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What’s the Best Candle Wax for Homemade Candles?

Want to know what’s the best candle wax for homemade candles? Read my guide to each candle wax type, including beeswax, soy, coconut, palm and more.

What’s the best candle wax to make homemade candles? Welcome to my ultimate guide to each candle wax type, including beeswax, soy, coconut, palm, and more! 

That’s right; I’m answering all your candle wax questions –

  • Which candle wax lasts the longest?
  • What’s the best candle wax for scent throw?
  • And can you mix different candle waxes?  

There are so many different choices when it comes to choosing wax for homemade candles, and I know how confusing it can become.  Being that candle wax is one of the first choices you’ll have to make before taking a stab at candle making; it’s essential you learn what the difference is between each candle wax type. 

Some have a better scent throw than others, while some have a cleaner, longer burn. Use this guide to start comparing the pros and cons of each candle wax type. 

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That’s right we’re answering all your questions about choosing the best candle wax - Which candle wax lasts the longest? What’s the best candle wax for scent throw? And can you mix different candles waxes?

What is Candle Wax Made From?

There’s no better place to start than with the basics. Candle wax is made from several different things, such as coconut, soy crops, and beehives. Some are synthetics, while others are natural.  Therefore, each type of wax has its unique properties. 

Many think candle wax is toxic, but this is due to paraffin wax giving candles a bad reputation.  It has been found to release some volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere when lit. (insert sad face)

The good news is there are far better options for candle wax if you want to avoid this concern. And we’ll cover them all! 

Related To: Candle Making Supplies I Use

So, Which Candle Wax Is Best?

Each has positives and negatives to making candles; it is hard to pick just one. That’s why we created this guide! 

The candle wax types below are presented in no particular order. You can read about them all or jump ahead to the one that interests you the most.

We’ve linked candle making tutorials for each type of wax when possible, as well as recommendations on where to buy it. After reading this, you may want to try them all! Ready to dive into the best candle wax types available to candle makers today?

Related To: How Much Wax Per Candle 

Which Candle Wax Is Best? Each has positives and negatives to making candles, it is hard to pick just one. That’s why we created this guide to choosing the best candle wax for your homemade candles!

Your Guide to the Best Candle Wax Types Available Today

Paraffin Candle Wax

We’re starting with the most common candle wax – paraffin. Most commercially made candles are made with paraffin candle wax.

Developed in the 1850s, paraffin was long valued for its opacity, lack of color, lack of odor, and consistent burn qualities. It is highly versatile and comes in many melting points for different types of candles, such as votives, pillars, and containers. 

However, it is not universally embraced these days. As we briefly mentioned above, paraffin wax is a by-product of the crude oil refinement process, and it is often avoided nowadays for this reason. 

Paraffin Candle Wax Pros 

  • Easily colored
  • Great for making pillars and votives
  • Excellent cold and hot throw
  • Many varieties are available at different melting points
  • The least inexpensive of all candle wax types
  • Widely available 

Paraffin Candle Wax Cons 

  • Made from petroleum, which is a known carcinogen 
  • Creates smoke and soot
  • Fast-burning, meaning candles won’t last as long
  • VERY HARD to clean up

All in all, there are many better options for candle making available to us today.  Therefore, we haven’t included any links on where to buy paraffin wax or how to make candles with it. However, there is a rumor of a new non-toxic food-grade paraffin wax coming on the market. 

Soy wax is definitely one the best candle wax types in our experience! Here's what we've learn.

Soy Candle Wax

Soy candle wax is generally a new player in the game of candle making. It was created by the U.S. agribusiness in 1996 as an alternative to petroleum-derived paraffin. It is a vegetable wax derived from 100% soybean oil. 

How is soy wax made? 

Soy wax is made of harvested soybeans that are cleaned, dehulled, cracked, and rolled into flakes. The soybean oil is then extracted from these flakes and hydrogenated. Similar to the process of making vegetable cooking oils.

Anyhow, the result is a natural wax that solidifies at room temperature and is ready-made for candle making.

