Owing to the increase in popularity of candle making, candle making wax has become far better, more available and with a lot more variety than before. People are constantly looking for the new thing and since wax is the main component in candle making, the changes have been there.
Petroleum byproducts like paraffin wax are used for deriving candle making wax. Paraffin wax is readily available and inexpensive. Natural waxes are refined from plant materials like soy, palm, bayberry and vegetables.
A natural candle making wax growing in popularity is soy based wax. Hydrogenation of soybeans are done to make them suitable for candles. Soy wax is a renewable resource that is eco-friendly. The states of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana in the United States are the major producers of soybeans and hence, it is a positive aspect.
Another renewable resource for candle making wax and a byproduct of nature is palm wax. Unfortunately with the growing popularity of palm wax, countries like Indonesia and Malaysia are clearing out vast areas of rainforest in order to plant palm plantations. This is devastating to ecosystems and compromises the populations of endangered animals like orangutans, rhinoceroses and the Sumatran tiger.
Thankfully, the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) stepped in and founded RSPO. Developing and defining sustainable palm cultivation is the major objective of this organization. They also help member organizations to implement and verify the procedures. So when you are shopping for palm candle making wax make sure that they are obtaining the wax in an eco-friendly way.
Some candles are made from animal based materials like beeswax. Candles made from beeswax, palm, and bayberry were offered by companies in the past. Recently there has been a new and growing interest in making candles out of these natural products. Beeswax is one of the more popular natural candle making waxes. It is offered in white and yellow. Because of its flavor, burning characteristics and rigidity, candle makers are finding it more attractive, although it can be expensive.
A new way of making candles are gel candles. There are three different densities in which gel candle making wax available. The amount of fragrance to be used and the type of the candle decides the density of the gel.
Low density gel wax is best for candles with a 0-3% fragrance load. Even at a lower temperature, the low density wax can be used. The medium density gel wax works well with candles that have a 3-5% fragrance load. It is probably the most popular gel candle making wax to work with. High density gel wax is better for candles with a heavier fragrance load.
Candle makers have plenty of different choices for candle making wax. The candle maker would get double, triple or even quadruple the fulfillment out of the candle making, if they are able to understand the nature of each kind of wax.