Waxes for Scented Candles
Posted in Crafts on May 14th, 2010 by Haitham Al-Ubaidi – Be the first to commentCandle Waxes for Scented Candles
The majority of scented candles today are made using paraffin wax. These include products by some of the biggest names in the industry such as Yankee Candles and Price’s Candles. Paraffin is made from crude oil and as a resource is finite and dwindling. A hydrocarbon and similar to petrol and diesel, paraffin burns very well (so it should). Paraffin releases toxic substances when burning such as toluene, benzine and carbon monoxide. As a scented candle is made to be burnt, these toxic substances are bad news.
Other more natural waxes are available. Soy wax is one such product. It is a natural plant based wax made by crushing soy beans and hydrogenating the soy oil by passing hydrogen through it. This forms a solid wax (at regular temperatures). The remains of the crushed soy beans are not wasted. They are fed to cattle who in turn return the goodness to their pasture. The process of making Soy wax is similar to that of making margarine. The finished product is not too dissimilar either. Soy wax is creamy and soft, burns very well and makes for a clean, non toxic fuel for a scented candle. The resultant gases from burning soy wax based waxes are clean in that they have been tested and found not to contain the toxins and carcinogens associated with paraffin.
Other natural waxes are available. These include palm wax and beeswax. Both of these do suffer from some disadvantages. Some carry their own scent such as beeswax, others are too unstable at room temperature and the remainder are just plain expensive. These problematic issues render these other natural waxes unsuitable for the vast majority of scented candle making.
Crude Oil Derived Waxes
Paraffin is undoubtedly a fine burning wax. It ignites well and produces a good strong flame. So it should given its origins as a derivative of crude oil. The major drawbacks to using this wax in scented candle manufacture are the sustainability of the resource from whence it came and also the toxicity of the products of combustion in its use. Who would knowingly burn something in their home that the scientific community recommends be used in a well ventilated space? Surely that defeats the point of a scented candle.
The reason that paraffin is used today as a fuel for scented candles is primarily its cost. It is far cheaper to manufacture a paraffin candle than one made from soy. The raw paraffin wax is approximately one third the cost of soy wax. Hey presto, large commercial organisations steer toward this as they can significantly increase profits on each unit manufactured.
The toxic and carcinogenic emissions from burning paraffin candles were recently put forward by numerous UK newspaper articles. The same articles indicated that burning soy wax candles did not emit unsafe substances. This is a clear reason for the use of soy wax in scented candles and discontinuing the use of paraffin.
Waxes From Soy Beans
Soy wax creates a wide and deep melt pool in scented container candles. This launches the fragrance into the air. Besides these excellent burn qualities, soy wax is from a sustainable resource, is safe and clean to handle and is carbon neutral. The obvious comparison is wood to heat our homes. As tree is to wood is to heat, so soy wax can be described as plant to wax to candle.
Remaining Waxes
Other natural waxes have intrinsic problems. Self scent of the wax and stability of the wax at normal temperatures are just some problems. These combined with higher costs preclude the use of these waxes for general scented candle manufacture.
Authors Ending Note
Based on the authors experience and the articles mentioned in the review, soy wax has been clearly found to be the most suitable scented candle base wax. The green credentials, burn characteristics and safety in use all contribute to and support this conclusion.
Further Reading
The background information upon which this review is based is available on the Author’s web site.
The Author is the owner of Busy Bee Candles, a premium handmade fragranced candle manufacturer. He has extensive experience and expertise in the manufacture of fragranced candles, wholesale distribution and retail sales. Go to Busy Bee Candles or go to the On line Shop.