Best Tea light candles - from soy to beeswax - what you should know (2024)

FAQs

Which is better for candles beeswax or soy? ›

If you are looking for a scented candle, soy wax will produce a stronger, more consistent smell that will last the full burn time of the candle. Beeswax on the other hand is better suited as an unscented candle that allows for the natural oil scent to be released into the air.

Soy wax is best for container candles and tealights, but it's also popular for making wax melts and tarts.

I like to use a blend of both soy wax and beeswax and don't add additional color. The more beeswax you use, the more honey-colored the candle will be. Beeswax also gives off a sweet honey aroma, so the more you use, the less added fragrance you will need.

Beeswax candles are the healthiest choice in candles. Made from the caps of bee honeycombs, beeswax candles burn clean, are very long-burning, and give off a pleasant natural fragrance as they burn. Beeswax candles are dripless when burned properly, and release negative ions which help clean the air in a room.

Adding some coconut oil to your beeswax helps the candle burn more consistently and avoid tunneling. But, you can also make a 100% beeswax candle by omitting it. Pour the wax and coconut oil into your candle containers and let them set for 1-2 days before using.

If you like to burn candles for a long time, say three hours or more a beeswax pillar or votive will work great for you. A tealight is best burned start to finish so be thinking four to five hours. If you are looking to only burn a candle a short time, maybe ten minutes to several hours, choose a candlestick.

If you decide that you want a clean-burning candle that will give you the strongest scent throw you can get, you might choose paraffin. If you want a wax that is clean-burning, comes from a renewable source, has a great scent throw, and burns longer, soy might be the way to go.

Homemade beeswax candles on their own have a faint yet delightful honey-like scent. But, if you'd like to make aromatherapy candles, you can add essential oils. However, beeswax doesn't hold fragrance as well as other candle waxes. This is where coconut oil comes into play…

A 25% mixture or 1/4 beeswax to soy is common but you can use any percentage.

At what temperature do you add fragrance to beeswax candles? ›

I usually add them when the wax temperature has dropped to 160-165° F. The essential oils will coagulate in the wax, so a little stirring and possible gentle reheating may be required. Ultimately, you don't want to burn the oils off by having them sit in hot wax for too long.

Experts in the field have deemed braided cotton wicks the best. Originally designed for beeswax candles, the square braided wick offers many benefits including: Better flow of vapour, the more open structure of these wicks channels the vapour up the wick better, even with impurities present.

Beeswax has been reported to have antimicrobial properties. Beeswax may inhibit growth of gram negative bacteria, gram positive bacteria, and fungi. (4, 5, 6) In addition, beeswax impregnated cloth has been reported to exhibit biostatic and biocidal activity under laboratory conditions.

Beeswax also has the lowest toxicity for candle materials, releasing no toxic byproducts or heavy soot into the air. Instead of adding pollutants, beeswax candles neutralize them. Beeswax candles release negative ions when burned, eliminating dust, mold, and unpleasant odors.

Beeswax releases negative ions, which attach positive ions (the ions found in most pollutants) in the air, neutralizing them and cleaning up the air you breathe. While some soy candles contain scents that may trigger allergies or headaches, beeswax candles might help purify the air to prevent such things.

Avoid aromatherapy candles made of paraffin or gel, both petroleum byproducts. In all things, avoiding the fossil fuel industry when you can makes sense for living a green life. Just like if you don't have to drive a car to get to your destination, don't; if you don't have to burn a petroleum-based candle, don't.

The best quality candles will have a wick that is the right size and construction for the candle. You can tell your candle has a good wick if it burns cleanly, evenly, and creates a pool of liquid wax all the way across the surface of the candle within 2 to 4 hours.

The three most important things to look for in a candle are its wax, its wick, and its fragrance.

Sinkholes sometimes form during the wax setting process, when candle wax at the edge of the jar and around the wick cools down at a faster rate than the rest of the wax in the container. So how does that result in a sinkhole? When wax is heated it expands. Conversely, as wax cools down, it shrinks.

Candle Life: Because beeswax is a much denser material than soy wax, beeswax candles should burn for a longer amount of time than soy candles. Mixing soy wax with paraffin to make the material denser doesn't help, since paraffin burns quickly, too.

Do beeswax candles emit toxins? ›

Beeswax candles (like ours!) trump all other candles for their many and varied health benefits. Firstly as they are all natural, there are no toxic byproducts created when burned.

The best alternative I've found is beeswax candles, which are not only safe, but have the added benefit of helping clean indoor air. I've talked about how we use them to help purify indoor air, and beeswax candles give off the warm glow of candles without the toxic effects.

Beeswax and soy candles usually burn cleaner than paraffin wax. Furthermore, beeswax candles can actually clean your air by releasing some negative ions that easily bind with toxins to help eliminate them from your indoor air. You can also use oil diffusers and essential oils instead of burning candles.

