Picking a candle can sometimes feel overwhelming. From the sheer number of home fragrances on offer, to size and candle wax types. While scent plays an important role in picking a candle, taking note of the type of wax is definitely worth the effort.
Not only can the wax type affect how a candle smells, but how it burns, and impacts your health (and the planet) too. With so many options on the market, our candle and fragrance experts share their run down of the eight most common wax types on shelves, how to pick the best candle for your home, and what to avoid. There are eight different types of candle wax you might typically find on store shelves.
Each one has different properties, costs, and risks associated with them. To avoid common candle-burning mistakes , it helps to brush up on them before you invest in candles to make your home smell nice . 1.
Paraffin wax If you have ever heard that scented candles are toxic , then they are likely talking about the most common types of scented candles, which are made from paraffin wax. Kristen Pumphrey, candle expert at P.F.
Candle Co . explains, ‘Most commercial candles use paraffin wax – even some that are marked as soy wax will contain a large amount of paraffin. Paraffin is non-renewable, derived from petroleum, and it smells like it (like plastic) when it burns.
The pro of paraffin is that it’s cheap, so you can get very affordable candles.’ Paraffin wax can release chemicals such as benzene, toluene, and naphthalene in.