Why Switch to Beeswax Candles – 10 Great Reasons (#8 is Wow!)

Like most of you, I have popped this question when I noticed that these candles have a much bigger price tag compared to those at Ikea.

If you are currently burning candles at home and price is not always the the number one reason for these stuff, there are many good reasons for you why candles made of beeswax are so much more superior and why you should switch to these candles.

Table of Contents

Beeswax Candles Versus Paraffin Candles

1. Supply and Price

Beeswax costs about 10 times more than paraffin. It is estimated that the bees must fly 150,000 miles to collect enough nectar to produce six pounds of honey just to secrete one pound of wax. And for every 100 pounds of honey harvested, the beekeeper can only obtain about 1-2 pounds of the beeswax. Hence beeswax candles are rare and expensive.

Easily available and cheap, paraffin candles make up 95% of the world’s candle production. A pack of 100 paraffin tealight candles from Ikea costs less than ten bucks.

2. Amount of Chemical Compounds

Created by the bees, beeswax candles are 100% natural, all chemical-free. They are the oldest candles known to man and prized since ancient times. (Caution: There are no regulations on disclosing candle ingredients. Candles labelled as “beeswax” may be predominantly made of paraffin and contain as little as 5% beeswax. Look for “100% pure beeswax candles”.

Paraffin candles are an oil-based, highly refined petroleum by-product that contains up to 11 toxic compounds and chemicals such as benzene and toluene. They emit toxic diesel exhaust-like fumes.

3. Environmental Friendliness

100% beeswax candles are natural, environmentally friendly, safe, and non-toxic as they undergo no chemical processing and are biodegradable. Being non-oil-based, they burn very clean with little smoke when trimmed properly.

Paraffin candles on the contrary, are a black sludge that is treated with 100% industrial strength bleach to change its color to white, creating toxic dioxins. Acrolyn, a carcinogenic chemical is then added to solidify the white sludge. The end result is an extremely toxic product. By burning these candles, you produce the same toxins. If you really know how poisonous paraffin candles are, you would dump them and stop polluting the air in your home.

4. Natural vs Artificial Fragrances

Beeswax candles smell great as they are naturally scented by the honey and floral nectar in the honeycomb; theya re carbon-neutral. Paraffin candles however, contain artificial dyes and synthetic fragrances which also produce toxins and stains when burned, adding to the environmental damage. Some paraffin candles also contain lead wicks.

5. Burn Time

With a high melting point (in fact the highest among all known waxes), beeswax candles have significantly longer (2-5 times) burn time and drip very little, if any at all. This offsets their higher cost. Paraffin candles on the other hand, are not as efficient. They are short burning and drip excessively, which means that they may not be that economical after all. Some of these candles even have additional chemicals added to reduce dripping.

6. Brightness

Beeswax candles burn stronger and brighter. Emitting naturally bright light of the same light spectrum as the sun (Green Rhino Spectrum, Solar Spectrum), they are a gift from nature! Paraffin candles produce a flame that is not as strong and brilliant, and cannot evoke the same natural ambience of warmth and style as beeswax.

7. Blooming with Age

Beeswax candles burn with even more beauty with age. Over time, beeswax develops a white film (especially in cooler climate), which is deemed as a very desirable feature. Synthetic waxes do not bloom as time passes.

8. Negative Ions vs Black Soot

Beeswax candles are the only candles that emit negative ions that purify, cleanse, improve air quality, and invigorate the body. They are a natural ionizer! Paraffin candles produce harmful black soot that leaves streaks of black residue and stains home interior surfaces.

9. Benefits to Those with Allergies or Asthma

Hypo-allergenic, beeswax candles benefit those with environmental allergies, sensitivities, and asthma. Paraffin candles are to be avoided by those with allergies or asthma conditions.

10. Origin

While beeswax candles originate from a renewable fuel, beeswax, paraffin ones originate from a non-renewable resource, petroleum.

All the pictures of the candles you see in this video (left) are made of pure beeswax. I fell in love with these candles after discovering that their performance beats the paraffin candles hands down. And I also have to agree with what I have found in my research – that these lovely candles do burn more brilliantly, cleaner and longer! So, stop burning petroleum and polluting your home. Turn to beeswax. It will make a difference in your home ambience and the quality of life of those who love candles.

