Today, with the growing recognition of candle making, the demand for candle making wax has increased significantly. The passage of time has also contributed to the increase in diversity of candle making from designs to components. People are always on the lookout for the "next big thing" and because of this, more enhancements have been made to the candle making wax to make it more available, better, with more selection and range than before.
There's an old saying that goes this way - "Progress springs from the acknowledgement of your roots". Let's get to identify the various waxes that are used to make candles.
If you are new to candle making, you will find that the first decision you should make is determining what kind of candle making wax to use.
Normally, there are 4 forms of candle making waxes:
One of the the majority flexible and widely used waxes used today is paraffin wax. It is typically available in several melt points which are handy for several applications similar to pillars, containers and votives.Just go to the local store and you will discover that a good number of candles that are sold in the market are paraffin-based. On the other hand, it is not universally accepted these days. Paraffin wax is a by-product of crude oil, and eco - friendly folks often regard it as "bad" just because it is a cousin of petroleum. When trying to decide on what type of wax to use, keep in mind that not all products that are related to petroleum is necessarily toxic.
Soy Wax
This kind of wax is a newbie in the industry, but more and more people are choosing soy among the other wax kinds. Along with the demand for natural products, soy wax was developed in the 1990s as a better alternative to paraffin, and the costly but eco-friendly beeswax. Like paraffin, soy wax comes in a large amount of blends and melting points, though container blends are the most popular soy waxes. A vast majority of the soy waxes are made from pure soybean oil while the others are mixed with other vegetable oils and waxes mainly coconut and palm and beeswax respectively.
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. Beeswax is a wonderful by-product of making honey. 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 like paraffin.
Gel Wax
The truth is, gel wax is not really wax. It is a nice combination of mineral oil and resin. The patent for gel wax belongs to the Penreco Company. Gel wax shares many similarities to other waxes. It burns, melts, has color and aroma. The only differentiator lies in its transparency that fosters for a completely different assortment of candles. In the past, gel wax is normally 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 normally shares certain similarities to soy wax. Both are made from natural oil with palm oil in the case of palm wax. Most of the palm oil that is produced all across the globe is utilized as a food component. The remaining 25% is used for other commercial and and agricultural products. Normally, this medium is used to make votives and villars because of its firm and brittle consistency. Palm wax creates superb-looking candles because of its transparency. It can also be blended with soy wax to make it more solid while still successfully maintaining its natural properties.
The availability of different candle making wax gives candle makers with more options, making it easier for them to choose the medium that will serve them best. 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 is a candle lover and shares that love with many around her. If you love candles and would want to know more secrets and expert tips about candle making, and everything you need to know about making your own perfect candles, available at => http://www.candlemakingshop-onalbertstreet.com
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