Things You’ll Need to Consider
Your choice will depend on several factors, including the form of candles you would like to make, the kind of wax you would prefer to use (for example, is using an all-natural wax important to you?), the amount of scent throw you’d like the candle to have, the level of difficulty that you want the project to offer, and even the type of finish you would like to see on your candles. Taking the time to consider all of these factors will help you decide which wax is right for your specific application.
WHAT IS WAX?
Technically speaking, the term “wax” refers to a flammable, carbon-containing solid that becomes liquid when heated above room temperature.
Types of Wax
Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax, also known as straight wax, is wax that doesn’t have any additives in it. Paraffin wax is the most common and least-expensive candle wax and widely used wax for candle-making. It is a synthetic product made from petroleum, coal or shale oil, and is extremely versatile for candles. Paraffin wax is made from a by-product of the oil refining industry: it can be made from petroleum, coal or shale oil. That’s why it’s also called “petroleum wax”. Paraffin can be used to make many types of candles, including pillars, containers, votives, tealights, tapers, and tarts. Candles made with paraffin wax burn slightly quicker than the ones made from other waxes and have a translucent appearance when uncolored. Unfortunately, paraffin wax is not very eco-friendly and can be toxic when burnt.
Paraffin wax is a very easy and affordable wax used for candle making.
Its solid texture at room temperature and transparent color are perfect for making versatile types of candles like:
Unfortunately, paraffin wax is not very eco-friendly and can be toxic when burnt.
Soy Wax and Soy Wax Flakes
Soy wax is a 100% all-natural wax made from hydrogenated soybean oil that is available in several forms, including soy wax flakes. It is ideal for use in making container candles, including jarred candles, tins, votives, tealights, and tarts. Because there’s a difference between paraffin wax candles and soy wax candles in terms of their appearance and performance, you’ll want to learn the properties of each to help you decide which type of wax you want to use.
Benefits of Soy Wax Candles
Soy wax is often blended with other waxes to capitalize on the best of both waxes. Common mixes include adding other vegetable oils like coconut, and waxes like palm or beeswax. A number of candle makers also choose to use paraffin/soy blends. Generally, if the blend contains at least 51% soy it will be labelled as a soy wax blend. You can check out our soy blend candles here.
Palm Wax
Another type of 100% all-natural wax, palm wax is produced by hydrogenating palm oils. Palm waxes allow you to create candles with unique textures, since, in most cases, there is a crystallizing pattern (on pillars or containers) or feathering pattern (available on pillars) that forms on the candle’s surface. Palm wax is excellent for use with pillars, votives and tarts.
Beeswax and Beeswax Sheets
Beeswax is another 100% all-natural wax. One of the best candle waxes on the market, beeswax can be used to make all types of candles, including pillars, tapers, votives and containers. It is also available in beeswax sheets.
Rapeseed (or canola) Wax
Rapeseed wax (or canola wax) is a natural vegetable and vegan wax used in candle making. Rapeseed wax is made from the oil that is harvested from the plant: it is basically hardened vegetable oil. With rapeseed wax, you can make container and pillar candles. Be aware that with rapeseed wax, you should also use larger wicks than you would usually with other waxes.
Coconut wax
A natural and vegan wax option for candle making. It is made from coconut oil. Coconut wax is made from hydrogenated and refined coconut oil. If you don’t like the coconut scent, no worries: the refining process removes the coconut smell.
Coconut wax melts down really fast, so you can make your candles very quickly. Usually, coconut wax candles are smokeless and soot-free.
You can use this wax to make container candles!
Granulated Wax
Granulated wax is often used for crafting, because of its ease of use. There’s no need to melt the wax! It’s made from 140⁰ melt-point paraffin that has been formed into little beads, so you can just pour granulated wax into a container and insert a wick!
Gel Candle Wax
Offering the translucent quality of gelatin, gel candle wax isn’t actually wax at all. Instead, it’s made from mineral oil and a polymer resin. With gel candle wax and a clear glass container, you can make container candles you can see through and into! For added interest, you can make embedded-object gel candles, where you insert decorative, nonflammable items into the gel.
