In recent years, candle hobbyists and professionals candle hobbyists and professionals have increasingly been choosing vegetable waxes over paraffin (a petroleum-based wax).
There are several reasons for this, let’s explore them together:
- Environmental aspect: natural waxes (plant or animal based) are biodegradable, renewable (at least in part) and generate fewer harmful emissions than paraffin.
- Combustion quality: they often produce less smoke, soot, and residue.
- Sensory experience: some waxes, such as beeswax, carry a delicate natural scent; others retain added fragrances better.
- Branding and market: candles made from plant waxes are appreciated by environmentally conscious consumers.
That said, each type of wax has its pros and cons: there is no “perfect wax” for every use. Ideally, you should understand each wax’s characteristics, experiment, and adapt your choice to the type of candle you wish to create (container, pillar, scented, decorative, etc.).
Types of vegetable waxes: characteristics, advantages and limitations.
SOY WAX
Soy wax is obtained by hydrogenation of soybean oil, a process that transforms the fats, causing the oil to “harden” into a solid wax.
Main advantages
- It burns more “cleanly” than paraffin, producing less soot.
- It is biodegradable.
- Good ability to retain and release scents.
Disadvantages/limitations
- Low melting point: by nature, soy wax is rather “soft,” so it is difficult to process and store if temperatures are high.
- It cannot support vivid colors like some synthetic waxes (pigments are attenuated).
- Sometimes the added fragrance is less pronounced than with paraffin, unless properly balanced.
For this reason, many soy-based waxes on the market are blends that compensate for these limits by adding, in calibrated percentages, harder waxes such as vegetable stearin.
You can find soy wax in two types:
- Ecosoya Pillar Blend: specially designed for use in molds.
- Ecosoya CB-135: optimized for container candles (jars, glasses, tins).
Why two different varieties?
Because they have specific characteristics: wax for molds, during cooling, tends to shrink slightly thus allowing easy release from the mold, while container wax does not shrink, allowing it to adhere perfectly to the container walls.
PALM WAX
Palm wax is obtained from hydrogenated palm oil.
It is a firm vegetable wax that creates distinctive surface effects.
Main advantages
- It is stiffer and more heat resistant than soybean.
- It produces characteristic surface patterns: crystallization, veining, or “frosted” effects that many candle makers appreciate for their aesthetic value.
- It has good power to retain scents and colors.
- Greater stability in hot climates than waxes with lower melting points.
Disadvantages/limitations
- While retaining fragrances well, scent diffusion during burning is slightly subtler than with soy wax.
- It can be “brittle”: in cold environments, it can form cracks or chips.
For palm wax, too, there is a mold version and those for containers.
BEESWAX
The earliest wax used for candles: as far back as 3000 B.C., candles were made from beeswax. This is because it is formed by a natural process: bees naturally produce it in honeycombs (beehives).
Key benefits
- It burns very “cleanly,” with very little smoke or residue.
- It has a sweet, natural, beehive scent that makes the candle almost “self-fragrancing.” In fact, fragrances are hardly added.
- It is hard and stable, great for pillar candles, flashlights, decorative candles.
Disadvantages/limitations
- Cost: often more expensive than plant waxes or blends, given the harvesting and processing.
- Fragrance-holding capacity: less neutral than vegetable waxes, the wax’s own scent can interfere with added fragrances.
- Color: can have yellowish, brownish tones–often need to tone it down or filter it to get light colors.
- Melting point not very high: if the candle is exposed to high temperatures, the wax may soften.
ECOOLIVE WAX
It is a vegetable wax blend derived from olive oil. The oil is refined and hydrogenated as it is for soybeans, so that it transforms from a liquid to a solid state.
Key benefits
- A vegetable wax that is considered more sustainable because it uses a typical Mediterranean resource (the olive) and reduces reliance on crops such as palm or soy.
- It has a clean burn, good yield with fragrance, and a smooth, even finish.
Disadvantages/limitations
- It is considered a “premium” wax for natural candles so, in some cases, the cost may be higher than soy.
- It is not yet widespread everywhere: it may be more difficult to find.
VEGETABLE STEARIN
Vegetable stearin is often used as an additive in vegetable waxes to:
- Increase hardness and melting point
- Improve surface finish (reduce sinking, improve stability)
- Increase fragrance release
- Stabilize combustion
How to add it
- 10-20% to soy and olive wax → to make it harder and stronger.
- 5-10% to palm and beeswax → to improve stability and combustion.
It is rarely used on its own (and if so, with caution), it works best as a “modifier” in blends.
Molds
Jars
Jars
But then, which wax to choose for your project?
Here is a summary to guide you:
| Wax types | Suggested Use | Benefits | Limits |
| Soy wax for jars | In jars and vases | Burns clean, holds scents well | Less resistant to heat |
| Soy wax for molds | Pillar candles and special shapes | Burns clean, holds scents well | Less resistant to heat |
| Palm wax for jars | In jars and vases | Unique crystal effects, withstands heat | Fragile in cold environments |
| Palm wax for molds | Pillar candles and special shapes | Unique crystal effects, withstands heat | Fragile in cold environments |
| Beeswax | Pillar candles and special shapes | Already fragrant | High cost |
| Olive wax | Pillar candles and special shapes | Smooth and glossy finish, clean release from molds | Uncommon, hard to find |
| Stearin | Additive in mixture | Increases hardness, improves combustion | – |
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