100% Beeswax Candles

Hang on, what about soy candles? Don’t they make a healthy choice as well? Like paraffin wax, soy candles have a lower meting point and hence do not burn as strong and bright as beeswax candles. But the biggest drawback of soy candles is that they will spoil without preservatives. Additives, bleach and hardeners are common ingredients of soy candles. Also, soy candles are mostly made from genetically modified soy crops that are heavily sprayed with toxic pesticides.

Wind down, light some therapeutic beeswax candles, curl up in the sofa with a cup of hot tea and let the stress of the day melt away.

To your excellent health,
Ruth Tan

1. How is Beeswax Made?

2. Get Beeswax Candle Care Tips

3. How to Make Beeswax Candles

4. If you are located in Singapore, check out our handmade beewswax candles at: Bee Healthy

5. Bee Wax Uses You Probably Don’t Know

6. Honey Bees and Their Wondrous Products

7. Hexagonal Honeycomb Pattern

8. World of Honeycombs

End of “Why Switch to Beeswax Candles – 10 Great Reasons (#8 is Wow!)”. Back to “Bee Wax Uses You Probably Don’t Know”.

— Update: 10-02-2023 — cohaitungchi.com found an additional article 8 Environmental and Sustainable Benefits of Beeswax Candles from the website bccandles.com for the keyword benefits of beeswax candles.

Beeswax candles are one of the most popular types of wax candles, due to their natural creator – honeybees. Behind many reasons for choosing Beeswax over other types of candle, there are also several environmental and health-related benefits from using beeswax candles. Below we’ve outlined eight of these key benefits (although there are many more)!

Beeswax Candles have non-toxic fumes

Compared to soy and paraffin candles, beeswax candles are environmentally friendly and non-toxic when lit. They produce clean fumes with little smoke, due to their non-oil-based ingredient. 100% beeswax candles are eco-friendly, with no chemical process involved and are completely biodegradable. For this reason, beeswax candles are widely used in aromatherapy, due to their pure, long, and smokeless burning, indirectly improving the comprehensive health of the human mind and body.

They generate a soothing glow

Beeswax candles generate a unique light compared to Soy or paraffin candles. Beeswax candles emanate a relatively natural glowing light which is under the same spectrum as the sun’s shine. On the other hand, soy candles emanate a glowing white light with a flame reflecting a ‘cooler’ toned effect. The light emanated from soy or paraffin candles are like the spectrum of light generated by a fluorescent bulb or blue light from cell phone screen or television during the night. As a result, the light provided by beeswax candles is soothing, and brilliant for meditation.

Pollution neutralizing characteristics

In line with their nature, Beeswax candles don’t generate any toxic elements or by-products in terms of air pollution. Beeswax candles, in fact, neutralize the harmful effects of already existing pollutants. According to scientists, beeswax candles eliminate mould, odour, and dust when burnt, by releasing negative ions in the air. As the air has positive ions, the negative ions generated from burning beeswax candles are attracted to the positive ions, purifying the environment and making it safer and healthier.

Anti – allergenic properties

Beeswax candles generate positive effects on people suffering from air related allergies, hay fever and even asthma. In addition to various scents, Beeswax candles have differentiated natural relaxing effects. For instance, they can be blended with any fragrance to compliment the naturally occurring sweet honey aroma. These are known for their hypoallergenic properties.

Low wastage in dripping wax

Compared to soy or paraffin candles, Beeswax candles are dripless by nature, leading to no wastage and safer burning elements. Beeswax candles don’t drip wax and they also don’t emanate soot. Beeswax candles can burn for hours without dripping wax, making them a low wastage and low maintenance option. As beeswax candles drip only slightly overtime, they develop a unique white film around them.

Top tip: trimming the wick from time to time can improve the results of light and dripping.

Bee and bee-keeping friendly

With every purchase of a beeswax candle, you indirectly support the business of bee-keeping. Bees are one of the most essential insects in the world. They help in growing vegetables and agriculture and restoring balance through pollination. As a result, the bee-keeping industry becomes vital for the earth. Supporting bee-keeping industry is essential for the sustainable growth of the environment.

Relaxing properties

Beeswax candles can be used for relaxation and building a stress-free environment. Burning a beeswax candle generates a sweet, yet natural aroma, which accentuates the relaxation process without the overwhelming scent of artificially produced candles.

