Making Candles at Home Part 1: Types of Candles and Types of Waxes

Creating candles at home is a highly satisfying activity. It allows you to test your manual skills while also applying your flair and creativity to something solid, visible, fragrant, and… luminous.

It’s easy to say candles, but there are many types of candles; you first need to understand what type of candle we are talking about, as each requires different materials, processes, and therefore also different final effects.

In this post, we will see what types of candles we can create at home and what types of wax we can use for each type.

We will then look at the materials we need to make them and how to organise the workspace in another post, and finally, the various procedures for creating our candles at home.

So today we will talk about:

1. The types of candles you can create at home
2. The types of wax for candles
3. Which wax should I choose for moulded candles?
4. Which wax should I choose for containers and modelling?
5. Is there a transparent wax for moulds?
6. What are the ideal temperatures for pouring wax?

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1. The types of candles you can create at home

Do you already know what type of candles you would like to make?

Here are the most common types:

Free standing candles

Free standing simply means that they stand on their own. So you won’t need any container or support. They are usually made with moulds, where you can melt paraffin, pre-mixed wax beads, stearin, beeswax, or palm wax (for moulds).

Tealight candles

Among container candles, the most appreciated are tealights, in small aluminium or plastic containers. You can make them with any type of wax, especially paraffin, a mixture of paraffin and stearin, soy wax, palm wax, and beeswax.

Carved (dipped) candles

These are particularly decorative candles, made up of multiple layers of coloured wax: by carving the surface, the various layers are revealed, creating a very artistic and evocative effect.

Container candles

You can make candles inside containers made of glass, metal, plastic, or other materials, with or without a lid. For these candles, you can also use different types of wax: paraffin, pre-mixed wax beads, stearin, soy wax, gel wax, beeswax, or palm wax (for containers).

Tarts (wax melts)

Tarts are wax tablets to be melted in potpourri or wax melt burners. The most commonly used waxes for making tarts are paraffin, soy wax, and a mixture of natural waxes.

Dipped conical candles

These are long and narrow candles, typically used in candlesticks. To make them, the wick is dipped multiple times in melted wax. The most commonly used waxes for these candles are paraffin, pre-mixed wax beads, and beeswax.

A table to clearly understand the types of wax we can use to create various types of candles at home

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2. The types of wax for candles

There are many types of wax on the market, and we also have a nice selection. Each has specific characteristics that make it more suitable for one type of candle than others. Let’s look at the most commonly used waxes and their characteristics.

Paraffin

Paraffin is the most commonly used wax for making candles at home, low cost and high yield: it is suitable for almost all types of candles. You can find it in two versions: standard (melting point 52-54°C) or hard (melting point 56-58°C).

For container candles, we recommend standard paraffin, while for free standing candles, it’s better to use hard paraffin. You can add additives to paraffin, such as stearin or vybar, which improve combustion, opacity, and mould release.

Stearin

Stearin is a white flake substance obtained from palm oil. You can use it as an additive in paraffin (usually at a percentage of 10%) to make it burn better and facilitate mould release. If you use higher percentages of stearin, the paraffin will become whiter and more opaque but will be more difficult to release from the moulds.

You can also use stearin in pure form to obtain candles with a “crystallised” appearance; however, releasing them from the mould will be more difficult compared to other waxes. Once poured and cooled, you can dip the mould in hot water (70°C) for a few seconds, keeping the mouth of the mould facing upwards. The layer of stearin in contact with the mould will melt slightly, allowing you to extract the candle by pulling the wick. This operation would ruin the surface of the candle with all other waxes, but not with pure stearin, as it is much harder than other waxes.

Pre-mixed wax beads

Wax beads are a ready-made mixture of paraffin and stearin, perfect if you want a ready-to-use mixture: you will only need to add fragrances and dyes. You can also use them to create free standing candles, container candles, dipped candles, and tarts at home.

Soy wax

Soy wax is a 100% natural wax, made from hydrogenated soybean oil. You can use it to make container candles (Ecosoya CB-135) or free standing candles (Ecosoya Pillar Blend).

Soy wax has substantial differences compared to paraffin:

• It is a 100% natural wax.
• It has a pale yellow colour, perfect for creating warm autumn colours, to which you can add atmospheric scents.
• To achieve other colours, you will need to use many more dyes or pigments.
• However, it does not require any other additives apart from dyes and fragrances.
• It has a lower scent throw: therefore, it will always be less fragrant compared to a paraffin candle, for example.

Palm wax

Palm wax is a 100% natural wax made using hydrogenated palm oil. It allows you to create candles with crystallised surfaces; this effect can vary depending on the temperature you use for pouring. An advantage of palm wax is that it has a good scent throw and you can easily colour it with powder pigments or liquid dyes like Liquicer. You can find it in two versions, one ideal for containers and tarts, and the other to be used with moulds.

