The Best Wax for Candlemaking

The Best Wax for Candlemaking

If you're a crafty type who's never tried your hand at making your own candles, you're seriously missing out. Relaxing, satisfying, and completely customizable, candle-making is a DIY-ers dream come true. All you need for custom-made candle success are some wicks, some time, a jar or tin to use as a vessel, and one of three wax bases: beeswax, soy, or paraffin. Since paraffin wax is a byproduct of petroleum and releases carcinogens when burning, we're sticking with healthy options that are best for you and the environment. We've compiled the best beeswax and soy wax on the market to meet all of your candle-making needs.

American Soy Organics Freedom Soy Wax Beads

Slow Burn

A long burn-time makes this soy wax is a fantastic choice for DIY candle-making.
Best Overall

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Soy is a wonderful option for making DIY candles since the pure-white wax is ideal for soaking up dyes, and it tends to have a much longer burn time than beeswax. This 5 or 25-pound bag of soy wax is an excellent option for both beginner and experienced candle makers. Comprised of tiny wax beads that melt quickly, you can even microwave the wax instead of breaking out the double-boiler.

Pros:

  • Soy wax beads melt uniformly, allowing for a better distribution of added scents or colors
  • Can be used in the microwave for maximum convenience
  • Both 5 and 25-pound bag available

Cons:

  • You’ll need to burn this wax as a jar candle, as it’s crumbly when dry

Sky Organics Organic White Beeswax Pellets

The Bee's Knees

Chemical and additive-free, this organic beeswax is sustainably-sourced, too.
Best Beeswax

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These triple-filtered, USDA-organic white beeswax pellets contain nothing but the purest beeswax your money can buy. Excellent for making candles, this wax also works well for other DIY projects, including skincare products or beeswax food wraps. Beeswax straight from the hive is typically a golden yellow, but the triple-filtering process renders this wax a lovely ivory. It doesn’t have a strong beeswax scent, and it can take on virtually any dyes that you add in for color.

Pros:

  • Responsibly-sourced beeswax
  • Can be used for a variety of DIY projects, including lip balms and skincare products
  • USDA-organic natural beeswax with zero additives or synthetic ingredients
  • Pellet form for easy melting and manageability

Cons:

  • Doesn’t have the sweet scent of beeswax that many beeswax-lovers enjoy

EricX Light Beeswax Bars

Cosmetic-Grade Quality

Whether you're making candles or lip balm, this is 100% natural beeswax is a high-quality option.
Best Bars

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Beeswax has a sweet, honey-like, earthy scent that creates a calming home environment when burned. Making your own candles out of it ends up feeling a bit like a meditation. Not convinced? Try it out for yourself. With these cosmetic-grade beeswax bars, you can create quality candles for your home out of the purest beeswax. Yes, I did say cosmetic-grade, which means that this multi-use wax can be used for perfecting DIY lip balms, salves, and skincare products, too.

Pros:

  • Each of the seven bars weighs 1 ounce for easy use
  • Burns clean, with no pollutants or nasty smoke
  • Excellent quality for making other products like beeswax wrap
  • Gentle beeswax smell

Cons:

  • Deep golden yellow color doesn’t take on added dyes as well as white wax does

DilaBee Complete DIY Candle Making Kit

Dip It Yourself

This complete kit has everything you need for DIY candles.
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Are you ready for some candle-making but don’t know where to start? This kit from DilaBee is precisely what you need. With two pounds of soy wax, dye blocks, fragrances, wicks, and more, this DIY candle-making kit includes everything you need but the stove. There are even easy-to-follow candle-making instructions included. As for the wax, it’s a high-quality soy wax that dries white and has no scent. This means that the included color blocks and scents will perfectly blend into the wax for vibrant candles that smell as good as they look.

Pros:

  • Four scents included: clean cotton, lavender, coconut lime, and cinnamon vanilla
  • Four color blocks included: red, orange, lavender, and green
  • Includes tins for the candles
  • Complete package makes it an ideal gift (for yourself or someone else)

Cons:

  • These are the only scent options included, but feel free to use your own

Golden Foods Golden Brands Natural Soy Wax

Stacks of Wax

If you make a lot of candles, this 50-pound bulk buy should do the trick.
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If candle-making is your game, it’s best to buy in bulk. Golden Foods has you covered with this 50-pound bag of all-natural soy wax. With a melting point of 121-125 degrees, making your own candles is quick and easy. In fact, there’s enough wax in here to make 100 8-ounce candles. Add in your favorite scents and colors for a fun DIY candle-making project.

Pros:

  • 1-pound, 5-pound, and 20-pound options also available
  • Unscented soy wax takes on whatever scent or color you choose
  • Hardens evenly

Cons:

  • Soy wax dries a tad crumbly, so you’ll need to use this wax in a mold or tin for burning

Frequently Asked Questions

What supplies do you need for candle making?

Aside from the wax itself, you’ll need candle wicks and a double boiler, unless you use a microwave-friendly form of wax. For extras like scents and colors, you’ll need a fragrance oil and either dye blocks or liquid dyes. You can also use molds for creating fun candle shapes, a scale if you’re planning on selling your candles, a thermometer, paper towels and rubbing alcohol, protective gloves, and newspapers to cover your work surface.

Can you scent DIY wax candles?

If you get 100% natural beeswax, it has a wonderful scent all on its own. If you’re not keen on it or just using soy wax instead, it’s actually quite easy to add some scent to your candles. Use your favorite fragrance oil or essential oil by adding it directly to the wax right before you’re ready to begin dipping the wick. Just be sure to completely stir the liquid together to distribute the scented oils evenly.