The acceptance of candle making carries with it a greater need for more candle making wax. The passage of time has also contributed to the increase in diversity of candle making from designs to components. People are frequently searching for the "new thing" and because wax is the crucial component in candle making, new enhancements have been made to make candle making wax become better, more available, and with more range and selection than before.
An old adage goes like this: "Progress springs from the acknowldedgement of your roots." Indeed, having a deeper understanding of the various wax forms will help you choose what medium will work best for you.
A beginner candle maker is normally faced this first dilemma: what particular candle making wax will best serve me?
One of the a good number versatile and widely used waxes used today is paraffin wax. It is ordinarily available in several melt points which are handy for several applications like pillars, containers and votives.A trip to the local store will tell you that the majority of the candles available out there are based in paraffin. However, it is not universally accepted these days. This type of wax is produced when making crude oil, and most people tag it as "bad" just because it belongs to the petroleum family. When trying to decide on what kind of wax to use, keep in mind that not all products that are related to petroleum is automatically toxic.
Soy Wax
This wax type is a newbie in the candle making industry, but is already getting a lot of attention. With the influx of demand for "natural" candles increasing, soy wax was developed in the early 90s as an option/substitute to the petroleum-conceived paraffin, and the eco - friendly, but costly, beeswax. Similar to paraffin, soy wax is available in a wide range of combinations and melting points -- althouh container blends are considered as the a large amount popular. Most of the soy waxes are created from 100 percent soybean oil while some are combined with other waxes similar to coconut, vegetable and beeswax and palm.
Beeswax
Beeswax is the grandfather of all candle making waxes. Beeswax candles have been discovered withi the pyramids of Egypt. It was the ancient man's first plastic and for many years has been primarily used as a modeling material. As bees make honey, they produce beeswax. The bees excrete the wax into "combs" for the purpose of incubating their larvae. The concoction with honey during its creation produces a naturally sweet smell/fragrance which varies depending on the flowers or plants that the bees are consuming. After it is harvested, the beeswax is melted and filtered numerous times. Beeswax can be bought in blocks or slabs, very much similar to paraffin.
Gel Wax
The truth is, gel wax is not really wax. It is a nice mixture of mineral oil and resin. The Penreco Company owns the patent for this particular wax type. Gel wax shares many similarities to other waxes. It burns, melts, has color and scent. The main difference is the transparency factor of gel, making it a distinct and unique candle wax. Previously, gel wax is typically used to make container candles. Today, but, wax creators have enhanced the consistency of gel wax, making it strong enough to create pillar candles.
Palm Wax
Palm wax is like to soy wax in a number of ways. Both of them are made from all-natural oil, however, palm oil is added when creating palm wax. 75% of palm oil is harvested on a worldwide scale and is used as a component in food. The rest of them are used to make agricultural and commercial products. Typically, this medium is used to make votives and villars because of its firm and brittle consistency. The transparency of this wax type makes wonderful-looking candles. Palm wax can also be used in conjunction with soy wax to make it more solid while still maintaining its natural qualities.
With so many candle making wax types to choose from, the candle maker has a lot of choices. Feel free to select a medium that is flexible enough, enabling your creativity to shine through. A thorough and clear understanding of each will also give way to a higher form of appreciation for the candle making industry and everything else associated with it.
Author Resource:
Kim Montgomery runs the popular website Candle Making Shop on Albert Street. Want to learn more wonderful ways on how to make the perfect candles? Discover the Top 10 Ways on How create the Perfect candles *free ecourse* at => http://www.candlemakingshop-onalbertstreet.com/
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