The benefits of beeswax candles
I had a very unusual high school job: I poured beeswax candles at a Greek Orthodox convent!
Although an unconventional (pun intended!) experience, I loved the quiet afternoons I spent at the convent. I deeply inhaled the thick, honey-fragranced air in pouring room as I meditatively poured golden, molten beeswax into the cups. Next, I gently placed a wick in each candle, meticulously nudging it into the center.
Besides mastering the rare art of beeswax candle making, I also learned some important chemistry and health lessons from this job. Namely, the toxic effects of paraffin candles and the unique air-purifying properties of 100% beeswax candles.
The probem with paraffin candles
“Regular candles,” i.e. that bag of tealights you can buy for five bucks, are made from paraffin. As the name implies, paraffin candles are made from paraffin wax, a by-product of petroleum refining. The result? A highly toxic (and environmentally unfriendly) product that literally poisons the air you breathe.
Paraffin wax starts as the sludge at the bottom of the barrel of crude oil. Even asphalt is extracted before paraffin in the refining process! The black sludge, already filled with numerous toxins, undergoes bleaching and treatment by carcinogens benzene and/or toulene.
The chemicals don’t stop there. Chemists mix in toxic concoctions of colors and fragrances to make this waste product marketable and appealing. The final result is a innocent looking candle which releases seven documented toxins –two of which are carcinogenic–when it burns.
Toxins aren’t the only problem with burning paraffin candles. Over time, repeatedly burning paraffin candles leaves black soot stains on walls, ceilings, furniture, and drapery. The microscopic soot particles at fault for the cosmetic damage also cause serious health problems. These tiny particles are easily inhaled and get trapped in the deepest part of the lungs, which may cause respiratory irritation.
How beeswax candles clean the air
Did you know that beeswax candles clean the air when they burn?
Beeswax releases negative ions when it burns. Pollen, dust, dirt, pollutants, and any other junk in the air all carry a positive charge, and that is how they can be suspended in the air. The negative ions released from burning beeswax negate the positive charge of air contaminants, and the neutralized ions are sucked back into the burning candle or fall to the ground. Many air purifiers and water filters harness this effective negative ion technology.
Because beeswax candles clean the air and reduce indoor pollutants, they can effectively reduce asthma, allergies, and hay fever. One of the most rewarding parts of my candle pouring job was listening to customers tell me miraculous stories of how the beeswax candles changed their quality of life. The most common thing I heard was, “these are the only candles I can burn,” or “these are the only candles my husband will let me burn,” since the beeswax didn’t release irritating toxins and fragrances. Here are two of the most memorable stories.
Beeswax Candles and Asthma
As I was ringing up one woman’s candle purchase in the candle shop, I struggled to fit all of her candles into the three large canvas bags she provided. “Wow–you must be stocking up.” I observed. “I am never running out of these candles again!” she exclaimed, and told me how the candles changed her young son’s life. “He has always had terrible asthma that acts up at night. The other day, I burned one of these candles in his room two hours before he went to bed. He had no asthma symptoms at all! Now we do this routine every night.”
Beeswax Candles and Allergies
One woman told me that her granddaughter’s cat allergies interfered with visits to grandma, because of her cats. After learning about the convent’s candles, this woman burned two beeswax candles in the living room a couple of hours before her granddaughter arrived. Her granddaughter, while in the living room, experienced no allergic symptoms! They now practice this routine for comfortable visits each week.
Beeswax candles sound great, right? But there is a catch…
Sneaky labeling on beeswax candles
In the U.S., the term “pure” on a label means only 51% of an ingredient (and that goes for food, too). Often, companies sell “pure” beeswax candles which contain a combination of 51% beeswax and 49% toxic paraffin. Look for the key phrase “100% Pure Beeswax” on candles.
100% pure beeswax candles come with an unexpectedly large price tag for those used to buying 100 paraffin tea lights for five bucks at Ikea. No one should pay money, however, to poison their home. When you buy 100% pure beeswax candles, you are making a health investment.
How do I get these beeswax candles?
The candleshop is now under new ownership, and the candle quality remains the same: Golden Light Beeswax CandlesGolden Light Beeswax Candles.
Another trustworthy brand of beeswax candles is Big Dipper Wax Works, which you can find in many health food stores.
Frequently Asked Beeswax Questions
Do you recommend making your own beeswax candles?
I do not recommend making beeswax candles from scratch, if you have no prior experience. The sisters spent 9 months figuring out the correct type of beeswax (it varies depending on wax season, pollen content, etc.), the correct temperature for pouring the wax (even 5 degrees makes a huge difference), the correct diameter for the candle, and the correct wick. And they are constantly perfecting all these variables. Making beeswax candles at home can be a fun project, but it is not as cost effective as buying the candles, since homemade ones will have a significantly reduced burn time.
I’ve heard about lead in wicks. Is this true?
If a candle has a metal wire in the wick, it may contain lead. Lead is banned from use, but many imported candles, especially from China, still contain lead. Burn only candles with 100% cotton wicks and avoid any with a wire center. If it has a wire center, it will put zinc and other metals into your air.
For questions regarding soy candles, read my Soy vs. Beeswax Candles: The Inside Scoop
Actually soy wax is better then beeswax.Soy candles burn 45% longer than paraffin wax candles, up to forty-eight hours. beeswax candles only burn up to five hours. if you only use beeswax then your using more witch is unefficent
I make beeswax candle’s and my 4oz candle’s have a burn time of 19hrs! 100% organic beeswax.
Hey heather ! Wondering what size wick you use to allow your candles to burn that long ?
Soy wax candles are a high-soot candle so even if they burn longer than partial-beeswax candles, they release particles into the surrounding air.
