When it comes to essential oil candles, the type of candle wax you use is essential. Sorry, I had to do it! Not all types of wax are ideal. In fact, there is a type of wax that works best for essential oil container candles.
Soy wax is the best wax for making essential oil candles. Soy wax is a great starting point for making essential oil candles because it has a low melting temperature and it does well absorbing the oil and providing a scent throw.
However, some other types of wax can work with essential oils. The essential oil candles that have the best scent are usually made with wax that has a lower melting point.
This can include soy, coconut, and a variety of blends.
Table Of Contents:
- Essential Oils and Temperature
- Top Waxes For Essential Oil Candles
- Curing Essential Oil Candles
- Not A Fan Of Candles?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Let’s take a closer look at what wax makes a good essential oil candle.
Essential Oils and Temperature
As mentioned above, essential oils normally perform best with a wax that has a low melting point. This is because many essential oils have a low flashpoint and can begin to evaporate very quickly. The flashpoint of essential oil is the temperature at which it will begin to evaporate.
So essential oils should not be exposed to high temperatures as they can evaporate very easily. Which will reduce the scent throw.
Here are some flashpoints for popular essential oils:
- Lavender essential oil – 156° F
- Eucalyptus essential oil – 118° F
- Peppermint essential oil – 151° F
- Tea Tree essential oil – 134° F
- Sweet Orange essential oil – 110°F
With these flashpoints, it’s clear why wax with a low melting point would be best.
The Top Waxes For Essential Oil Candles
When it comes to essential oil candles, soy wax is probably one of the most popular. Soy has a very low melting point and works well with essential oils.
Soy isn’t your only option, however, as there are many other types of waxes that work great for essential oil container candles:
Soy Wax
Soy wax is a great all-natural wax that works well for essential oil candles. Soy has a low melting point and essential oils have a low flashpoint, so this is a great mix. Plus, soy wax is typically easier to find than other waxes.
It is one of the most commonly used waxes today and it is more affordable than the other types of wax on this list.
Some people find soy wax difficult to work with at first, but the good news is you can blend it with other types of wax to make it easier to work with.
Some popular soy waxes are:
EcoSoya CB Advanced Soy Wax – A soy wax that melts at a low temperature and provides a good scent throw. It is 100% soy and soy-based additives.
EcoSoya CB 135 Soy Wax – A soy wax that can be worked with at a lower temperature than the EcoSoya CB Advanced Soy Wax. It provides a maximum scent throw and it has excellent adhesion properties.
Golden Wax 464 – An all-natural soy wax that is known for holding a lot of fragrance that is one of the most commonly used waxes for making container candles.
Golden Wax 444 – A soy-based wax using soy-based additives that are designed to reduce frosting and have a slightly higher melting point than Golden Wax 464.
NatureWax C3 Soy – A soy wax that is made from a blend of GMO-free soybeans and all-natural materials. It is considered a more premium option than the Golden Wax options.
Soy #10 Wax – A soy wax that is made from a blend of different soybean varieties. It has a high fragrance load, better adhesion, and can hold color a little better than other soy waxes.
Coconut Wax
In recent years, coconut wax has gained some popularity as a base for essential oil candles. This is mainly because it is known for its excellent scent throw in addition to its smooth creamy finish.
However, unlike soy wax, you are not left with a lot of options when it comes to buying coconut wax blends for candle making.
Some popular coconut waxes are:
Coco Bright #11 Wax – A coconut hybrid blend that is designed for container candle making. It is very creamy and produces a smooth surface gloss to your candles.
No easy solutions for Coconut Wax
Unfortunately, you do not have many other options sold from the most common wholesale candle-making suppliers.
My suggestion is to make your own coconut blends using other all-natural vegetable waxes such as soy in addition to using palm or beeswax.
Beeswax
Beeswax is all-natural and vegan and it is generally considered a great option when making candles.
Beeswax is particularly popular with essential oil votives and pillars since it has a natural insulating property that helps prevent essential oil loss, and because of its higher melting point is ideal for pillar and votive style candles.
However, it can be blended with soy wax and coconut wax and used for containers as well.
Which makes it a great option if maintaining all-natural candles is important to you when planning to make essential oil candles.
Curing Essential Oil Candles
It is always important to cure your candles, but It can be even more important when using essential oils and soft vegetable oil-based waxes.
This is because essential oils are known to burn a little more aggressively than fragrance oils and vegetable-based waxes are soft to start with.
In order to keep the candle from burning up too quickly, you have to let the candle cure for at least 10 days.
Letting the candles cure for at least 10 days gives the wax time to harden and lock in the fragrance oils. It will give the candles a more stable burn and make them last just a little bit longer.
Not A Fan Of Candles?
If you want to experience essential oil fragrances throughout your home but you are not a fan of leaving candles burning then you should consider learning to make wax melts.
Wax melts can be easier to make and provide a better quality fragrance.
If you are interested in making wax melts then check out our article titled How To Make Wax Melts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Essential oil candles can be more healthy than regular fragrance oils, but it all depends on the specific oils being used and the type of wax that they are being used with.
The essential oil candles can smoke if they are not made properly. Essential oil candles should always be made with 100% essential oils as a fragrance and be allowed to cure for at least a week.
Making essential oil candles is about the same price as making fragrance oil candles. It all depends on what essential oil you are using to make them. However, some essential oils can cost several times their fragrance oil counterparts.
Conclusion
With essential oils gaining in popularity, most people are turning to essential oil candles for their soothing aromas and therapeutic benefits. The good news is that just about anyone can make an essential oil candle.
The main thing to remember is that essential oil candles made with other all-natural ingredients tend to be more healthy than fragrance oil candles. However, they can be a little cost-prohibitive if you like making large batches of candles.
It might be a better idea to learn candle-making using fragrance oils and switch to essential oils after you’ve gained a little experience.