Types of Candles
Pillar Candles
Pillars are candles that stand on their own, without any type of container. The best waxes to create pillar candles are paraffin, beeswax and palm wax. However, you can also use wax blends to make pillar candles.
Container Candles
Container candles are candles that you create to sit inside of a glass jar (with or without a lid), metal tin or other type of container. Because these candles do not have to stand on their own, you can use a variety of waxes to make container candles, including soy wax, soy/paraffin blends, paraffin, palm wax, and beeswax.
Votive Candles
Votive candles are small candles about 2 ½” high that are designed to sit in small, glass containers. Because they are not freestanding, you can use a variety of waxes to make votives, including soft, natural waxes like soy and palm as well as beeswax, wax blends, and paraffin.
Tealight Candles
Tealights are small candles, about 1 ½” in diameter and about ¾” high, that are designed to sit inside a small, cylindrical metal or clear plastic container. You can make tealights using most waxes, including soy, palm, and beeswax, paraffin, and soy/paraffin blends
Taper Candles
Tapered candles are long, narrow candles that sit in candlesticks. The best waxes for making tapered candles are paraffin and beeswax.
Tarts
Did you know that you can make candles without a wick? When melted in a potpourri or tart burner, wax tarts, also known as wax melts, offer another way to enjoy the aroma of candles. You can use both paraffin and natural waxes such as soy wax to make tarts.
Gel Candles
Gel candles are soft, gelatin-like candles that you create inside a container. They’re made from a mineral-oil-based gel instead of wax.
HOW TO MAKE CANDLES WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
WHAT IS AN AROMATHERAPY CANDLE?
Candles have been in existence for a very long time! Aromatherapy candles are natural candles made with essential oils. As they burn, the candle disperses the essential oils’ scent and healing properties throughout your room.
Essential oils have various therapeutic qualities which you may incorporate into your day-to-day life. Depending on the candle scent, the aroma can be uplifting, reflective, or relaxing to the mind. Most commonly, aromatherapy candles aim to aid the emotional side of our well-being.
Most essential oil candles also like to use natural waxes as the candle base. Paired with natural soy wax as the base, these essential oil candles make a 100% non-toxic product.
Use your aromatherapy candles for any occasion you like! From dinner parties to a steaming hot spa-at-home bath, these beauties are never out of place!
***THE BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR CANDLES***
ESSENTIAL OIL SAFETY
As essential oils are highly concentrated and some individuals and skin types may have allergic reactions to them
Every essential oil has its own properties and wellness benefits. No matter the situation, there’s probably an essential oil that can aid. But some essential oils lend themselves more to candle-making than others. Most top-note essential oils won’t work very well on their own in a candle. Their evaporation time span is too short. Blend them with a base note in a custom-blended essential oils mixture.
Essential oils are dynamic organic liquids that work in synergy with each other. Synergy means ‘working together in harmony’. In general, essential oils work better when mixed with other essential oils. Each essential oil has a multitude of compounds, and while we come to know them for their beneficial, healing properties, each oil also has weaker components that may even trigger adverse reactions in some people. When blending essential oils, one oil can actually balance out the weaker parts of another, and even negate the possible side effects that oil could have if applied on its own.
GROUP YOUR ESSENTIAL OILS
Before beginning to create your own aromatherapy recipes of any sort, a good starting point is to categorize your essential oils into groups that share similar traits. This can be by what they do (effects you’re after), how they smell (scent type), or if you want to be really technical, you’ll sort them by their chemical make-up of how fast each of them evaporates (notes).
Grouping essential oils by the type of effects they have
Blending essential oils that are within the same category usually works well and makes for a mix with complementing qualities.
BY SCENT TYPES
You can also group your essential oils into categories of similar smelling scent types. Some oils could certainly fit into more than one category depending on how your nose “reads” that particular scent. Oils in the same category generally blend well together.
