Types of Wax for Candles: Your 6 Best Options

Learning about the different types of wax for candles isn't just important when making your own candles. It will also help you choose the candle matching your specific needs and wants. After all, each wax type has unique properties, benefits, and drawbacks, as you'll find out while reading this guide.

Types of Wax for Candles You Should Use

The wax is undoubtedly the candle's fuel and responsible for the type of scent it brings to your space when lit. Of course, you can always add essential and fragrance oils when making scented candles, but most of the waxes themselves have a signature scent.

As you shop around for your project materials, you'll find a good number of wax choices, but the most popular and highly recommended types of wax for candles are:

1. Paraffin or Mineral Wax
2. Beeswax
3. Soy Wax
4. Coconut Wax
5. Palm Wax
6. Rapeseed Wax

1. Paraffin or Mineral Wax

Paraffin is still the most famous type of wax DIY candle makers, and brands use because it's available in various melting points. This feature allows them to make different types of candles, including:

• Container Candles
• Pillar Candles
• Taper Candles
• Tart Candles
• Tealight Candles
• Votive Candles

Not only is it versatile, but it also has a low price tag and can easily absorb fragrances. Also, when you make scented candles, the fragrance gets distributed throughout the space.

Similarly, paraffin wax absorbs dyes efficiently, so making colorful scented candles won't be too much of a hassle.

Another great thing about paraffin wax is that it solidifies and remains solid at room temperature or lower. Plus, it's odorless and colorless (or white).

However, as a petroleum or crude oil refinement process byproduct, it releases soot, so it isn't an eco-friendly option.

That said, if this is the wax you want to use, you can buy it in several forms: pellets, slabs, and blocks. Of course, the pellet is the easiest to melt.

2. Beeswax

If you're looking for an eco-friendly wax that you can use to make several types of candles, from pillars to votives, we highly recommend beeswax.

However, keep in mind that it's an expensive option. After all, it's a type of wax bees excrete while making honey. Plus, it undergoes melting and several filtration processes.

Beeswax has the highest melting point among the types of wax for candles on this list, so it's a bit more challenging to work with.

Since beeswax is a byproduct of the honey-making process, the wax has a signature sweet scent and gold color. At times, you'll find beeswax with a particular flower-like fragrance, depending on what the bees fed on when they started making honey.

This natural wax also produces a warm-toned flame that burns for an extended period without giving off smoke! Also, it doesn't drip as much as paraffin wax, so you won't have messy candle holders. You can even use them for your seasonal wreath decors.

Like paraffin, you can purchase beeswax in several forms: pellets, slabs, and blocks. However, you can also buy it in pre-rolled sheets that you can use to make candles without even the need to melt them.

3. Soy Wax

Made from soybeans, the soy wax is perfect for those looking for an eco-friendly option that's more affordable than beeswax. Since it's sourced from a plant, this wax is also vegan-friendly. You'll also love that it has a natural scent, like trees and plants.

Soy wax's natural signature aroma can be a bit too strong for some individuals. That said, you can add other fragrances to tone it down and give it a more pleasant aroma.

It's also worth noting that soy wax won't absorb fragrances and dyes or pigments as easily as paraffin.

Some people are also starting to raise their concerns about the fertilizers and pesticides used when growing soybeans. Likewise, they worry about deforestation; after all, soybean isn't a naturally occurring plant.

You must also remember that a soy candle won't be as solid as those made of paraffin and beeswax. The wax melts when exposed to heat for too long, while it develops white spots known as "frosts" when exposed to cold for extended periods.

The soy types of wax for candles are also available in several melting points like paraffin, so you can create almost all types of candles with this wax. Additionally, like beeswax, it burns cleanly but slowly, so soy wax candles will last longer than paraffin and beeswax candles.

You'll find that as you shop this vegetable wax, you'll find products labeled as "soy wax" but has a blend of other types of wax for candles, such as beeswax, coconut, and paraffin. That's because a soy wax blend with at least 51% soybean oil is still considered soy wax.

4. Coconut Wax

A type of candle wax made from a sustainable and high-yielding crop, coconut wax is another safe choice for your candle-making projects. Just note that, unlike soy and beeswax candles, coconut candles will produce very little soot. It's also the most expensive choice on our list or even among the waxes you'll find in the market.

Nonetheless, the coconut types of wax for candles absorb colors and fragrances very well, like paraffin wax, but coconut wax candles will have a longer burn time. You'll also find that it's usually paired with hydrogenated soybean oil to create a more affordable coconut wax blend.

5. Palm Wax

Yet another of the best types of candle waxes made from natural sources, palm wax stands out because it excellently holds fragrances or scents. It means that as a scented palm wax candle burns, the smell gets easily distributed in the space.

