Beeswax for Candle Making

Beeswax has many advantages when compared to paraffin as a candle making wax, and one big disadvantage: the cost. Beeswax is a considerably more costly candle making wax, but the initial costs associated with buying beeswax by the pound are diminished when you consider the ecological, health and other financial benefits of using beeswax as your candle making wax.

First, in terms of financial savings, one nice advantage of using beeswax for candle making is that it has a wonderful honey scent built into it by nature. There will be no need to purchase additional fragrances, either natural essential oils or artificial fragrances, if you are using beeswax. Also, the honey color of natural beeswax is pleasant as well, and you may not want to add any color to your homemade candles either. So there are potential financial savings from both fragrance and color expenses if you choose to use beeswax as your primary candle making wax.

Second, there are the health benefits of using beeswax, which are hard to quantify in terms of numbers but may be the most important factor for many home candle makers. Beeswax candles are known for their ability to burn cleanly, nearly free of soot and chemical pollutants. When burning beeswax you will not have to worry about what harmful chemicals are used in the candle making wax, whereas with waxes like paraffin this is a huge concern.

Finally, there are the ecological costs to consider. Paraffin is a petroleum based product, whereas beeswax is a naturally occurring renewable resource. By using beeswax candle making wax, you will know that you are not depleting the earth's resources.

Thus although at first glance beeswax may appear to cost substantially more than paraffin for candle making, by figuring in added financial, health and ecological costs, beeswax may well be worth the money for the home candle maker. For even more information about a variety of different candle making wax types, please return to the Candle Making Wax Information Home Page.