7 Types of Candle Wax and When to Use Each

Homemade Scented candles Photo courtesy: Pratiksha Mohanty on Unsplash
Homemade Scented candles Photo courtesy: Pratiksha Mohanty on Unsplash

This comprehensive candle wax guide will help you choose from the 7 types of candle wax and when to use each. Homemade candles make for wonderful gifts and great decorative accents for your home, and candle–making can be both a fun hobby and a true art form. If you are venturing into the exciting world of candle–making, one key factor to consider is what type of wax is best suited for the type of candle you want to make.

There are many different waxes available on the market, from rare organic beeswax to the more widely–used paraffin, to the more recently popular options such as soy, palm and coconut wax. Each of these waxes has their own characteristics and properties that make them a good choice for making different types of candles.

Some are better for making pillar candles while others work well if you’re using containers. Some waxes are colorless and odorless and carry added dyes and fragrances well, while others have their own natural scent and color and need no additives.

Environmental & Health Impacts

With more people conscious about the environmental impacts and the negative effects on the air quality in their homes from burning candles, there has been much debate about which waxes are the most clean–burning and friendly to the environment.

Some candles are made from 100% natural, renewable raw materials and are biodegradable, releasing no toxins into the air, and sometimes even purifying it. Others however, do release toxic chemicals and carcinogenic soot into the air and don’t burn quite as cleanly.

Non–toxic candles made from clean–burning beeswax or vegetable waxes have the lowest impact on the environment yet still deliver maximum joy. Whichever type of candle you are making, this comprehensive candle wax guide will help you find the right choice. When burning candles of any type of wax there is always the potential for a fire hazard, so don’t forget to read through our tips for the safest and healthiest use of candles.

Beeswax Photo courtesy: Meggyn Pomerleau on Unsplash
Beeswax

You can use this wax for numerous types of candles, but it is particularly well suited for pillar and taper candles as it doesn’t drip very much and is therefore great for candle holders and seasonal wreaths.

This precious resource is obtained from honeycomb, which is built from the wax excreted through the glands of worker bees, thus the limit of its large quantity availability. The market share of beeswax candles is less than 2%, which explains their rather high price tag compared to paraffin or vegetable oil waxes.

Coconut Wax
Coconut Wax Candles Photo courtesy: Nisha Ramesh on Unsplash
Soy Wax Candles Photo courtesy: Mindaugas Norvilas on Unsplash
Soy Wax

And those are the very substances you want to avoid. In fact, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules in order to be able to label a product as a “soy candle”, it only needs to contain 51% soy. The other 49% can be anything, including toxic paraffin—which is a lot cheaper.

Palm Wax

Palm wax is also common used in beauty and skin products, especially those marketed as “natural”. Although the more chemicals added to a product, the less natural it becomes. Compared to other waxes, especially paraffin wax, palm wax is quite expensive. But the biggest problem with palm wax is that growing palm trees contributes to deforestation.

Palm Wax
Stearin Wax
Photo courtesy: No Revisions on Unsplash
Stearin Wax

Stearin wax makes for colorful, scented candles of all types. Stearin wax candles burn longer, drip less and produce less soot than paraffin candles. Stearin wax candles are almost always made from palm oil. However, they can also be made from coconut oil or animal fats—so do pay attention to the ingredients list.

Gel (Wax)
Gel Wax Candle

Gel (Wax) Candles Could Be a Health Hazard

Despite their difference in appearance, from an environmental standpoint there is no difference between gel and paraffin wax candles. Gel candles are not sustainable since petroleum is not a renewable resource. They also cannot be recycled because the gel might clog up recycling machines.

Studies have determined that mineral oil and plastic have poor biodegradation rates, usually between 15–35%. Besides, even if gel candles were to biodegrade, they would release harmful chemicals into the environment, the soil and the groundwater. Gel candles are vegan, but cannot be composted.

Gel candles, like paraffin wax candles release soot, air pollutants, toxins and carcinogens like benzene and toluene as they burn. Because gel candles release toxins into the air, they are a poor choice for aromatherapy.

There have been concerns that gel candles, depending on the container material used, can create an explosive combination that can easily catch fire. Retail gel candles are much more heavily scented, when these candles are burned, these fragrances are released into the air making it dangerous to inhale.

There was one study in 2014 that suggested that “under normal conditions of use scented candles do not pose known health risks to the consumer”. The study compared the exposure concentrations of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOC, SVOC) and particulate matter in gel candles with existing indoor or ambient air quality. That said, this study was conducted back in 2014, since then, the severity of the climate impact of burning fossil fuels and animal agriculture has accelerated to create climate change effects which have rendered parts of this planet unlivable. This is a trend that is not only unsustainable, but alarming.

Paraffin Wax Crayons Photo courtesy: Yukon Haughton on Unsplash
Paraffin Wax

Common applications for paraffin wax include lubrication, electrical insulation, and candles; dyed paraffin wax can be made into crayons. It is distinct from kerosene (a combustible hydrocarbon liquid derived from petroleum) and other petroleum products, which are also sometimes called “paraffin”. Un–dyed, unscented paraffin candles are odorless and bluish–white.