Most candle makers also love that palm wax has a firm to brittle texture, making it one of the most durable types of wax for candles, especially for free-standing ones. Not only that. The wax creates crystalline feather or marble-like patterns that add to the candle's aesthetics.

As if those features aren't enough, palm wax candles also have a long burning time. However, all these excellent features come with a high price tag. Nevertheless, you'll find blend varieties that are more affordable than wax made purely from palm oil.

6. Rapeseed Wax

Also known as canola wax, rapeseed is the best alternative to soy wax when you want to make scented container candles but worry about deforestation. It's a vegetable that gets replenished more quickly because it's a naturally growing plant, especially in Europe.

You can also easily remove the solidified wax from jars, tin cans, and other molds you use when making DIY candles. It also has high-temperature stability and absorbs dyes or pigments and fragrances easily. Also, you'll love that it has an excellent scent throw and burns slowly and cleanly.

However, rapeseed wax solidifies quickly, so you might need to heat the surface with a heat gun or pour the melted wax into the container in two or more batches. Likewise, pre-heating the container before pouring the wax can help slow down the solidification process. Any of these extra steps can add a few minutes to the usual length of time required when you make candles.

Additionally, this type of wax can produce brittle or hard candles when used on its own. As such, it isn't ideal for making unscented candles. Also, ensure that the candles have a diameter of 60 millimeters or lower.

Like most natural types of wax for candles above, you'll also find canola wax blends. The wax is usually mixed with coconut oil or soybean oil. The rapeseed-coconut blend is one of the top choices for candlemakers because, as mentioned, soy wax isn't 100% eco-friendly.

A Table of Comparison for the Types of Wax for Candles

Here’s a table comparing the key features of each of the waxes discussed above, as well as what types of candles are best made out of them.

	Paraffin	Beeswax	Soy	Coconut	Palm	Rapeseed
Color	Colorless or white	Yellow, light brown, gold	White or beige; opaque	Creamy, opaque white	Yellow	White or beige
Smell	Odorless	Natural sweet	Natural sweet	Odorless	Odorless	Odorless
Texture	Solid	Solid	Pliable, soft	Firm	Firm to brittle	Firm
Best Used For	Colorful, scented candles	Free-standing candles	Container candles	Container, scented candles	Free-standing scented candles	Colorful, scented container candles

Cheaper Alternatives to the Different Types of Wax for Candles

Perhaps you want to use a different base instead of wax because you want to add variety to your candle collection or products. Or maybe, you're in dire need of candles and need to make do with the available resources in your home. In that case, here are some of the best alternative options for you:

• Gel
• Vegetable Oil
• Water and Oil

Gel

Although you'll usually find the gel base for candles labeled as gel wax, it isn't real wax. It's a blend of mineral oil and resin, resulting in its gel-like and see-through features.

With these signature features, the gel is an ideal choice if you want to make decorative candles and use clear containers. You can simply add small objects like berries, seashells, and dried flowers. They'll not only be visible, but the gel will also hold them firmly in place.

The gel also absorbs color and fragrances well. Additionally, gel candles are brighter than wax candles when lit and burn slower. However, like paraffin, it produces a lot of soot when burnt.

Vegetable Oil

As you noticed from our types of wax for candles listed above, most of the waxes are made from plant oils, so it isn't surprising that you can also use vegetable-based cooking oil you'll find in your kitchen! It can also absorb dyes or pigments well, but scent-wise, it will depend on the oil you'll use.

Similarly, you also won't expect that the candle will be as solid and firm as when you use waxes meant for candle making. As such, vegetable oil can only be a temporary alternative when you're in great need of a candle but don't have time to run to the store.

Water and Oil

You've probably seen water candles at some parties or events that you've attended. You can also make them when hosting outdoor night parties, but you're short on budget when it comes to decoration.

All you have to do is place a good amount of water in a clear container, add a drop of oil (baby oil, vegetable oil, or lamp oil), and add a drop of food coloring or liquid dye. Then simply cut a small piece of plastic sheet, put a hole in the center, and add a wick.

Which Among the Types of Wax for Candles Should I Choose?

Now that you have a good list of the top waxes you can use for your candle-making activities, it's time to pick the best. Well, the best wax for your candle will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

Consider the kind of candle you want to make, your budget, the scent's strength you prefer, and your environmental consciousness.

With that said, if we were to pick the type of wax perfect for beginners or those just starting to learn how to make candles, we highly recommend paraffin wax because it's affordable, easy to work with, and highly versatile.

If you don't like soot, soy wax is a solid choice because it's also reasonably priced and versatile. Lastly, if you're too conscious about the environment, beeswax is the best wax type to practice on.

That said, remember that wax is just one of the secrets to making high-quality and presentable candles. You must also pick the right container, high-grade fragrances, and quality wicks.