Candle making is steadily growing in popularity, making way for constant improvements in the quality and variety of candle making wax. The availability of different types of waxes is certainly on the increase to meet the ever growing demand in the craft.
Paraffin wax is pretty inexpensive, and is widely used these days. It is refined from a petroleum like wax. More and more candle makers are turning to natural waxes today and soy wax is amongst the most popular. Being a natural wax it is derived from plant material as is palm and bayberry wax. Hydrogenating is the process that the soy beans are put through to create soy wax. The U.S is responsible for growing most of the soy beans that go into making soy wax. One of the wonderful aspects of soy wax is that it is not putting any major stress on the environment because it is a renewable resource, unlike palm wax which up unto recently has been part of the reason for the devastation of some of the rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia. This devastation has had such an impact that the Sumatran tiger and Orangutans have been endangered. There are methods being put in place now for sustainable palm cultivation, so if you are in the market for some palm wax for your candles, then make sure that it is being produced from eco-friendly plantations.
Due to it’s lovely fragrance, beeswax is certainly increasing in popularity. It is a very sturdy wax to work with which also has great burning qualities. It is also an animal based material wax that is available to crafters in yellow and white.
Gel candles seem to be the new trend and having a clear appearance has enabled candle makers to experiment with different sorts of inclusions such as glitter and metallic flakes and shapes.Gel wax comes in three different densities and which density you use is determined by the amount of fragrance that you wish to add. For a fragrance level of 0-3% you would use the low density wax, and for a medium level of fragrance 3-5% you would require the medium density wax so for a high level of fragrance the high density gel wax is needed.
Candle makers today have a large number of different kinds of wax to work with, and therefore can pick the best wax for their particular project. Candle makers can now enjoy the full satisfaction of being able to use and understand all the types of waxes available to them, giving them a sense of fulfillment in their craft.