Beeswax Candles Vs Soy: What’s All the “Buzz” About?

Hey guys, let’s take a look at beeswax candles vs soy – both popular, but obviously not cut from the same cloth. Do you enjoy the natural beauty of lit candles? Beeswax and soy varieties are the top two contenders, as both of them are safer to use instead of the traditional paraffin.

Although beeswax candles are supposed to be the best kind, soy candles come in a close second. Let’s take a good look at what you can expect from both of these beauties right here and now.

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Where Do Beeswax Candles Come From?

Beeswax candles are made from – yep you guessed it – all natural ingredients made by honeybees. When bees eat honey, they produce this wax 🐝.

Beekeepers filter the beeswax from the honeycombs, cool it and sell it for use in making all kinds of natural beauty products, like lip balms and glosses, soap and candles. Beeswax candles are the most natural candles on the market today!

🐝 Beeswax is a natural beauty product staple with much to offer – it’s a natural component in not just candles, but cosmetics such as lip gloss.

You can find them in tapers, votives, tea lights and pillar candles. For those with sensitive allergies, beeswax candles allow them to enjoy the warmth and beauty of a burning candle.

Handmade Pure Beeswax Helix Shaped Candle- 6″

This is a candle handmade from natural beeswax – it’s gracefully designed in a unique helix shape, it will illuminate your room of choice in all its golden glory without releasing black soot in the air.

Simply put, beeswax candles are some of the purest and natural out there. They all give off a subtle pre-existing honey scent so there is no need to add fragrance, some of which people may be sensitive too – and a much less polluted experience than traditional paraffin wax.

Plus their natural golden yellow color needs no addition of dyes. This one is no different. It burns clean without all that nasty smoke and longer, and leaves a delightful scent of subtle honey. In addition to the raw color above, this unique helix design is also available in ivory and in 3″ sizes. Used to adorn your living room, dining area for special occasions? Stunning!

This baby is handcrafted in a skilled artisan’s apiary. As bee populations can be very fragile, products like this help to support not just handmade designers but honeybee populations too! Makes a great gift.

If you’re used to the “other” kind of candles, one like this one may make you a bee-liever!🐝

Which Burns Longer?

As beeswax tends to be denser, it means they burn the longest when compared against soy and paraffin. This is great news if you’ve been looking for a slower-burning candle that will last longer. Like beeswax candles, soy candles are made of all natural ingredients and do not contain any petroleum by-products, such as oil.

So they both burn slower than paraffin, and cleaner too (but beeswax wins here, ultimately).

Why Both “Make Scents”!

You don’t need to add any scent to a beeswax candle because the wax is naturally scented with honey. Therefore beeswax candles rarely have any additives and this includes color. The natural yellow color adds to the ambiance of the candle and the scent of honey will perfume the air.

Candles that are pre-scented give off their aromas even when they are not lit. For this reason, lots of people acquire highly scented soy candles simply for the fragrant effect. Whether you choose pillar, taper or votive soy candles, you can choose from a wide variety of scents or combination of scents.

Or you can add your own natural scents via essential oils which have more health-promoting properties than “fragrance oil” scents.

In addition, beeswax candles rarely have extra scents added whereas soy candles, if you get them pre-scented,  will hold the scent until the candle is completely burned out.

Image credit: Creative Commons Image Attribution: Deadicated

🐝 Good News For Allergy Sufferers….

An interesting tidbit to note if you are or live with an allergy sufferer – Did you know that beeswax candles when burning, release negative ions into the air? This is great for people who suffer from asthma and intolerance to indoor airborne pollutants.

Soy candles don’t have this advantage. Although they are more natural than paraffin wax, they still give off some soot as they burn – unless you opt for some like the handmade ones made organically. One real negative about traditional paraffin wax is that the candles produce black soot as they burn.

Colors

The color of the wax used in making beeswax candles can vary from white to a light brown. In some cases, candle makers may add bleach to the wax to lighten the color of the beeswax.

Candles that have been bleached may not have as much of a honey scent to them, but you won’t be able to smell the scent of bleach.

The bleach also helps to filter the beeswax. A candle made from unfiltered bees wax may contain small bits of wood or even parts of the bees. Soy wax has an appearance similar to shortening that people used to cook with in the old days, so it retains a whitish-cream color.

What’s the Powder on My Beeswax Candles?

Over time, you may notice that there is a white powder on the outside of your beeswax candles. This does not mean that your candles are no longer any good – the development of this powder is a natural occurrence with beeswax taper candles and is called “blooming”.

You can easily wipe the powder off of the beeswax candle. It’s actually a good thing to observe; this sign of “blooming” is a sign that your bees wax taper candles have been made from pure beeswax.

Pure Yellow BEESWAX Blocks 100% Natural, Craft Grade

🐝 Cost

As you might have guessed, beeswax candles command the highest price tag. Just like the old saying goes about getting what you pay for. Soy candles are a little bit cheaper, and paraffin, the least desirable, the lowest price.

If you really want to save a little money, though, if it’s an object, you may want to look into purchasing your own beeswax slabs/bricks, and melt and shape accordingly. And of course, you can do the same thing with soy – meltable chips are available for the seeking.

If you like making your own candles, I’ve got good news: beeswax candles are some of the the easiest ones to make at home. Beeswax is sold in sheets and blocks such as these to the left, and you don’t have to bother with any additives, colors or candle scents.

The beeswax that you buy is already filtered so you don’t need to bother with lightening it. If you have the other items on hand, such as wicks, jars, etc., pretty much everything you need if you want to work with soy wax, you should be in good hands.

All you have to do is melt it down  and pour it into your molds and let them set.

Final Thoughts…

So the next time you hear someone say “mind your own beeswax” you’ll know exactly what they’re talking about LOL…(Couldn’t resist going there!🐝 ) After all, it is commendable to support your local apiarist (honeybee farmer)! Have fun exploring the amazing world of beeswax!