Longer burning period

Beeswax candles can burn three time longer than other types of candles, including paraffin and soy candles. For instance, paraffin candles include artificial and harmful additives to make them burn longer. The natural ingredients in beeswax candles assist in prolonging the burning period, in addition to the high melting point of beeswax.

As you can see Beeswax candles not only burn longer, smell natural, and emit natural light but there are plenty of other factors that make them the perfect, environmentally friendly alternative to soy or paraffin candles. Our beautiful decorative beeswax candles are a great choice for making our environment and planet a better place.

— Update: 10-02-2023 — cohaitungchi.com found an additional article The Benefits of Beeswax Candles | Why You Should Switch from the website thehomeintent.com for the keyword benefits of beeswax candles.

The benefits of beeswax candles are numerous and great. Invest in or make your own pure beeswax candles to bring light and warmth to your home! While you soak in the beauty, you’ll also be breathing clean air. It’s a true win-win!

The warm glow and sweet scent of a pure beeswax candle. Nothing beats it. Honestly!

Some people argue that Bath and Body Works candles smell amazing (no offence if that’s you!), but they are so strong, they smell so fake and they make my head hurt almost immediately. They just can’t compare to a beeswax candle.

Beeswax candles have so many benefits, which I’ll go through later on, and because they are such high quality, they are expensive. What I’ve decided to do now that I know I want more candle glow in my life is to buy some LED candles (like these) and have a small collection of beeswax candles to use when I want to burn a real candle!

This way, I get candlelight more regularly, but don’t pay an arm and a leg, and don’t flood my air with nasty toxins from cheap candles.

If you want to make your own beeswax candles, I recommend using high quality beeswax that you know is 100% pure!

Anywho, let’s get into talking about beeswax candles!

Types of Candles

The 3 most common waxes used for candle making are paraffin wax, soy wax and beeswax. I’ll give you info about all 3 so you can compare.

Paraffin candles

Made from petroleum by-products.
Inexpensive to purchase and can be found almost anywhere.
Most common type of candle.
Burns quickly.
Paraffin wax can hold a large amount of fragrance and color, so it’s suitable for making all sorts of candle designs and scents.
Even if there is no added fragrance or color, these candles release numerous chemicals and toxins into the air when burned. Of course, they release even more of these harmful substances if there are added synthetic fragrances and/or artificial dyes in the candle.
When inhaled, can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, trigger asthma symptoms and even lead to cancer (paraffin emits many carcinogens into the air when burned).
Produces a black soot when burned (further evidence of toxins).

Soy Candles

All natural- made from soybeans.
More expensive than paraffin candles, but cheaper than other natural waxes, such as beeswax.
Burns more slowly than paraffin, so lasts longer.
Because soy is slow burning, fragrance is released more slowly into the air, creating a more subtle scent.
Produces some black soot, but much less than paraffin wax candles.
Without preservatives, soy will spoil, so many soy candles contain additives, hardeners and bleach.

Beeswax Candles

Made from beeswax, which is naturally produced by honey bees.
Ensure you are purchasing 100% beeswax candles with cotton wicks, or make your own. Some candles are made with a combination of different waxes and to get full benefit from using beeswax, make sure that’s all you’re burning. Read the label carefully!
Continue reading for more details!

Benefits of Beeswax Candles

Health Benefits of Beeswax Candles

All-natural – Because they don’t contain any toxic chemicals, they don’t release any when burned! So unlike other candles, they don’t cause further indoor air pollution, which can cause adverse health effects.

Soot-free – Because there are no additives or chemicals, beeswax burns clean and doesn’t produce unsightly black soot.

Purify the air – When burned, beeswax candles produce negative ions which bind with air pollutants (positive ions) and drop to the floor, removing them from the air and leaving it cleaner!

Smell great naturally – Beeswax picks up the natural honey aroma found in the honeycomb. I used to get headaches from scented paraffin wax candles, but I can enjoy a beautiful scent from natural beeswax candles without any health effects!

Environmental Benefits of Beeswax Candles

No chemical processing – No harmful processing needs to occur to make beeswax usable for candle making. The bees just do their thing!

Biodegradable – Beeswax is completely biodegradable and compostable.

