Home & Garden Candles Soy or Bees Wax

[bags and bijoux]

Hello fellow tpfers,

I am looking at buying some candles and can't decide between soy or bees wax.

At the moment I have been buying a regular candle that uses paraffin alongside other ingredients.

Apart from leaving a horrible black soot residue around the glass candle holder and above where it's burning. It has affected my asthma, caused headaches and catches the back of my throat.

So.... what would you recommend Soy or Bees Wax?

 

[bnjj]

I prefer soy but both are renewable, natural resources. Bees wax candles have a higher melting point so should burn longer. Soy candles come in more varieties (colours, fragrances).

I have a lot of PartyLite candles from when I used to be a rep years ago and when they are all gone I do not plan to buy paraffin candles again.

 

[bags and bijoux]

I prefer soy but both are renewable, natural resources. Bees wax candles have a higher melting point so should burn longer. Soy candles come in more varieties (colours, fragrances).

I have a lot of PartyLite candles from when I used to be a rep years ago and when they are all gone I do not plan to buy paraffin candles again.

I know exactly what you mean about paraffin candles. I've never tried bees wax candles only soy so wondered what the difference. Since they're both natural they are good contenders.

 

[gillianna]

I like to use the wax burners instead of lighting candles. I get mine from www.scentsy.com
I use the nightlights in the bathroom and kitchen and the large table top ones in the living room and my bedroom. My house smells so good. I know many other stores now sell these type of wax burners. Pier One Imports has them, I was just there the other day.

The BEST soy candles I have ever bought is from this small shop in NJ by the beach. They sell online and you can usually find coupons. www.thingsthatmakescents.com My favorite scent is called FROM THR VINEYARD. I first smelled it in a friend's neighbor's house. I fell in love with the scent. Now 3 of my friends also use this too, so I know it is good. I also buy this one scent as gifts and so far everyone I bought it for loved it.

 

[bags and bijoux]

Thank you for all your advice. I have decided that soy wax is the way to go so will purchase soy tea lights from now on.

Today I bought a led candle pillar to use in my storm lantern. I know it's not the same but once I find a reasonable priced soy pillar candle then I will purchase a proper candle.

 

[CobaltBlu]

Thank you for all your advice. I have decided that soy wax is the way to go so will purchase soy tea lights from now on.

Today I bought a led candle pillar to use in my storm lantern. I know it's not the same but once I find a reasonable priced soy pillar candle then I will purchase a proper candle.

I know you have made your decision, but I do want to put a couple of plugs in for beeswax candles.

Soy is certainly superior to paraffin, and is a great choice.

However, I really prefer beeswax, and admit I am a little partial, being a beekeeper

Beeswax has natural properties that help cleanse the air. They are also very long burning with no waste or smoking. Whichever candles, do try to get 100% pure. We often find beeswax candles at the farmers market right alongside the honey---this wax is sustainably harvested from hives not treated with chemicals. So, with this type of beeswax we are getting very close to a pure product that we can say is reasonable free from pollutants.

You can find very good beeswax products all over the internet, but it is important that they say 100% pure, because candles can say beeswax or soy even if they are 49% other additives like paraffin.

We cannot know where exactly the bees are foraging, so 100% organic products of the hive are very difficult to identify, but when you buy wax from a beekeeper that limits chemicals in the hive, I think you are getting a wonderful product that is superior to soy, IMHO.

I know beeswax candles can be a bit more expensive, and I know I am partial, and of course fortunate to be able to harvest my own wax, but anyway, I wanted to share my thoughts on this...

Also...soy = GMO. So, there's that.

 

[bags and bijoux]

I know you have made your decision, but I do want to put a couple of plugs in for beeswax candles.

Soy is certainly superior to paraffin, and is a great choice.

However, I really prefer beeswax, and admit I am a little partial, being a beekeeper

Beeswax has natural properties that help cleanse the air. They are also very long burning with no waste or smoking. Whichever candles, do try to get 100% pure. We often find beeswax candles at the farmers market right alongside the honey---this wax is sustainably harvested from hives not treated with chemicals. So, with this type of beeswax we are getting very close to a pure product that we can say is reasonable free from pollutants.

You can find very good beeswax products all over the internet, but it is important that they say 100% pure, because candles can say beeswax or soy even if they are 49% other additives like paraffin.

We cannot know where exactly the bees are foraging, so 100% organic products of the hive are very difficult to identify, but when you buy wax from a beekeeper that limits chemicals in the hive, I think you are getting a wonderful product that is superior to soy, IMHO.

I know beeswax candles can be a bit more expensive, and I know I am partial, and of course fortunate to be able to harvest my own wax, but anyway, I wanted to share my thoughts on this...

Also...soy = GMO. So, there's that.

Thank you for all the information regarding bees wax. I didn't realise that soy was GMO.