By the season:
BY ESSENTIAL OIL NOTES
Have you ever noticed that your essential oil blend smells differently after a few hours than when you first created it? This is because certain essential oils evaporate quicker than others, so while one oil might still hold its fragrance in the blend, the others may have long gone. Similar to a musical scale, essential oils that are quickest to evaporate (usually within 1-2 hours), are called “top notes”. Next are the oils that evaporate within 2-4 hours, those are considered “middle notes”. The “base notes” are the oils that evaporate the slowest. Some base note oils can take several days to evaporate. Blend essential oils with the same oil notes to ensure a blend that keeps smelling and acting consistently over time. Especially if you make a batch, or more than a few drops of a diffuser, blend to your liking for your particular home use.
Here are a few examples of popular oils, divided into their oil notes:
SIMPLE ESSENTIAL OILS BLENDING FORMULA
To start, I recommend you use 15 mL amber glass bottles with a cork stopper to try out your essential oil blending recipes at home. This is about the amount for one full-body massage, so even if the blend isn’t perfect, you’re not wasting a large amount of oils. Follow this simple recipe:
If you’re hoping to mix together two already mixed blends, I recommend you stay away from this.
Synergies have already been made by experts to achieve a certain thing – if you want to alter this, I recommend just starting from scratch and mixing single oils. Since synergies have been pre-made, the exact quantities of what oils have been used can only be guessed, and outcomes are therefore quite unpredictable. Trying to add or alter blends may become more frustrating than satisfactory for you. But you can always read the list of ingredients from a blend you like – and then get those as single oils, plus add in whatever other oil you’d like to blend into the mix – this will then totally make it your own!
BRAND QUALITY
Now, as with everything in life, it is imperative that you choose good-quality essential oil brand products for your aromatherapy recipes and oil blending experiments. Depending on what you use your essential oil blend for, you can get away with different grades of oils.
Almost all oils are for external use only, but there are a few brands that can be used internally. Please read this blog post here on which essential oils are safe to ingest. Some brands are therapeutic-grade essential oils (pure essential oils), while others are not and contain fillers or additives. Some brands also offer an organic line to their oils, where you can specifically shop for organically sourced oils.
ARE ESSENTIAL OILS FLAMMABLE IN CANDLES?
Essential oils on their own are flammable. Don’t add essential oils directly into an already burning candle. In candle making, the essential oils are blended into the waxes and other oils. Together, this mixture will not be flammable.
HOW MUCH ESSENTIAL OIL TO ADD TO CANDLES
The ratio for essential oil candles is 3 oz. solids to 35-40 drops of essential oils. This creates a scent that is pleasant, strong, and lasts through multiple uses of your candle. If you want to make your essential oil candles smell stronger, you don’t necessarily need more drops of oil.
Your choice will depend on several factors, including the form of candles you would like to make, the kind of wax you would prefer to use (for example, is using an all-natural wax important to you?), the amount of scent throw you’d like the candle to have, the level of difficulty that you want the project to offer, and even the type of finish you would like to see on your candles. Taking the time to consider all of these factors will help you decide which wax is right for your specific application.
WHAT IS WAX?
Technically speaking, the term “wax” refers to a flammable, carbon-containing solid that becomes liquid when heated above room temperature.
Types of Wax
Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax, also known as straight wax, is wax that doesn’t have any additives in it. Paraffin wax is the most common and least-expensive candle wax and widely used wax for candle-making. It is a synthetic product made from petroleum, coal or shale oil, and is extremely versatile for candles. Paraffin wax is made from a by-product of the oil refining industry: it can be made from petroleum, coal or shale oil. That’s why it’s also called “petroleum wax”. Paraffin can be used to make many types of candles, including pillars, containers, votives, tealights, tapers, and tarts. Candles made with paraffin wax burn slightly quicker than the ones made from other waxes and have a translucent appearance when uncolored. Unfortunately, paraffin wax is not very eco-friendly and can be toxic when burnt.
Paraffin wax is a very easy and affordable wax used for candle making.