Renewable – Unlike petroleum, beeswax is 100% renewable since it’s created by bees.

Other Benefits

Burn time – Beeswax candles burn longer than paraffin and soy candles.

Less dripping – When burning, beeswax doesn’t drip as much as paraffin or soy, and sometimes it doesn’t drip it all! This makes for less cleanup and more aesthetically pleasing candles.

Brightness – Because of the high melting point of beeswax, the light from beeswax candles is brighter and more pleasant than that from paraffin and soy candles. It’s the most similar to natural sunlight!

Cons of Beeswax Candles

Cost – Because these candles are made from such high-quality material, they come at a higher cost than paraffin and soy candles. However, they do burn longer, so some of the cost is made up for there. Beeswax candles do cost less if you make them yourself as well! I’m looking forward to making some taper candles, as well as some melt and pour jar candles with some high quality beeswax.

Harder to find – It’s always harder to find a high-quality natural product because you can’t just go pick up a candle at the same store you buy your groceries! I find shopping online the easiest way to find good beeswax candles. Honey Candles and Bluecorn are good companies to go with. Making your own beeswax candles is also a great option if you can’t seem to find them anywhere!

FAQ

Why Are Beeswax Candles So Expensive?

Because of its higher quality, the cost of beeswax is much higher than other types of candle-making wax. Naturally, the price of beeswax candles is higher because the materials cost more. However, it’s important to note that beeswax candles burn longer and are much healthier, so it’s worth the extra cost!

Do Beeswax Candles Smell Nice?

Beeswax smells amazing as it takes on the scent from the honeycomb it’s made from. It releases a very gentle smell when burned, nothing strong or overwhelming. And it’s completely natural and non-toxic!

Can Beeswax Candles Be Scented?

Essential oils can be added to naturally give beeswax candles another scent. However, a large amount of essential oil must be added to make a noticeable smell when burning a candle. It’s more cost-effective to use an essential oil diffuser to put a natural scent into the air.

Do Beeswax Candles Burn Hotter?

Beeswax candles do burn hotter than paraffin and soy, and this is the reason they have a brighter flame and don’t release soot. The light they emit is similar to the light spectrum of the sun!

Do Beeswax Candles Burn Slower?

Beeswax is denser than paraffin and soy wax, so it burns slower and drips less!

Do Beeswax Candles Burn Clean?

Beeswax candles are the cleanest burning candles, emitting little to no soot or black smoke.

How do Beeswax Candles Clean The Air?

Beeswax candles are not only clean, they actually clean the surrounding air and improve the air quality! Negative ions are emitted and bind to toxins in the air that have a positive charge (dust, mold, odor, etc). They then fall to the ground to be cleaned up by your broom or vacuum!

Are Beeswax Candles Environmentally Friendly?

Beeswax is a renewable resource, is completely biodegradable and doesn’t require any chemical processing for use!

Where to Get Beeswax Candles

Many quality beeswax candle companies can be found online and at specialty shops in your area. Be sure to search for 100% beeswax candles. You won’t find them at discount shops or major departments stores! Farmer’s markets are also a great place to check.

How to Make Beeswax Candles

Making your own beeswax candles is fun and much cheaper than buying them. Here’s a beeswax taper candle tutorial and a beeswax jar candle tutorial to follow.

Should You Add Coconut Oil to Beeswax Candles?

Some companies and DIY recipes add coconut oil to beeswax candles because it’s a natural, non-toxic way to help the candle burn more consistently and burn to the edge instead of tunnelling. However, it is totally optional! Here is a guide for how to avoid and fix tunnelling.

Why Beeswax Candles are Better

In summary, beeswax candles are better for your health, better for the environment and have a few extra benefits as well! In my opinion, it’s better to spend your money on a smaller amount of quality beeswax candles than a larger amount of really cheap candles filled with toxic compounds. You get what you pay for!

I hope you’ve found a good reason (or many!) to switch to beeswax candles and leave paraffin tealight candles in the dust for good!

Next time you enjoy a burning candle, notice the pleasant smell and beautiful glow that comes from using natural ingredients, breathe cleaner air, and sleep well, knowing you’ve made the right choice!

What’s your favorite thing about burning beeswax candles? Let me know in the comments below!

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