Natural Wax or Paraffin Wax?

My candle making journey started about ten years ago, after receiving a Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir candle for Christmas.

I’d not really heard of the Jo Malone brand before – but nevertheless, it was a gift I was delighted to receive.  It was a lovely gift and the luxurious aroma was enjoyed by many people who visited our house over the festive season.

Come February, the candle had come to an end and I wanted to replace it.  Searched online and was shocked to discover that it would set me back £46 to buy a new one!

I’d made candles in school in my younger years so thought that it couldn’t be that hard (or expensive) to actually make one.  I was already qualified as an aromatherapist so knew how to work with essential and fragrance oils – so I set out to learn the art of candle making and to understand why a candle would retail for £46!

Luxury brand candles are usually made with paraffin wax

This came as a shock to me.  At the time, I was vaguely aware that natural / organic waxes were out there.  I’m not sure why, but I’d assumed that such an expensive candle would be made with a premium natural wax.

But for large scale candle making, paraffin wax makes sense.  The wax is cheap to buy.  It can easily accept dye and can produce vibrantly coloured candles.  It can accept lower concentrations of fragrance oils – and – it is easy to work with.

Big companies, of course, are all about profit margins.  Thinking back to that £46 candle, I worked out that the gift box it came in cost about the same as the actual candle.  The profit margin would have been about £40!

Natural wax is better

A more natural approach

From the outset, it was my mission to create luxury “organic” candles which didn’t cost the earth.  My motto was luxury you can afford every day.

This decision took me on quite a journey of learning – and expense.  Unlike paraffin wax, natural wax – particularly soy – is a lot more challenging to work with and to wick correctly.

Natural wax is very fussy when it comes to fragrances.  Not all fragrances work with the wax or will produce a meaningful scent throw.  Although I mainly use pure soy wax for my candles – occasionally I do use a coconut / rapeseed blend wax as this perfroms better with certain fragrances.

But ten years on I’ve managed to master the art of chandling using natural wax.  I hope you agree!

Natural wax is better for you and for the environment

There’s a lot of mis-information on the web, but let us dig in and find out why natural wax is better for you and the environment.  I’ll concentrate on the differences between soy wax and paraffin wax.

Soy Wax

Soy wax is a vegetable wax made from hydrogenated soybean oil. It is a popular choice for artisan candle-makers due to its natural credentials and clean burning properties.  It doesn’t produce much (if any) soot.

Soy wax is also a renewable commodity – and although at one time it was all imported from the US, it is now refined in Europe.

The downsides to using soy wax is that it is expensive to buy – at wholesale, about twice the price of paraffin wax.

And because soy is denser than paraffin – candles made with it burn cooler and for longer which translates to a more subtle scent throw.  Though more research needs to be done, there is evidence that scented soy candles are less likely to trigger alergies and are safer to use around pets.  That said, you shouldn’t be using candles, room sprays or electric diffusers if you have caged birds in your home.

Soy candles aern’t for everyone.  Some people are just attracted to heavily coloured wax candles with powerful artificial scents.  For them, a paraffin candle is the choice.

But for those who appreciate a more natural approach, natural wax is the way to go.

Organic wax?

The only wax that could be classified as being organic is pure beeswax.  This has a natural aroma of its own which is hard to mask with fragrance oils – and it’s even more expensive in bulk compared to soy wax.

Of course, it’s not a vegan friendly choice either.

Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax is a type of wax made from petroleum byproducts.  Unlike soy, it isn’t renewable and it doesn’t burn as cleanly as soy wax does.

Additionally, paraffin wax can be difficult to clean up and may cause a fire hazard if not used properly.

The ultimate test

If you are not convinced of the pure benefits of natural wax candles, here is an easy test for you.

On a convenient window ledge – say in your hallway – make sure the glass is squeaky clean and light one of our candles in front of the window.  After 3 hours or so, extinguish the flame.  Let the candle set before moving it.

Then, take some kitchen roll and wipe over the inside of the window.  It will be clean.

Repeat this again on another day using a standard / big brand paraffin candle.  You’ll be shocked as to how much black soot ends up on your kitchen towel.

Just think of what you must have been breathing in!