Its solid texture at room temperature and transparent color are perfect for making versatile types of candles like:
- Pillar candles
- Container candles
- Votive candles
- Tealight candles
- Taper candles
- Tart candles
Unfortunately, paraffin wax is not very eco-friendly and can be toxic when burnt.
Soy Wax and Soy Wax Flakes
Soy wax is a 100% all-natural wax made from hydrogenated soybean oil that is available in several forms, including soy wax flakes. It is ideal for use in making container candles, including jarred candles, tins, votives, tealights, and tarts. Because there’s a difference between paraffin wax candles and soy wax candles in terms of their appearance and performance, you’ll want to learn the properties of each to help you decide which type of wax you want to use.
Benefits of Soy Wax Candles
- Soy wax is slow burning so you’ll get a longer lasting candle for your money compared to old school paraffin wax candles.
- Soy beans are natural, renewable and biodegradable.
Soy wax is often blended with other waxes to capitalize on the best of both waxes. Common mixes include adding other vegetable oils like coconut, and waxes like palm or beeswax. A number of candle makers also choose to use paraffin/soy blends. Generally, if the blend contains at least 51% soy it will be labelled as a soy wax blend. You can check out our soy blend candles here.
Palm Wax
Another type of 100% all-natural wax, palm wax is produced by hydrogenating palm oils. Palm waxes allow you to create candles with unique textures, since, in most cases, there is a crystallizing pattern (on pillars or containers) or feathering pattern (available on pillars) that forms on the candle’s surface. Palm wax is excellent for use with pillars, votives and tarts.
Beeswax and Beeswax Sheets
Beeswax is another 100% all-natural wax. One of the best candle waxes on the market, beeswax can be used to make all types of candles, including pillars, tapers, votives and containers. It is also available in beeswax sheets.
Rapeseed (or canola) Wax
Rapeseed wax (or canola wax) is a natural vegetable and vegan wax used in candle making. Rapeseed wax is made from the oil that is harvested from the plant: it is basically hardened vegetable oil. With rapeseed wax, you can make container and pillar candles. Be aware that with rapeseed wax, you should also use larger wicks than you would usually with other waxes.
Coconut wax
A natural and vegan wax option for candle making. It is made from coconut oil. Coconut wax is made from hydrogenated and refined coconut oil. If you don’t like the coconut scent, no worries: the refining process removes the coconut smell.
Coconut wax melts down really fast, so you can make your candles very quickly. Usually, coconut wax candles are smokeless and soot-free.
You can use this wax to make container candles!
Granulated Wax
Granulated wax is often used for crafting, because of its ease of use. There’s no need to melt the wax! It’s made from 140⁰ melt-point paraffin that has been formed into little beads, so you can just pour granulated wax into a container and insert a wick!
Gel Candle Wax
Offering the translucent quality of gelatin, gel candle wax isn’t actually wax at all. Instead, it’s made from mineral oil and a polymer resin. With gel candle wax and a clear glass container, you can make container candles you can see through and into! For added interest, you can make embedded-object gel candles, where you insert decorative, nonflammable items into the gel.
Types of Candles
Pillar Candles
Pillars are candles that stand on their own, without any type of container. The best waxes to create pillar candles are paraffin, beeswax and palm wax. However, you can also use wax blends to make pillar candles.
Container Candles
Container candles are candles that you create to sit inside of a glass jar (with or without a lid), metal tin or other type of container. Because these candles do not have to stand on their own, you can use a variety of waxes to make container candles, including soy wax, soy/paraffin blends, paraffin, palm wax, and beeswax.
Votive Candles
Votive candles are small candles about 2 ½” high that are designed to sit in small, glass containers. Because they are not freestanding, you can use a variety of waxes to make votives, including soft, natural waxes like soy and palm as well as beeswax, wax blends, and paraffin.
Tealight Candles
Tealights are small candles, about 1 ½” in diameter and about ¾” high, that are designed to sit inside a small, cylindrical metal or clear plastic container. You can make tealights using most waxes, including soy, palm, and beeswax, paraffin, and soy/paraffin blends
Taper Candles
Tapered candles are long, narrow candles that sit in candlesticks. The best waxes for making tapered candles are paraffin and beeswax.
