Everyone seems to love palm wax but it is still not widely used, and this is for a few different reasons. Palm wax comes with some ethical concerns, which we will touch on later, but
What is palm wax? Palm wax is the wax derived from the oil of the palm fruit. It is different from the carnauba wax, which is derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm. The oil that is being used to create palm wax originates from the palm tree plantations in Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa.
How is palm wax made? Palm wax is made through the process of fruit milling and oil extraction. Processors mill the palm fruit and extract the oil in order to prepare it for use in candle making and other products.
Palm Wax For Candle Making
Is palm wax good for candle making? Palm wax is very good for candle making. Palm wax can be used to produce natural, long-lasting, and durable wax candles. Since palm wax is an aesthetic crystalline natural wax, it can produce top-quality and long-burning candles.
Aside from producing palm wax, palm oil is also used to make cooking ingredients, cosmetics, and soap.
What kind of candles can you make with palm wax? Palm wax can be used to create various kinds of candles. It can be utilized to produce scented candles, aromatherapy candles, and ritual candles. Palm wax can also be processed to form molded candles, poured candles, votives, tea lights, pillar candles, taper candles, and carved candles.
If you are interested in making Palm Wax candles then you should check out our mega list of some of the best candle making suppliers and wholesalers around.
Palm Wax Costs
Is palm wax expensive? Palm wax is expensive. Hence, natural candles made from palm wax costs more than modern candles made from paraffin wax. However, even though palm wax candles are more expensive, their quality is way better due to their long burn, durability, eco-friendliness, health safety, and strong scent throw.
Palm Wax Scent Throw
Hot Throw
Also known as hot scent throw, the hot throw is the aroma or scent in the air when a candle is burning. A good hot throw means that the candle has a powerful scent.
Does palm wax have a good hot throw? Palm wax candles are excellent natural wax candles that can produce stronger hot throws than other kinds of candles. While they are also long burning, palm wax candles can fill the entire room or home with fragrance, depending on the fragrance load and type.
Cold Throw
Also known as cold scent throw, the cold throw is the aroma or scent that the wax candle gives off even when it is not yet lit and burning. A good cold throw means that the candle has a strong aroma even if it has never been lit.
Does palm wax have a good cold throw? Palm wax candles are also known for having a good cold throw that will surely excite the senses even before they are actually lit.
Pros and Cons of Palm Wax
Pros and cons of palm wax
PROS OF PALM WAX
- Palm wax is a natural and renewable. It does not contain unhealthy chemicals and other synthetic additives. Therefore, palm wax candles are all-natural, safe, and environmentally friendly.
- Palm wax is biodegradable. Palm wax candles burn cleanlier when compared to those made from petroleum based paraffin wax derived from crude oil.
- Palm wax is environmentally friendly and eco friendly. It does not contain any unhealthy or hazardous substances.
- Palm wax produces beautiful candles due to the wax’s natural crystalline ice-like appearance. The resulting palm wax candles look more stylish, eclectic, and high quality than other kinds of candles.
- Palm wax candles are cost-effective because they burn and last longer. They also have a higher melting point, and have a stronger scent throw.
- Palm wax candles are durable. They are also hard, and more stable than modern candles made from paraffin wax.
- Palm wax candles are smokeless. They also have a hotter flame.
- Palm wax candles utilize natural cotton wicks.
CONS OF PALM WAX
- Palm wax is considerably more expensive than paraffin wax. In addition, paraffin wax is used to produce modern candles. Therefore, natural palm wax candles have a higher cost than modern candles.
- Palm wax is linked to unethical farming and labor practices. The production of palm wax faced a backlash when some plantations were allegedly causing significant forest destruction. Other issues related to palm wax production are exploitation of workers, illegal deforestation and resulting forest fires, community conflicts, and illegal plantation developments.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Palm Wax
Advantages and disadvantages of palm wax
ADVANTAGES OF PALM WAX
- Palm wax is advantageous in candle making since it produces natural, long lasting, biodegradable, safe, and eco friendly candles.
- Other advantages of using palm wax in candle making are its stronger scent throw, long and clean burn, durability, and appealing appearance.
- Finally, palm wax is advantageous in terms of cost-effectiveness, when compared to other kinds of candles.
DISADVANTAGES OF PALM WAX
- The main disadvantage of palm wax is its higher cost than paraffin wax, which then makes natural palm wax candles more expensive to buy.
- Other significant disadvantages of palm wax lie in the production of this natural product. First, some palm plantations have faced issues regarding their contribution to the destruction of forests and protected ecological zones. Massive land clearances have caused forest fires, which further degrade the forests and their natural habitat. Other disadvantages are related to worker exploitation, illegal deforestation, community conflicts, and illegal development of plantations.
Palm Wax Sustainability and Environmental Impacts
Is palm wax environmentally friendly? Since palm wax does not contain any unhealthy or synthetic chemicals and additives, it is considered environmentally friendly. It is all-natural, safe, and biodegradable. Due to the backlash related to palm wax production, many plantations have begun to adopt sustainable labor, and trade practices.
As mentioned above, the labor practices and some of the problems happening on plantations have been a big concern for a lot of candle-making supply wholesalers and national candle brands.
A lot of companies refuse to even work with palm wax for those reasons. However, the good news is that things are starting to change and companies are adopting more sustainable farming and labor practices.
Is palm wax vegan? Palm wax is vegan since it is solely derived from palm fruit, which is a plant-based source. Something vegan is something that does not use or contain any product derived from animals. The idea of veganism is about rejecting or refusing animal products.
In addition to being vegan, palm wax is also cruelty-free.
Palm Wax Substitutes
What is a good substitute for palm wax? Some of the good substitutes for palm wax are beeswax, carnauba wax, and candelilla wax. Beeswax is the wax derived from the secretion of bees when they make honeycombs. Meanwhile, carnauba wax is derived from the leaves of the carnauba palm.
Lastly, candelilla wax is derived from the leaves of small candelilla shrubs found in the US and Mexico.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Palm wax can frost. In addition, all-natural oil-based waxes can frost. Including soy wax, palm wax, and coconut wax.
Palm wax is not bad. However, it is the farming practices and environmental concerns that give pam wax a bad look. There are a lot of environmental concerns about deforestation and ethical concerns about labor practices and the treatment of plantation workers.
Palm wax is all-natural, renewable, and environmentally friendly if it is harvested and grown ethically. Recently there has been a shift in the practices used on plantations which is beginning to change people’s minds on the wax.
Palm wax is excellent at holding fragrance and is known to have both a good hot scent throw and a cold scent throw.
Palm wax has a high melt point which means palm wax candles burn hot. With a harder wax, such as palm wax you need a wick that produces more heat to be able to effectively use it for candle making.
Conclusion
In conclusion, palm wax is great for making candles as long as you find palm wax that has been responsibly sourced. The cost of palm wax might be a drawback for most people when it comes to making and selling candles.
However, you still have other options available when it comes to palm wax. It can be great to blend with soft waxes such as coconut wax and soy wax to raise their melt points.
Take your time and see which wax will work best for your individual project, but palm wax can be a great wax to have around for blends, wick priming and other such uses.