Candles are becoming more and more popular each day, entering every store and nearly every home.  Over the years, there have been many advances in candle making wax, and for anyone interested in candle making, the variety is endless which can keep your creativity flowing for hours.

Among the many types of candle making waxes are refined waxes that are derived from vegetables and plants, and the natural types. Soy wax as you may have guessed it, is healthy.

Eco friendly, the wax is produced via hydrogenating soy beans and is relatively inexpensive.  The wax is clean burning and has a melting point of 120 – 180 degrees which makes it ideal for molded candles.

Palm wax is derived from the palm tree, and unfortunately, many countries in the Far East are cutting down palms in the rainforest.  If by chance you are using palm wax in your candle making, check the label of the palm wax and make sure that it has been grown and cultivated in an eco-friendly way.

When working with different waxes you will want to know their melting point, this will be important to determine what wax is adequate for what sort of candle.  Soft wax is normally used for container candles, while the harder wax is used for the molded candles.

Paraffin wax is the most widely used of the waxes and comes in different grades.  The ideal use for making candles that are poured into containers is a grade that has a melting point of 130 degrees, while candles that are made in molds, the ideal melting point would be 145 to 150 degrees.

Bayberry wax is another wax that is widely used and has a beautiful scent and a lovely green color.  This wax has a melting point of 118 degrees and is best used in the making of old fashioned candles.

Beeswax is another beautiful wax that is naturally sweet in scent, is smokeless and burns slowly.  As you may have guessed, beeswax is derived from bees and is a fairly sticky wax to work with, therefore, it is not normally the choice use in molded candles.

Tallow is a natural wax that is not often the choice of waxes, although it has been used for centuries..  This wax is derived from the fat of cows, pigs and sheep.  The wax often produces an unpleasant odor and omits a smoke when burned.