Tarts
Did you know that you can make candles without a wick? When melted in a potpourri or tart burner, wax tarts, also known as wax melts, offer another way to enjoy the aroma of candles. You can use both paraffin and natural waxes such as soy wax to make tarts.
Gel Candles
Gel candles are soft, gelatin-like candles that you create inside a container. They’re made from a mineral-oil-based gel instead of wax.
HOW TO MAKE CANDLES WITH ESSENTIAL OILS
WHAT IS AN AROMATHERAPY CANDLE?
Candles have been in existence for a very long time! Aromatherapy candles are natural candles made with essential oils. As they burn, the candle disperses the essential oils’ scent and healing properties throughout your room.
Essential oils have various therapeutic qualities which you may incorporate into your day-to-day life. Depending on the candle scent, the aroma can be uplifting, reflective, or relaxing to the mind. Most commonly, aromatherapy candles aim to aid the emotional side of our well-being.
Most essential oil candles also like to use natural waxes as the candle base. Paired with natural soy wax as the base, these essential oil candles make a 100% non-toxic product.
Use your aromatherapy candles for any occasion you like! From dinner parties to a steaming hot spa-at-home bath, these beauties are never out of place!
***THE BEST ESSENTIAL OILS FOR CANDLES***
ESSENTIAL OIL SAFETY
As essential oils are highly concentrated and some individuals and skin types may have allergic reactions to them
Every essential oil has its own properties and wellness benefits. No matter the situation, there’s probably an essential oil that can aid. But some essential oils lend themselves more to candle-making than others. Most top-note essential oils won’t work very well on their own in a candle. Their evaporation time span is too short. Blend them with a base note in a custom-blended essential oils mixture.
Essential oils are dynamic organic liquids that work in synergy with each other. Synergy means ‘working together in harmony’. In general, essential oils work better when mixed with other essential oils. Each essential oil has a multitude of compounds, and while we come to know them for their beneficial, healing properties, each oil also has weaker components that may even trigger adverse reactions in some people. When blending essential oils, one oil can actually balance out the weaker parts of another, and even negate the possible side effects that oil could have if applied on its own.
GROUP YOUR ESSENTIAL OILS
Before beginning to create your own aromatherapy recipes of any sort, a good starting point is to categorize your essential oils into groups that share similar traits. This can be by what they do (effects you’re after), how they smell (scent type), or if you want to be really technical, you’ll sort them by their chemical make-up of how fast each of them evaporates (notes).
Grouping essential oils by the type of effects they have
Blending essential oils that are within the same category usually works well and makes for a mix with complementing qualities.
| Essential Oils by Effect | |
| Energizing | Rosemary, Clary sage, Bergamot, Lemongrass, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tea tree, Cypress, Pine, Lemon, Basil, Grapefruit, Ginger |
| Calming | Lavender, Geranium, Mandarin, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Jasmine, Melissa , Palmarosa, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Sandalwood |
| Detoxifying | Peppermint, Juniper, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Laurel, Mandarin, Lemon, Patchouli, Hyssop, Helichrysum |
| Anti-anxiety | Lavender, Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Marjoram, Sandalwood, Valerian, Bergamot, Jasmine, Black Pepper, Tangerine, Orange, Melissa or Lemon Balm |
BY SCENT TYPES
You can also group your essential oils into categories of similar smelling scent types. Some oils could certainly fit into more than one category depending on how your nose “reads” that particular scent. Oils in the same category generally blend well together.
| Essential Oils by Scent Types | |
| Flowery | Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Palmarosa, Rose, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang |
| Citrus | Bergamot, Citronella, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Melissa, Neroli, Orange, Petitgrain, Tangerine |
| Spicy | Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Nutmeg, Pepper |
| Woody | Cedarwood, Coriander, Cypress, Fir, Frankincense, Helichrysum, Juniper, Myrrh, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver |
| Herbal | Basil, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Marjoram, Oregano, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Sage, Tea Tree, Thyme |
By the season:
- Fall: Sweet Orange, Cassia, Cinnamon, Balsam Fir, Cardamom, Cedarwood, Bergamot.