This invention by U.S. agriculture has become increasingly popular in recent years with the demand for natural candles. And many candle brands choose to only work with soy wax. It is also regarded as the best candle wax for container candles. It’s definitely one of the best candle wax types in our experience!  

Soy Candle Wax Pros

  • Environmentally friendly, natural, renewable and biodegradable
  • Smokeless burn
  • Slow-burning – a.k.a. longer lasting candle
  • Many varieties are available at different melting points
  • More affordable than other natural candle waxes
  • Excellent cold throw and a great hot throw  
  • Widely available 
  • Easy to color
  • Great for making container candles
  • Easy to clean up

Soy Candle Wax Cons

  • Sorry, we can’t think of any

Buy Sox Candle Wax Flakes by the Pound: 2 lbs or 10 lbs

Make Soy Wax Candles: 

Coconut Candle Wax

If you thought soy wax was new, coconut wax is literally the “new kid on the block”! It is derived from coconuts, a sustainable high-yield crop, and hydrogenated into a waxy solid similar to how soy wax is made. Coconut candle wax is relatively soft and creamy, like virgin coconut oil. 

It has a lower melt point in comparison to other candle wax types. This makes it ideal for essential oil candle making or just faster candle making in general.

Coconut candle wax is quickly becoming popular, and we’ve been seeing it used in more premium candle brands. Many candle makers find it worth the cost for its even burn, great scent throw, and ease of use. 

Coconut Candle Wax Pros

  • Eco-friendly, all-natural, plant-based candle wax
  • Smokeless, clean burn
  • Excellent hot and cold scent throw
  • Slow-burning for long-lasting candles
  • Great for making container candles
  • Easy to clean up

Coconut Candle Wax Cons

  • The most expensive candle wax type
  • Difficult to find as it is so new 
  • Not available at different melting points, yet

Buy Coconut Candle Wax Flakes by the Pound: 5 lbs

Make Coconut Wax Candles: 

Beeswax is one of the best candle wax types. With a smokeless burn, soft texture, and properties that purify the air - it is preferred by many for candle making

Beeswax for Candle Making

If coconut oil is the “new kid on the block,” then beeswax is the ancestor of all candle making. Dating back to the ancient Egyptians, beeswax has lighted our dark nights for going on 5,000 years! Incredible right? 

Where does beeswax come from? 

Oddly, beeswax is excreted by bees into what we know as honeycombs. It’s basically a part of their daily activities to build their hive. Once harvested from a beehive, beeswax is melted and filtered into blocks, sheets, or pastilles.

You’ll find its many varieties available in varying shades of gold or white, which are bleached, and colors that are dyed. All of which can be easily used to make beeswax candles. 

Beeswax has a high melting point, but the pastilles are very easy to measure, melt, and work with to create homemade candles. Likewise, the pre-rolled beeswax sheets don’t even require melting to make candles. 

FUN FACT: As beeswax is naturally sourced from honeycombs, it is infused with honey and, in turn, has a sweet fragrance. This fragrance widely varies depending on the plants and flowers the bees eat. This is why you’ll see lavender, wildflower, and other types of honey sold. 

All things considered, beeswax is one of the best candle wax types. With a smokeless burn, soft texture, and properties that purify the air – it is preferred by many for candle making. 

Beeswax Candle Pros

  • Smokeless, soot-free burn
  • Naturally made by bees
  • A unique golden color and natural honey scent
  • Slow-burning for a longer-lasting candle
  • Many varieties are available
  • Easy to find 
  • Great for making pillars, votives, and container candles

Beeswax Candle Cons

  • More expensive than soy or paraffin wax 
  • Doesn’t hold scent as well as other candle wax types
  • Can be difficult to color due to its natural golden hue

How to Buy Beeswax:

Make Beeswax Candles: 

Palm Wax for Candles

Palm wax is another type of natural candle wax that is fairly new to the neighborhood. It is a plant-based wax made from palms and processed into wax like soy. It is a hard wax compared to coconut wax and, therefore, does well in pillar and votive candles. 

