There are so many candle-making wax types, but how do you use them? That is the most common question I get about all our different candle waxes, so I’ve created a list of candle-making tips & basics that include wax types, melting temperatures, and more. We have soy wax, coconut and soy wax, coconut wax and beeswax. All of these can be used to make candles, it all depends on what you want your candle to be like. We do not have any petroleum-based candle-making wax types (no paraffin) and we do not carry wax that can be used for pillar candles unless you are making beeswax candles.
Soy Wax- we have three different kinds of soy waxes.
C3 Nature Wax- C3 Nature Wax is 100% soy, with nothing added to it. You can use this candle-making wax type to create container candles or wax melts. C3 comes in flake form, is very easy to work with, is white in color, works with either of the wicks we carry, and works well with just about any fragrance and all essential oils that are applicable for candles (not all essential oils burn for candles so always make sure to do a test burn first).
C3 Soy Candle Wax Melting Temperature Guidelines:
- Melt wax to 130° to 200°. If you keep it at 200° or higher for any extended amount of time you can scorch the wax and it will start turning cream/brown in color
- Stir melting wax frequently to evenly distribute heat
- Cool the melted candle-making wax down to a temperature of 165° or below to add fragrance/essential oil/dyes. If you add the fragrance/essential oil when the wax is too hot you will just start burning off your scent. The more you can allow it to cool before adding the scent/essential oil, the better your finished candle will smell. Stir well to allow the scent/essential oil/dye to completely blend in. I suggest a couple of minutes to ensure good dispersion. You can add 6-10% scent/essential oil. You will have to determine the desired amount based on your scent/essential oil and how strong you want your candle to smell.
- Make sure your candle-making containers are at room temperature or even slightly warmer. Soy waxes can pull away from glass containers and cold containers can cause this. Allow the melted candle-making wax to cool to a temperature between 120° to 140° before pouring.
- Allow the finished candle to stand for 24 hours before burning.
Golden Wax 444- Golden Wax 444 is a 100% hydrogenated soy oil and soy monoglycerides, which allows it to have a higher melt point. Golden Wax 444 is 100% soy wax. This candle-making wax type is ideal if you live in or ship candles to warmer climates (eastern Washington/Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, or just summer months). You can use this wax to create container candles and tealights. If you want to make wax melts you may need to add a softer oil to it such as coconut wax. Golden Wax 444 comes in flake form, is very easy to work with, is white in color, works with either of the wicks we carry, and works well with just about any fragrance and all essential oils that are applicable for candles (not all essential oils burn for candles so always make sure to do a test burn first).
Golden Wax 444 Soy Candle Wax Melting Temperature Guidelines:
- Melt wax to 175° to 200°. If you keep it at 200° or higher for any extended amount of time you can scorch the wax and it will start turning cream/brown in color
- Stir melting wax frequently to evenly distribute heat
- Cool the melted candle-making wax down to a temperature of 165° or below to add fragrance/essential oil/dyes. If you add the fragrance/essential oil when the wax is too hot you will just start burning off your scent. The more you can allow it to cool before adding the scent/essential oil, the better your finished candle will smell. Stir well to allow the scent/essential oil/dye to completely blend in. I suggest a couple of minutes to ensure good dispersion. You can add 6-10% scent/essential oil. You will have to determine the desired amount based on your scent/essential oil and how strong you want your candle to smell.
- Make sure your candle-making containers are at room temperature or even slightly warmer. One of the candle-making basics is that soy waxes can pull away from glass containers and cold containers can cause this. Allow the melted candle-making wax to cool to a temperature between 130° to 140° before pouring.
- Allow the finished candle to stand for 24 hours before burning.
Golden Wax 464 is a 100% hydrogenated soy oil and soy monoglycerides, with a slightly higher melt temp than C3 but not as high as Golden Wax 444. Golden Wax 464 is a 100% soy wax. This candle wax type is slightly harder than C3, but not as hard as 444. Golden Wax 464 is a 100% soy wax. This candle wax type is slightly harder than C3, but not as hard as 444. You can use this candle-making wax type to create container candles and tealights. If you want to make wax melts you may need to add a softer oil to it such as coconut wax. Golden Wax 464 comes in flake form, is very easy to work with, is white in color, works with either of the wicks we carry, and works well with just about any fragrance and all essential oils that are applicable for candles (not all essential oils burn for candles so always make sure to do a test burn first).
Golden Wax 464 Soy Candle Wax Melting Temperature:
- Melt wax to 175° to 200°. If you keep it at 200° or higher for any extended amount of time you can scorch the wax and it will start turning cream/brown in color
- Stir melting wax frequently to evenly distribute heat
- Cool the melted candle-making wax down to a temperature of 165° or below to add fragrance/essential oil/dyes. If you add the fragrance/essential oil when the wax is too hot you will just start burning off your scent. The more you can allow it to cool before adding the scent/essential oil, the better your finished candle will smell. Stir well to allow the scent/essential oil/dye to completely blend in. I suggest a couple of minutes to ensure good dispersion. You can add 6-10% scent/essential oil. You will have to determine the desired amount based on your scent/essential oil and how strong you want your candle to smell.
