and gel.

Paraffin wax is one of the most abundant wax used to make candles today. It is manufactured or refined from petroluem. The vast majority of candles made today are made with paraffin wax because it is cheap and available everywhere. In various parts of the world, plant materials like soybeans and palm oil are extensively used also to make candle wax. Natural candle wax are refined from such vegetable materials like soybeans which is extensively produced in the United States. Soy wax is rapidly growing in popularity as it is a renewable resource, readily available, inexpensive and also eco-friendly.

Palm wax is another natural wax used in making candles which is also rapidly growing in popularity among candle lovers. Palm wax is a natural and renewable resource which is refined or extracted from palm trees. Unfortunately, due to the growing popularity of palm wax and palm oil, some of these countries are busy clearing out enormous stretches of rainforest and replacing matured trees with palm plantations.

This unfortunate destruction of virgin woodlands has contributed significantly to the global warming phenomenon affecting every part of planet earth today. Tens of thousands of endangered animal species has also been displaced by this wanton destruction of their natural habitats. Damaging our ecosystem in this irresponsible way is such a massive price to pay for the growing popularity of palm produce.

Candles have been made in many parts of the world from animal materials down the ages. The Egyptians have been known to make candles from beeswax as early as 3000 BC, while the Chinese made theirs from the fat of whales between 221 and 206 BC during the Qin Dynasty. Candles made from natural beeswax is available in different colors and it is quite popular among candle makers. Although more expensive than paraffin wax or palm wax, candle entrepreneurs are drawn to beeswax because of its natural fragrance and its burning quality.

A new kind of material people are using to make candles now is Gel. Gel candles are clear and have a rubbery texture but it works much the same way as candles made from any other kind of wax. Gel wax comes in three different flavors – low, medium and high densities. The type of candle you want to make and the amount of scent you want to add will dictate the gel density you need to use. Low density gel works best for candles that contain 0-3% scent, and it is poured at low temperatures. Medium density gel is probably the most popular gel for making gel candles and it is best with candles that contain 3-5% of fragrance. High density gel wax requires to be poured at much higher temperatures than the other two and is better for candles that contain a heavier percentage of fragrance.

Candle makers now-a-days are spoilt for choice considering the bewildering array of wax available on the market for the candle making craft. You can pick and choose the type of wax that works best for you and the type of candle you are planning to make. A complete understanding of the characteristics and quality of the different types of wax will allow every budding candle entrepreneur to use each one to its fullest potential in crafting the candle of their dreams.

Beeswax Candles Are Great For Your Home

In the world of candles, beeswax candles are top of the line. These candles are really expensive, but there are good reasons for that. And it is great to know that you will hardly find a candle that is as clean as beeswax candle.

Beeswax candles compete in the market against three different competitors, namely, soy wax candles, gel candles, and paraffin candles. You will see that the competitors have lower quality and are less pricey.

Commercial bee farmers are collecting the wax from the bee hives, and this wax is what we use to make beeswax candles. To prepare the candle making process, the beeswax itself is being processed and purified. Heating the wax in a hot water is what a purification process is all about.

You will be able to find many different forms and shapes of these candles, as well as finding unscented and scented types. The main reason these pricey candles are stated as top of the notch candles is their burning qualities. Candles like these are emitting a heavy yellow color as well as burining with a warmer flame which makes them different from other candle types.

If you use beeswax candles, you will see that there is only small amount of wax dripping.

And it is because of these characteristic that the candles are very welcome in religious services. Some religious institutions like the Catholic Church make heavy use of candles during their services. Those candles would be a big problem if they were dripping their wax everywhere.

And they handle this problem by choosing only beeswax candles, since they do not drip wax at all. Another advantage of beeswax candles is that they produce very little smoke. To tell it in a different way, beeswax candles burn very cleanly. This characteristic makes them desirable candles to burn with children in the home and also generally to protect your family’s respiratory systems.

With these candles you won’t have such problems as bad petroleum smell that you usually get with paraffin candles and you won’t have problems with darks spots on your ceiling or your walls due to the soot.

These candles have a lot of benefits and this makes them a good buy, even if they are expensive due to a lot more labor involved in their farming process.