What’s intriguing about palm wax is that it naturally creates feathering and crystal-like patterns on the surface of the candle. It’s beyond us how this occurs. But, the patterns are more prevalent in colored candles. And palm wax takes very well to color as it does scent.  

Palm Wax Pros

  • Smokeless, soot-free burn
  • All-natural, plant-based wax
  • Unique crystal and feathered patterns
  • Slow-burning for a longer-lasting candle
  • Easy to add color
  • Great for making pillars and votives

Palm Wax Cons

  • One of the more expensive candle wax types
  • Difficult to find as it is new 

Buy Palm Wax Flakes by the Pound: 10 lbs

Make Palm Wax Candles: 

candle wax types

My Go-To Candle Wax Types

  1. White Beeswax Pellets
  2. Soy Organic Freedom Wax for Candle Melts
  3. Soy Organics Millennium Wax
  4. Freedom Coconut Wax
  5. Organic Beeswax Pellets
  6. Soy Wax Beads for Pillar Candle Making

These natural waxes are all excellent sources for candles. In fact, you can make a half dozen candles at home in just an hour’s time, all while leaving the yucky stuff out!

Which Candle Wax is Best? Grab our Candle Wax Type Swipe File!

Want a simple comparison of candle wax types? Quickly grasp the benefits of each candle wax type with our Candle Wax Swipe File in the Simple Living Library

Other Things You’ll Need to Consider When Choosing the Best Candle Wax

As you can see, when it comes to selecting the best candle wax types, there are many factors to consider. Outside of choosing a natural wax with a clean smokeless burn, you’ll want to take into account the type of candle you’re making. For example, if it’s DIY pillar candles you’re after, you’ll want to make sure the candle wax you choose is ideal for making pillars.  

As well as a few other factors such as the scent throw, blend, and life of the candle. So, here are answers to the most commonly asked questions about candle wax types. And you, if still can’t decide, why not buy a candle wax variety pack or one pound of each to try? 

Which candle wax lasts the longest?

Beeswax and soy wax last longer than other candle wax types. (Did you know there are still beeswax candles in the pyramids?) Each has a slow burn and a long burn time altogether. By comparison, soy wax candles will burn up to 50% longer than paraffin candles due to their cooler burn temperature and lower melting point. And it’s not uncommon to find soy candles labeled with a 50-hour burn time! 

However, the length of time a candle burns can be greatly affected by other things such as the fragrance load, container, or candlewick. Learn how to choose candle wicks here

Can you mix different candle waxes?

Yes, you can mix different candle waxes. And some of the best candles are made by blending them. The most common candle wax blend is soy and paraffin. It’s typically blended to cut costs by manufacturers. The trade allows candles to be labeled as soy if they contain at least 51% soy wax. Another great reason to make your own candles – so you actually know what you’re getting. 

Other common candle wax blends include:

By combining candle waxes, you can have the best each has to offer! Take this coconut soy wax blend, for example; the coconut wax gives a creamy soft finish to the tops of container candles. While soy wax adds to the hardness and long-lasting burn time of the candle. 

Which wax holds the most scent? 

Paraffin wax is considered the best for distributing a strong scent throw. However, due to the density and lower burn temperature of soy wax, it distributes scent more evenly and can last up to 50% longer than candles made with paraffin wax. And the new coconut wax on the market is proving to be quite a contender! 

Choosing the best candle wax is an important decision to make and we hope you find this helpful in the process. Taking the time to consider all the factors of each candle wax type will certainly lead to your success as a candle maker.  Take a moment now to pin this guide to choosing the best candle wax and tag #lifenreflection on Instagram to share your candle making with us.

3 Comments

  1. Jennifer Gutierrez says:

    I’ve tried making candle with essential oils and soy wax, you can never smell the scent. Why?

    1. lifenreflection says:

      Essential oils have a poor hot throw not matter the wax type. You might consider trying stronger natural, phthalate-free fragrance oils.

  2. How do you feel about tallow for candles? Maybe mixing it with another type of wax?
    Thanks!

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