- Make sure your candle-making containers are at room temperature or even slightly warmer. Soy waxes can pull away from glass containers and cold containers can cause this. Allow the melted candle-making wax to cool to a temperature between 130° to 140° before pouring.
- Allow the finished candle to stand for 24 hours before burning.
Coconut Waxes- we have two kinds of coconut waxes. One that is a pre-blended, ready-to-use wax and one that is pure coconut so you will have to blend it with something else to make it stable for candles.
Coconut 1: Coconut candle wax is available in 50-pound boxes only. This is 100% hydrogenated coconut glycerides. No soy, no palm, no nothing added. This candle-making wax type is designed to be used as part of your candle formula, not as a standalone wax. You will want to blend Coconut 1 with any of the other waxes (soy or beeswax) to make a stable formula. Coconut 1 is a great wax if you are looking to create massage candles. Try blending it with something like Coconut 110/shea butter/sal butter/massage oils and a little beeswax or soy candle wax to make it hard enough for your containers. If you wish to have a pre-blended coconut wax that you can call a “coconut” candle, this IS NOT the candle-making wax type for you. Coconut 1 is very easy to use, white in color, works with either of the wicks we carry when blended with other waxes, and works well with just about any fragrance and all essential oils that are applicable for candles (not all essential oils burn for candles so always make sure to do a test burn first).
Coconut 1 Guidelines:
- Melt wax to 90° to 102°.
- Stir melting wax frequently to evenly distribute heat.
- Melt your other ingredients separately, cool them down, then add to the Coconut 1.
- Cool the blended, melted candle-making wax down to a temperature of 140° or below to add fragrance/essential oil/dyes. If you add the fragrance/essential oil when the wax is too hot you will just start burning off your scent. The more you can allow it to cool before adding the scent/essential oil, the better your finished candle will smell. Stir well to allow the scent/essential oil/dye to completely blend in. I suggest a couple of minutes to ensure good dispersion. You can add 6-10% scent/essential oil. You will have to determine the desired amount based on your scent/essential oil and how strong you want your candle to smell.
- Make sure your candle-making containers are at room temperature or even slightly warmer. Allow the melted candle-making wax to cool to a temperature between 100° to 130° before pouring.
- Allow the finished candle to stand for 24 hours before burning.
C6 Coconut and Soy Candle Wax: C6 is available in 12-pound slabs or 60-pound boxes only. This candle-making wax type is fairly soft and is very easy to chunk up to fit into your melter. C6 is considered a “coconut wax” but is made up of a blend of soy wax and hydrogenated coconut oil. This is not soft like traditional coconut oil but it is also not as hard as any of the soy waxes. If you wish to have a pre-blended coconut wax that you can call a “coconut” candle, this would be the candle-making wax type for you. It is very easy to use, white in color, works with either of the wicks we carry and works well with just about any fragrance and all essential oils that are applicable to candles (not all essential oils burn for candles so always make sure to do a test burn first). You can use this candle-making wax type to create container candles, tealights or wax melts. C6 will make a softer candle so if you live in a hotter environment or you are shipping candles to hotter areas you will need to have a warning that states candles can get soft in warmer environments.
C6 Guidelines:
- Melt wax to 124° to 165°.
- Stir melting wax frequently to evenly distribute heat.
- Cool the melted candle-making wax down to a temperature of 130° or below to add fragrance/essential oil/dyes. If you add the fragrance/essential oil when the wax is too hot you will just start burning off your scent. The more you can allow it to cool before adding the scent/essential oil, the better your finished candle will smell. Stir well to allow the scent/essential oil/dye to completely blend in. I suggest a couple of minutes to ensure good dispersion. You can add 6-10% scent/essential oil. You will have to determine the desired amount based on your scent/essential oil and how strong you want your candle to smell.
- Make sure your candle-making containers are at room temperature or even slightly warmer. Allow the melted candle-making wax to cool to a temperature between 110° to 130° before pouring.
- Allow the finished candle to stand for 24 hours before burning.
Beeswax- we have three different kinds of beeswax types in stock but only two are really used for candle making. White beeswax beads or yellow organic beeswax beads. White beeswax beads are traditionally what you would blend with any of the above candle waxes to make a harder candle. You can blend the yellow organic beeswax but it will affect the final color of your candle. Yellow beeswax is the one traditionally used in the yellow pillar candles. There are many suggested beeswax candle recipes out there but here is one:
- 1 pound beeswax
- 1/2 cup coconut oil/coconut wax (coconut 1 is an excellent option for this)
- 6-10% scent/essential oil
Beeswax traditionally burns hotter than soy or coconut wax so mixing it with a softer oil, such as coconut, will help reduce the burn temp. If you are pouring beeswax candles into containers you will have to make sure the container will withstand the higher heat. You will also need to purchase wicks that are specifically designed for beeswax candles. The wicks we carry are not suitable for beeswax candles.
Melting the beeswax for your candles- you will want to melt this specific wax in a double boiler to keep it from getting too hot or burning. Melt to 144° to 170°. Beeswax will start to burn at 185° so keep it lower than that. Once the beeswax is melted, add in the coconut oil and remove from heat. Allow to cool to between 130° to 165° before adding scent/essential oils.
Pour into room-temperature containers at 120° to 130°.
