Not All Candles Are Created Equal

A big hello to everyone! Thanks for coming back to check out the scoop why candles are not all created equal.

Let’s jump in.

Beeswax

Let’s start with 100% pure beeswax. Pure beeswax, if properly harvested from honeycomb and honeycomb capping, as well as free from resins, propolis and other impurities; is arguably at the top of Mother nature’s most beautifully produced products.

Although some may have the opinion that wax is wax, pure beeswax completely differs in chemistry and molecular characteristics from all others.
Beeswax has the highest melting point of any known wax. This characteristic alone, is why pure beeswax burns very slow. Pure beeswax also burns cleaner, brighter and longer making it the candle of choice for so many. There are also many health benefits in burning pure beeswax candles (a little hint for next weeks newsletter).

Paraffin

Paraffin starts of as a greyish-black sludge that oozes its way into becoming a bi-product derived from a petroleum refining process. It is then bleached creating dioxins and processed into solid paraffin using carcinogenic chemicals.
Not over yet. The solid paraffin is then coloured with dyes from more chemicals and scented with synthetic fragrances to create floral carbons when finally burned.

Gel Candles

Another petroleum based product made from mineral oil and a ‘gelling agent’!
Like paraffin, synthetic colours and fragrances are added and once burned, produce toxic fumes.
Gel candles must burn in some kind of container simply due to their specific characteristics.
Burning these candles in a container restricts the airflow. This restriction disallows efficient combustion creating soot as a result.

Soy Candles

Soy candles find their place in the candle market by hydrogenating soybean oil. Therefore, there really is no such thing as soy wax. To make a soy candle, you must solidify the oil. This is achieved by first bringing the soybean oil to a very high heat and then introducing hydrogen and nickel (a suspected carcinogen) as a catalyst to solidify the oil. Next step is to add synthetic colours and fragrances. Lighting these candle may produce a pleasing scent or enhance a soothing atmosphere however, important to understand, they will also produce toxic fumes.

Join us next week as we continue our mini series on ‘Beeswax Candles’ as we talk about Mother Nature’s Balancing Act.

Until then,

Bee kind to each other 🙂