The growth in popularity that candle making has seen in recent years has had a very favourable flow on effect.
Suppliers have increased and improved their range of tools and materials needed for the hobby and since candle making wax is the main component of making wax candles, it is now better and more accessible and with greater variety than ever before.
Paraffin Candle Making Wax This is the type of candle wax used for most candles.
It is refined from petroleum, is inexpensive and readily available.
Vegetable / Plant Based Candle Making Wax Today we have some very popular plant based candle wax alternatives.
They are refined from plant or vegetable materials like palm, soy, or bayberry.
Soy based wax is becoming particularly popular.
Soy candle wax is processed from hydrogenated soybeans.
Soy candle wax is an eco-friendly and renewable resource.
Most of the soybeans used are grown primarily in Iowa, Indiana and Illinois in the United States.
Palm based candle wax is also a natural and renewable resource, but has an environmental downside to it.
With the growing popularity of palm wax and other palm products, countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have been clearing substantial areas of rainforest for the growth of their palm plantations.
This has a devastating effect on ecosystems and populations of endangered species including the Rhinoceros, Orang-utan and Sumatran tiger.
Fortunately the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) has founded the organization RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) to define and develop the best practices for the sustainable cultivation of palm plantations.
So please, when you shop for palm candle wax, try to ensure that it is from an eco-friendly source.
Animal Based Candle Making Wax Another excellent choice and also growing rapidly in popularity is beeswax.
You have the choice of white or yellow beeswax and although it can be quite expensive, beeswax is well loved for its hardiness, its burning characteristics and it's very pleasant fragrance.
Gel Candle Making Wax Gel candles are a newer type of candles and also very popular.
Gel wax has a clear and rubbery consistency and comes in a choice of 3 densities.
The gel density needed for a candle making project depends on how much fragrance you intend using in the candle.
If you are making gel candles with a 0-3% fragrance load, you should use low density gel wax.
If you are planning a 3-5% fragrance load then use medium density.
And high density gel wax should be used for heavier fragrance loads.
The modern candle maker has many choices of candle making wax available to them.
While some candle makers have a favourite and stick to it, I personally suggest experimenting with all of them.
It may take some time to learn how to work with the different characters and qualities of the various types of candle wax, but once you do you will not only expand the range of candles you can create, but also the enjoyment you get in creating them.
Suppliers have increased and improved their range of tools and materials needed for the hobby and since candle making wax is the main component of making wax candles, it is now better and more accessible and with greater variety than ever before.
Paraffin Candle Making Wax This is the type of candle wax used for most candles.
It is refined from petroleum, is inexpensive and readily available.
Vegetable / Plant Based Candle Making Wax Today we have some very popular plant based candle wax alternatives.
They are refined from plant or vegetable materials like palm, soy, or bayberry.
Soy based wax is becoming particularly popular.
Soy candle wax is processed from hydrogenated soybeans.
Soy candle wax is an eco-friendly and renewable resource.
Most of the soybeans used are grown primarily in Iowa, Indiana and Illinois in the United States.
Palm based candle wax is also a natural and renewable resource, but has an environmental downside to it.
With the growing popularity of palm wax and other palm products, countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have been clearing substantial areas of rainforest for the growth of their palm plantations.
This has a devastating effect on ecosystems and populations of endangered species including the Rhinoceros, Orang-utan and Sumatran tiger.
Fortunately the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) has founded the organization RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) to define and develop the best practices for the sustainable cultivation of palm plantations.
So please, when you shop for palm candle wax, try to ensure that it is from an eco-friendly source.
Animal Based Candle Making Wax Another excellent choice and also growing rapidly in popularity is beeswax.
You have the choice of white or yellow beeswax and although it can be quite expensive, beeswax is well loved for its hardiness, its burning characteristics and it's very pleasant fragrance.
Gel Candle Making Wax Gel candles are a newer type of candles and also very popular.
Gel wax has a clear and rubbery consistency and comes in a choice of 3 densities.
The gel density needed for a candle making project depends on how much fragrance you intend using in the candle.
If you are making gel candles with a 0-3% fragrance load, you should use low density gel wax.
If you are planning a 3-5% fragrance load then use medium density.
And high density gel wax should be used for heavier fragrance loads.
The modern candle maker has many choices of candle making wax available to them.
While some candle makers have a favourite and stick to it, I personally suggest experimenting with all of them.
It may take some time to learn how to work with the different characters and qualities of the various types of candle wax, but once you do you will not only expand the range of candles you can create, but also the enjoyment you get in creating them.
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