- Winter: Lavender, White Fir, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood.
- Spring: Geranium, Palmarosa, Yuzu, Juniper Berry.
- Summer: Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Mandarin.
BY ESSENTIAL OIL NOTES
Have you ever noticed that your essential oil blend smells differently after a few hours than when you first created it? This is because certain essential oils evaporate quicker than others, so while one oil might still hold its fragrance in the blend, the others may have long gone. Similar to a musical scale, essential oils that are quickest to evaporate (usually within 1-2 hours), are called “top notes”. Next are the oils that evaporate within 2-4 hours, those are considered “middle notes”. The “base notes” are the oils that evaporate the slowest. Some base note oils can take several days to evaporate. Blend essential oils with the same oil notes to ensure a blend that keeps smelling and acting consistently over time. Especially if you make a batch, or more than a few drops of a diffuser, blend to your liking for your particular home use.
Here are a few examples of popular oils, divided into their oil notes:
| Essential Oils by Oil Notes | |
| Top notes | Bergamot, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Orangge, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tangerine |
| Middle notes | Carrot Seed, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Cypress, Dill, Fennel, Geranium, Jasmine, Marjoram, Neroli, Palmarosa, ROse, Rosemary, Rosewood, Spruce, Tea Tree, Thyme, Ylang Ylang |
| Base notes | Angelica Root, Balsam, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Ginger, Helichrysum, Myrrh, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver |
SIMPLE ESSENTIAL OILS BLENDING FORMULA
To start, I recommend you use 15 mL amber glass bottles with a cork stopper to try out your essential oil blending recipes at home. This is about the amount for one full-body massage, so even if the blend isn’t perfect, you’re not wasting a large amount of oils. Follow this simple recipe:
- Fill your 15 mL amber glass bottle almost to the top with your choice of carrier oil.
- Select 3-5 oils you’ll be using for your blend.
- For a safe dilution rate between 2.5% – 3%, you can use up to 8 drops of your oils.
- Start with one drop of each oil and see how it smells.
- Adjust from there, adding one drop at a time, until you’ve reached 8 drops total.
If you’re hoping to mix together two already mixed blends, I recommend you stay away from this.
Synergies have already been made by experts to achieve a certain thing – if you want to alter this, I recommend just starting from scratch and mixing single oils. Since synergies have been pre-made, the exact quantities of what oils have been used can only be guessed, and outcomes are therefore quite unpredictable. Trying to add or alter blends may become more frustrating than satisfactory for you. But you can always read the list of ingredients from a blend you like – and then get those as single oils, plus add in whatever other oil you’d like to blend into the mix – this will then totally make it your own!
BRAND QUALITY
Now, as with everything in life, it is imperative that you choose good-quality essential oil brand products for your aromatherapy recipes and oil blending experiments. Depending on what you use your essential oil blend for, you can get away with different grades of oils.
Almost all oils are for external use only, but there are a few brands that can be used internally. Please read this blog post here on which essential oils are safe to ingest. Some brands are therapeutic-grade essential oils (pure essential oils), while others are not and contain fillers or additives. Some brands also offer an organic line to their oils, where you can specifically shop for organically sourced oils.
ARE ESSENTIAL OILS FLAMMABLE IN CANDLES?
Essential oils on their own are flammable. Don’t add essential oils directly into an already burning candle. In candle making, the essential oils are blended into the waxes and other oils. Together, this mixture will not be flammable.
HOW MUCH ESSENTIAL OIL TO ADD TO CANDLES
The ratio for essential oil candles is 3 oz. solids to 35-40 drops of essential oils. This creates a scent that is pleasant, strong, and lasts through multiple uses of your candle. If you want to make your essential oil candles smell stronger, you don’t necessarily need more drops of oil.