What I have found hard to find is bees wax tea lights. Taper candles are easy to find as are pillar candles.

I will keep bees wax in mind when I need to purchase more candles in the future. So 100% pure is what I need to look for.

 

[CobaltBlu]

Thank you for all the information regarding bees wax. I didn't realise that soy was GMO.

What I have found hard to find is bees wax tea lights. Taper candles are easy to find as are pillar candles.

I will keep bees wax in mind when I need to purchase more candles in the future. So 100% pure is what I need to look for.

You are very welcome.

I am not sure what the EU GMO regulations do in regards to soy wax products, so it is possible that you can find non-GMO soy was candles where you are.

But I still have a preference for beeswax for its other amazing properties...

Here is some beeswax trivia: Bees must consume 7 lbs of honey to be able to produce one pound of wax. Newly hatched bees produce wax from approximately day 6 to 12 from glands on their abdomens. Its pretty fascinating...the virgin wax is pure white. After a very short time it becomes stained yellow from the pollen brought into the hive and tracked all over the place by thousands of tiny feet!

Even beeswax products labeled as from virgin wax for sale are not white, its very rare for a beekeeper to take away this newly made wax from the hive...I have some that broke off or had to be cut away before the bees had a chance to store nectar or pollen it in, so it is still white, but usually this is set aside for lotions, balms, and such.

the virgin wax you see that is used for candles means that it is taken out with the honey and has not been reused by the bees for brood, etc....or it is first season wax.

 

[doreenjoy]

Thanks to this thread, I have sworn off parafin candles and bought some beeswax ones. My parafin stash has been relegated to the dust bin.

 

[CobaltBlu]

Thanks to this thread, I have sworn off parafin candles and bought some beeswax ones. My parafin stash has been relegated to the dust bin.

Yay! The paraffin really is bad! You will love using beeswax candles, doreenjoy....even the unscented ones smell amazing.

Today (thanks to this thread) I processed some wax I had been accumulating from various hive inspections. This is a picture of brand new virgin WHITE wax that was never used by the bees for anything. I had to remove it because of its location, i got it out before they stored anything in it...

The yellow wax is also brand new, but they had started using it for nectar and pollen, which happens really quickly in the hive. I also had to remove this piece and several others.

I really hate taking wax away from them but sometimes we have to to keep the hive healthy.

I boiled all the wax up, strained it, and now its in the pot cooling into a big cake---and seriously: my house smells incredible

 

[doreenjoy]

Wow, CobaltBlu, that's amazing. The white wax looks so pure.

I can't wait to get my beeswax candles. I only bought a few until I see which manufacturer I like best.

I'm fascinated by bee keeping, but I'm allergic to bee stings, so I keep a healthy distance from bees.

 

[CobaltBlu]

Wow, CobaltBlu, that's amazing. The white wax looks so pure.

I can't wait to get my beeswax candles. I only bought a few until I see which manufacturer I like best.

I'm fascinated by bee keeping, but I'm allergic to bee stings, so I keep a healthy distance from bees.

Let us know how you like them!

The wax in the picture above is all melted down now, and has had a first straining. It came out BRIGHT yellow!!

(I melt it in water to get the extra pollen, honey, and um...bee bits out. Then it cools and because it floats I can just lift it out of the pan...)

This is just over a half a pound of wax.




This will be melted again in a double boiler, filtered through a fine mesh, and then will be ready for candles, soap, lotion, or whatever. I am saving this very fine wax to make lotions and lip balms. I haven't tried it yet except in class, but I love experimenting... I have older wax to use for candles.

 

[CobaltBlu]

I know this is OT now but I wanted to share the photo of the nectar/honey that was in all that wax..it's not all honey because some was "unfinished" (higher water content) so I need to refrigerate it...but I can use this in tea, or baking, etc. about 2 lbs of it. I can also feed it back to the bees if I need to.

 

[bags and bijoux]

I know this is OT now but I wanted to share the photo of the nectar/honey that was in all that wax..it's not all honey because some was "unfinished" (higher water content) so I need to refrigerate it...but I can use this in tea, or baking, etc. about 2 lbs of it. I can also feed it back to the bees if I need to.



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CobaltBlu, thank you for being a valuable resource in my quest to burn better candles and also for all of your advice and recommendations. It has been very interesting and a real eye opener. The white bees wax looks so pure. I never knew anything with regards to bees wax until I started this thread. I am so pleased you replied and all the pictures and comments were great.

I intend to purchase my bees wax candles very shortly.

Thanks to this thread, I have sworn off parafin candles and bought some beeswax ones. My parafin stash has been relegated to the dust bin.

I have also decided not to burn my paraffin candles and once the Soy candles are gone then it's bees wax all the way. Doreen, let us know what you think of the bees wax candles when they arrive.

 

[bags and bijoux]

Just purchased some bees wax candles. I cannot wait to try them. Will let you know what I think.