Reichenbach’s creation marked a major advancement in candle–making technology, since at the time paraffin burned more cleanly and reliably than tallow candles (made from rendered beef or mutton fat), and was cheaper to produce.

Paraffin Wax Candles Are a Health Hazard

While they may be affordable, pretty to look at, and hold any scent very well, paraffin wax candles release a lot of soot when they burn and are not biodegradable. The toxins and carcinogens released by paraffin wax candles has raised questions regarding its effects on the environment.

Petroleum is obtained by drilling, which causes environmental pollution and habitat loss from deforestation or ocean acidification. Then the crude oil is refined into its end products, which involves heavy manufacturing processes that contribute to air pollution.

Petroleum refining is the third largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter, behind power plants, and petroleum and natural gas systems. Petroleum refining is the second highest ranked in terms of GHG emissions per facility.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released several reports about the health dangers of paraffin candles with synthetic fragrances, lead wicks, and contaminated oils. In fact, for many years experts have equated the dangerous impact of paraffin wax candles on air quality and your health as that of secondhand smoke.

Adding to this problem, some mass–produced candle wicks contain heavy metals, even though the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requires candle wicks to be made from cotton or paper. Heavy metals like lead release unsafe levels of toxins into the air when burned. Yet, paraffin wax and paraffin candles with lead wicks continue to be sold on the market.

To list just a few, the health hazards caused by metals and other toxic pollutants released into the air when burning paraffin candles are Kidney, nervous system and brain damage, cancer, asthma, allergies and contact dermatitis (eczema), as well as impaired mental development in children.

The majority of these harmful substances come from dyes, scents and fragrances (especially dangerous synthetic fragrances) that are added to the either the candle wax or the wick, or both. Frequent use of paraffin candles means inhalation of the dangerous pollutants that drift into the air.

A 2009 study at South Carolina State University examined the health hazards of paraffin wax candles as compared to natural wax candles. The paraffin wax candles tested released unwanted chemicals into the air. None of the vegetable–based wax candles produced toxic chemicals.

If you want to be more a more conscious consumer, try candles made from soy, palm, coconut, or beeswax Instead. Candles of wax made from vegetable or other natural raw materials are the better option for your health as well as the environment. Unfortunately, the overwhelming number of mass–produced commercial candles sold—about three quarters—are paraffin wax candles. Read our list of 5 great natural (soy & beeswax) candle brands for suggestions on alternatives to gel, paraffin and palm wax candle retailers.

5 Tips for the Safest and Healthiest Use of Candles

Candles—as with any combustion process—even natural candles may release certain pollutants in small quantities due to incomplete combustion. To reduce this risk, you can minimize soot formation. The following five tips will help you make a healthy use of your candles:

  1. Ensure good ventilation in closed rooms before (and especially) after use.
  2. Do not blow out candles! Instead, wet your fingertips with cold tap water and quickly press the lit wick between your fingers, or dip the wick into the liquid wax and immediately prop it back up again (don’t use your fingers, instead use a match, toothpick, etc.).
  3. Avoid drafts during use (the flame should not flicker).
  4. Don’t let the wick become longer than about ½ inch (1 cm).
  5. Avoid the formation of “craters”—let the candles burn long enough until the entire wax surface has melted (especially big and wide candles).

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Sources:
6 Types of Candle Wax and When to Use Them
https://www.thespruce.com/types-of-candle-wax-5323778
By Maria Sabella Updated on 11/05/22, Fact checked by Sarah Scott
Paraffin wax – Wikipedia
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Are Gel Candles Eco-Friendly? 10 Important Facts You Should Know
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written by Savanna Stanfield
Eco-Friendly Candles: 5 Natural, Non-Toxic & Safe Wax Candles
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BY EE EDITORIAL TEAM MARCH 5, 2022
Is Palm Wax Sustainable? 12 Facts You Should Know (+2 Alternatives)
https://citizensustainable.com/palm-wax-sustainable/
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Are Gel Candles Eco-Friendly? Ethically Engineered
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Cruelty-Free and Eco-Friendly Wax Sources You Should Be Aware of
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By Jonathon Engels
The Problem with Palm Wax
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http://www.economist.com/node/16423833
Pros & Cons of Coconut Wax Candles (+ The Best Non-Toxic Brands)
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Last Updated on September 12, 2022 by The Filtery Staff
The Beeswax Workshop: How to Make Your Own Natural Candles, Cosmetics, Cleaners, Soaps, Healing Balms and More.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Beeswax_Workshop/YyuFDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Burning+pure+beeswax+candles+negative+ions+cleans+indoor+air&pg=PT29&printsec=frontcover
by Dalziel, Chris. Simon & Schuster, 2016.
The Occurrence of Paraffin and Other Petroleum Waxes in the Marine Environment: A Review of the Current Legislative Framework and Shipping Operational Practices.
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by Suaria G, Aliani S, Merlino S and Abbate M.
Front. Mar. Sci., vol. 5, no. 94, 2018. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00094

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