Natural Candles

You hear the term "natural candles" quite a bit these days, but what exactly are they - what are they made from?

Obviously they aren't made from a manufactured source, such as paraffin which is made in the oil-refining process.  But there are lots of waxes that are from nature.

Are all of these natural?

Kinds of Wax

Natural wax encompasses all forms of plant or animal-derived ingredients.  This includes beeswax, soy, palm, bayberry and various other vegetable and exotic ingredients.

However, since beeswax, soy and bayberry each form their own categories, that leaves palm, vegetable and the more exotic ingredients.  (For the purpose of this discussion, we'll ignore the exotic ingredients as they are so rarely used.)

So, natural candles are those made from palm and/or vegetable waxes.

Advantages

Candles, especially those made from natural vegetable waxes, hold a fragrance extremely well.  The wax itself can hold more actual fragrance than other kinds of wax, giving rise to the term "triple scented candles".

These candles tend to burn slowly, cleanly and have a low melting point.  This is quite useful for the "flameless" or "melting" candles that are growing in popularity.

And just like soy, natural wax has a very easy cleanup, should the inevitable happen -- all it takes is soap and hot water.

Disadvantages

The biggest disadvantage is also one of the natural candle advantages -- a low melting point.  This means that if you want to burn tapers, you're better off using another kind of wax, or a wax mix (see the sidebar to the right about carnauba wax). 

Scented Jar Candles, Votives and Pillars

It's not impossible to use the taper shape with natural wax candles by any means. But with such a low melting point, you may have far more dripping than, say, a paraffin or beeswax candle.

The low melting point dripping also involves pillar candles to a lesser degree.  If you have your heart set on a natural wax candle, try a shorter, wider pillar.  Or choose a mixed wax.  (Just not soy -- it also has a very low melting point as well.)

Fragranced jar candles and scented votives are best for natural candles.  The glass enclosed the wax, and therefore doesn't drip.  This can make the natural candles last a long time indeed!

Where to Buy

As always, you can find these wonderful candles anywhere, although you may have to look a little harder. 

As always, check the label for the candle burning suggestions.  Although many scented jar candles can indeed be almost burned way, way down, not all are packaged in glass jars that can withstand that kind of heat. 

This is less a concern with votives, as long as you choose a container that is a thick ceramic or glass.  Champagne glasses (the kind you drink from), although pretty, do not make good votive holders -- the glass is much too thin.

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Carnauba: It's Not Just for Cars

If you've ever bought some car wax, you may have bought one with carnauba wax.

Carnauba is known for the high polish it gets and protection from the elements it provides.

But guess what -- carnauba makes a great candle wax, too!

It's a natural wax, derived from a fan-shaped palm which is found in Brazil (or native to Brazil, at any rate).

It's expensive, however, and so it is most often used in natural wax blends.

Carnauba can raise the melting point of other waxes, meaning it can help the candle burn longer.

Candle Lanterns

Natural candles are wonderful for using outside! Check out the outdoor candle lanterns page for ideas.