Different Types of Candles

Candles – they have become an essential element of interior décor. Combining your room’s decor with a perfectly scented candle sets the mood for a special, celebratory, or romantic occasion. Far beyond the traditional candlelit table, candles provide soothing warmth, while the right scent adds to a curated, sensory experience.

Before you decide to burn for a candle for your next occasion, our candle wax guide will help you find the right choice for your health and for your home.

 

Beeswax has quite a history, dating back to the Egyptian era even. Until the invention of paraffin wax in the 1850’s, this was the best wax to use to make candles. But it was very expensive and thus only the rich and the church could afford to use beeswax candles. Beeswax is entirely natural and is essentially the comb in which the honey is stored. When burning beeswax candles then there are no toxins emitted at all.

Beeswax is famous for being a slow burner and for producing a lovely aroma. It provides good light with little smoke. Beeswax is more expensive than paraffin wax but for the naturalist, beeswax is worth the price.

Coconut wax is a relatively new type of wax. Generally, it is more expensive but offers an eco-friendly choice like soy. Essentially, the coconut wax is created by harvesting the oil of coconut in which coconuts are a renewable, sustainable crop. 

It has a great scent throw, a slow and clean burn. Sustainability is another aspect that makes coconut wax good for candle making, and this type of wax doesn’t produce a lot of soot.  Moreover, the durability is 50% higher than traditional candles.

You can use coconut wax to make scented candles and is an ideal choice for those people who love to use candles for aromatherapy. It produces a captivating, strong, and long-lasting scent to make your space more inviting.

Paraffin wax is the most commonly used type of candle wax. However, it is a by-product of petroleum, crude oil refinement, and the oil industry. While this part of the oil is at least not discarded, in the long run, it’s also not sustainable.

Paraffin is also known for holding the scent better. However, if the scent uses high-quality oils, the type of wax shouldn’t really matter. Not to mention, the paraffin wax has been found to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) when lit. While it’s a minuscule amount, if you prefer to avoid paraffin wax, there are plenty of other options!

Paraffin candles are perfect for show. But if you choose to burn this type of candle, just be sure to be in a highly ventilated area.

Soy wax is considered a more eco-conscious type of wax, compared to paraffin. However, it offers many more advantages which is why we believe it is the best candle wax here at Homesick. 

One benefit of soy wax and soy wax blends is that it burns slower, allowing you to enjoy your candle for much longer than most. Another benefit is the soy wax tends to burn cleaner, reducing indoor pollutants like soot and smoke, which is not only bad for your health, but can discolor a candle’s container or a nearby surface. And the scent profile doesn’t have to compete with said toxins since a soy wax candle gives a stronger aroma.

Last, but not least, unlike using a petroleum-derived wax, soybeans are a natural and renewable resource. Plus, the wax is biodegradable. Since the United States is the top global producer of soybeans, buying a soy-based product supports American farmers.

100% white stearin candles are manufactured from natural wax, which burns brighter and cleaner, reducing drips and soot.  By selecting a stearin candle you are ensuring you get a quality candle every time. Candles made from natural wax, such as stearin, provide a superior, cleaner and brighter, flame and generally drip less.  Selecting a stearin candle ensures you get a great quality candle every time.

Otherwise known as stearic acid, it was first discovered in the early 1800’s. It is derived usually from tallow (animal fat) but in some cases from vegetable fats, and used in many common products such as soaps, adhesives and for the purpose of this book, candles.

Stearin is an isolated ingredient of tallow. Although tallow was used for centuries as the wax of candles, as we previously learnt, tallow candles were not all that effective. However, stearin contains the most beneficial attributes of tallow.

Typically, coloured stearin candles are made from white stearin wax which is over-dipped with a coloured paraffin wax to provide the decorative finish to the candle, so check the ingredients label if you’re looking for 100% stearin.