Beeswax

Beeswax is a 100% natural wax. You can use it for free standing candles, container candles, or dipped candles. It is also available in ready-to-roll sheets.

Modelling wax

Like going back to childhood: it is wax in blocks, softens with the heat of your hands, and you can mould it like clay. To insert the wick, you can use a needle or a knitting needle.

Wax sheets

This formulation also has a playful component that makes it very popular: they are wax sheets that you can cut or roll, and you can use them for the external decoration of candles.

Gel wax

Gel wax is transparent and has a gelatinous consistency. In reality, it is not a true wax, as it is obtained by mixing mineral oil with a special polymer. Since it is transparent, to enhance it, we recommend pouring it into transparent containers. To make the candle even more striking, you can insert any object into the container: just make sure it is not flammable!

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3. Which wax should I choose for moulded candles?

To create moulded candles at home, the most suitable waxes are pure paraffin, pre-mixed wax beads, and Ecosoya PB wax. Let’s look at the differences.

Pure paraffin tends to be more transparent when poured into the mould at a higher temperature. For this reason, depending on the temperature used for pouring, the colours can vary from opaque to bright.

Pre-mixed wax beads tend to be whiter, thanks to the percentage of stearin contained within. Additionally, stearin provides the candle with great stability.

Pure stearin allows you to obtain “crystallised” candles, but releasing them from the mould will be more difficult compared to other waxes. A little trick: once the stearin has been poured and cooled in the mould, you can dip it in hot water (70°C) for a few seconds, keeping the mouth of the mould facing upwards. The layer of stearin in contact with the mould will melt slightly, allowing you to extract the candle by pulling the wick. This same operation with all other waxes would ruin the surface of the candle, but not with pure stearin, as it is much harder than other waxes.

Ecosoya Pillar Blend soy wax is the only soy wax suitable for making moulded candles. It should be poured into the mould at temperatures between 68°C and 79°C.

Palm wax is ideal for use in moulded candles. If you are using a metal mould, we recommend preheating it with a heat gun.

Beeswax can also be used in moulds, but it will have limitations due to its consistency, making it very difficult to extract from the moulds. For this reason, we recommend using it only in conical plastic moulds in two sections (e.g., spheres, eggs) or in very flexible silicone moulds. After pouring the wax into the mould, you can place the mould in the refrigerator (not the freezer!); the wax will release more easily from the walls of the mould.

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4. Which wax should I choose for containers and modelling?

EcoSoya CB-135 100% vegetable wax is specifically designed for making container candles; it also has an excellent natural scent that blends perfectly with fragrances. You will obtain very beautiful candles that withstand any type of climate.

Natural palm wax, supplied in granules, allows you to achieve very particular effects. Specifically for pouring into containers, it adheres perfectly to the walls of the support in which it is poured. The optimal melting temperature is between 55° and 57°C.

The characteristic of gel wax is its transparency, so it performs best in glasses, jars, or transparent containers. You can also create special effects by inserting small objects into the wax. You can also colour it by melting a small amount of Liquicer or stick pigments during the melting process. To achieve a bubble-free or fog-free effect, you need to bring it to a temperature above 70°, avoiding melting it in a water bath. Caution: never leave it unattended on the stove.

Modelling wax is a soft wax with a medium melting point (58°C). You can easily mould it with the heat of your hands and pour it into delicate moulds, such as glass and ceramics. It is also excellent for covering polystyrene subjects to decorate.

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5. Is there a transparent wax for moulds?

No, there isn’t. To achieve the highest possible transparency, you can use pure paraffin, which is also used to make lanterns: just join 4 sheets of wax together and place one or more tealights in the centre. Pure paraffin is also used to finish and protect decorated candles. In this case, it should be heated to 90°C and then quickly dip the candle in to form a protective layer.

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6. What are the ideal temperatures for pouring wax?

The answer depends on the type of candle and material you are using to make it:

Dipped candles

With 60/40 beeswax: 70-73 °C.

With 100% pure beeswax: about 75°C.

With pure paraffin, a mixture of paraffin and stearin, or wax beads: 70-73 °C.

Final dip of decorated or coloured candles in pure paraffin: 90°C.

Moulded candles

You must always consider the actual heat resistance of the mould. If the mould can withstand up to 80°C, you should pour the wax at this temperature. If the mould can withstand higher temperatures, the optimal pouring temperature is 90°C.

For silicone moulds, despite being resistant to higher temperatures, we recommend a pouring temperature of 80°C.

To measure the temperature, use a suitable thermometer that has a range between 20° and 110° C. You should hold the thermometer suspended in the wax until you reach the desired temperature. At this point, you can remove the thermometer; while it is still warm, you can easily clean it with kitchen paper to remove any wax residue.

We will soon talk about the other materials and tools we need to create candles at home: melting containers, wicks, pigments, and moulds. Then we will be ready to see the entire process!