Luxury candles tend to use higher-end alternatives to paraffin, such as coconut wax, beeswax, and soy wax. For example, our candles are made with natural soy wax, which burns less quickly than paraffin and allows you to savor the ambience and aroma up to 50% longer.

Parfums contain the largest volume of essential oils, which means they take the longest to evaporate. Eau de parfums (EDPs) are next in line for lingering time, followed by eau de toilette (EDT). Eau de cologne contains the least amount of long-lasting essential oils and will therefore not last as long on the skin.

Beeswax is another 100% all-natural wax. One of the best candle waxes on the market, beeswax can be used to make all types of candles, including pillars, tapers, votives and containers. It is also available in beeswax sheets.

Beeswax candles have a very subtle, natural scent, which evokes the earthy, yet sweet aroma of honey. This makes them perfect to burn on the dinner table, as they don't overpower food. If you want a heavily scented candle, with a strong scent throw, please choose a different candle.

Beeswax citronella candles do the job of deterring mosquitoes while keeping the air quality around your patio and barbeque safe and inviting.

To ensure your candle burns cleanly across the top, burn 3-wick candles until all three beeswax pools join to form one large wax pool (usually from 6 to 9 hours). Repeat the process each time the candle is lit. Use a metal tool to straighten curled or tilted wicks to the opposite direction to correct uneven burning.

How long after making beeswax candles can you burn them? ›

As a rule of thumb, you will need at least 60 drops of essential oils for every 4 ounces of wax blend. You can use more, though. For a stronger scent use 2 teaspoons of essential oils in a 4 ounce candle.

The key to good consistency is a 50/50 beeswax/coconut oil mixture. And make sure there is room at the top of the jar so the wax doesn't overflow when you pour it in.

Rough Surfaces/Cracking: Candles have an uneven, rough surface or small air bubbles which lead to small holes, cracking, and/or jump lines. Possible Causes: Stirring too vigorously, water somehow got into the wax, your candles cooled too fast, candles were poured at too cool of a temp.

The melting point of beeswax is higher than paraffin and soy wax, making beeswax require a larger wick to burn efficiently.

Beeswax is considered nonpoisonous, but it may cause a blockage in the intestines if someone swallows a large amount. If an ointment is swallowed, the medicine component may also cause side effects or poisoning.

Botulism spores are also common in beeswax. The spores are not harmful to adults who have mature, healthy gut systems, but infant guts are immature and great breeding grounds for the bacteria which then produces a deadly toxin. (The toxin is deadly for adults too, but the bacteria won't grow in a mature, healthy gut).

A: Beeswax has no expiration date. It is best to store it in away from heat.

There you have it, when comparing wax, soy wax is arguably better than beeswax due to cost, aesthetics, oil retention, vegan friendly and eco friendly properties. However on sweetness, and burn temperature, beeswax wins out. Let us know which natural wax you decide to go with when making your candle.

How can you tell if a beeswax candle is pure? ›

Candle Bloom

The dull white powdery finish that appears on the surface of pure beeswax (over time) is referred to as “Bloom”. It is a characteristic of pure beeswax candles, and bloom is a sign of the purity of beeswax candles.

Beeswax has the highest melting point of any wax meaning the candles burn for longer than paraffin. They are the tidier candle in that they don't release any soot and they tend to drip less. They also emit a much more ambient light, making for a cosy atmosphere.

White beeswax is great for projects such as candle making because you can create lots of different colored candles with natural mica powder.

If you decide that you want a clean-burning candle that will give you the strongest scent throw you can get, you might choose paraffin. If you want a wax that is clean-burning, comes from a renewable source, has a great scent throw, and burns longer, soy might be the way to go.

Soy wax contains nothing artificial, which makes it a better alternative to old-fashioned paraffin wax, which is made from petroleum oil and produces harmful by-products when burned or melted. Soy wax is non-toxic making it better both for the environment and your health!

Brighter, Longer Burn

Because beeswax has a higher melting point than other waxes, it emits the brightest, most warm-toned flame. Beeswax candles also last longer than most other candles. Because it is so dense (0.958), it burns slower and drips less, and many consider beeswax candles to be drip free.

Vanilla just so happens to be America's most popular flavor, so it makes sense as to why this scent is so high up on the list.

Mahogany Teakwood High-Intensity Candle.

Beeswax is the oldest known material used for candles, and remains one of the cleanest options. Beeswax is natural, free of toxins, and makes fall candles that provide slow burn. It's considered the cleanest burning candle wax, as it acts as a natural air purifier.

Our unscented candles are crafted from quality materials—including plant-based wax, paraffin wax and stearin—and are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and hues to meet all your candle wants and needs.

How long should you wait to burn a beeswax candle after making it? ›

It may take 2 or 3, 4 hour burns for the wax to melt right to the edges of the jar. This is because beeswax is a hard wax that burns slowly, and also longer than other candle waxes. Always trim the wick to 5mm before lighting the candle – This removes carbon from the end of the wick and means the flame will be larger.