I’m sitting here in front of a beeswax candle that I made myself with my own wax from my own bees. It’s a three inch diameter candle that is a foot tall. It’s been burning about six hours and has used only a couple ounces. So the idea that beeswax candles burn really fast is simply false.
Candles burn based on wax type, wick type and size and other factors. This candle with a rather large wick leads me to believe that beeswax burns rather slowly.
What Wick size are you using?
What Wick size are you using?i am using 70% organic coconut wax and 30% beeswax. 3 inch diameter jar. 6oz and 12 oz and I and trying to find the correct Wick and pouring time.
I was fine until I added the beeswax to slow the burning time down. Any suggestions?
Thx
We use 3/4″ wooden wicks in our beeswax candles. I can’t disclose the ratio we use, but it is quite a bit higher than 70% coconut oil and 30% beeswax. We use a lot more beeswax than coconut oil, and they burn great 🙂
pure-scentsations.com
You’re part of the bureaucratic problem. This is for health and wellness, Bizzle.
What did you use for a wick?
Hi Breanna,
Beeswax candles are not limited to 5 hour burn times. There are many variables that can affect the time a candle can be burned including thickness of wick, size of wick (portion above the wax pool), purity of beeswax and diameter of candle.
Beeswax is the only wax fuel that can be burned clean without putting contaminants into the air. The great majority of the soy grown in the US is genetically modified (some reports say approximately 90%) which is also heavily sprayed with pesticides.
Saying soy is better than burning paraffin is true but that reasoning is similar to saying… eating McDonalds is much healthier than eating dog food. It might be true… but who really considers McDonalds a good regular source of food for a healthy diet?
Using 100% Pure Beeswax is absolutely hands down way WAY BETTER THAN soy for candles.
Beeswax burns very long and clean! I make 15 hour votives of beeswax. Soy burns longer than paraffin but not pure beeswax https://www.etsy.com/shop/WonderBeeOrganics?ref=ss_profile Support beekeepers not Monsanto and deforestation!
Please provide the scientific study that proves beeswax candles clean the air. Yes, beeswax candles are clean burning, and are probably the best candles for health and the environment, but there is no SCIENTIFIC PROOF that beeswax candles clean the air. Other beewax candle websites that make this claim do NOT qualify as scientific proof.
Did you ever get the scientific study?
This concerns me as well! Where’s the proof?!
Scientifically prove that your parents love(d) you.
http://candles.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2007Okometricstudysummary.pdf
Fewer particulates. Nothing about ions.
From the report you posted:
“The five waxes were selected as representative of those most used in the global candle industry, and the wicks were appropriate to the different waxes.”
I highly doubt the efficacy of this report’s findings. Not one beekeeper among them.
Just sayin’.
Something that is given by nature as gifts to humans don’t require me to have scientific proof. I don’t need science to tell me when I’m burning a candle if its doing bad or good to me.. Release your senses and open your mind. It wouldn’t surprise me if Egyptians used beeswax candles to light up there place since their was hardly any windows in pyramids.
I’m 34 and always been interested in candle making. When I was introduced to beeswax candles I knew this was something i needed to get into.
I love delivering good products to customers with benefits and I’m sure the scientific researchers are not allowed to study this fine product. With all the paraffin left over from crude oil, why should they!
Maybe it’s time we funded an institution to produce scientific studies to provide the knowledge some of us are needing. We should throw common sense out the window because we can’t simply makes sense out of mother nature VS big companies not knowing where to throw there waste. But the money sucking geniuses decided to sell it to us.
Bee Natural;)
You absolutely do need a science behind gifts from nature to humans. Mushrooms are a ‘gift’ but if we didn’t study the different kinds, there would be a lot more people getting poisoned by their risotto. If anything science is the study of nature, so yes, any claims made do require proof, and anecdotal evidence doesn’t count.
Also, don’t equate scientist with big business, especially the oil industry, as this is a dangerous comparison. If anything, scientists are the ones trying to stop oil on the climate change area.
Finally, nature doesn’t make things as ‘gifts’. It makes things of its own accord. To assume it was put there as a little present to you is a selfish and exploitative idea
Hi Ben. Long before we had the western concept of scientific inquiry, indigenous peoples knew which mushrooms to eat, use medicinally, and avoid. In the same way, long before we had western science to tell us what nutrients we need to eat, indigenous cultures discovered that because they were in touch with their bodies’ wisdom. (Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR_M1Kx66Vk)
Western science is only one method of navigating a healthy life, it is not the only way and it is not infallible. Science isn’t always “big business” but is intertwined with it. For further clarification on Science as Industry vs. Science as process, I point you to this post: https://empoweredsustenance.com/beyond-science/
Soooooo…..soy is an unhealthy burn and bees wax is healthy? Bees wax burns longer? Which hold a better scent flow? Where should I buy my bees wax.
First time candle maker 🙂
YE
Thank you for details. I’m first time candle maker.
I make my own Shabbat and Hanukkah candles from beeswax. As a beekeeper I had plenty of left over wax and extra unused pure 100 per cent beeswax foundation sheets for my frames for my supers .One day i decided to make rolled beeswax candles from the unused frame foundation . They work beautifully and are easy and fun to make, with a wonderful aroma and no mess at all. Why would you poison G-d’s creation with a base unKosher parafin candle? Bees, Honey and Bee’s wax are G-d’s gift to us.
Amen.
That’s beautiful. And I noticed/appreciated your not spelling out G-d’s name.
Bless you and happy you’re enjoying His Bees.
May they figure out what’s going on so they can thrive again.. sounds wonderful to make your own wax and i presume honey! I try to find local raw honey in New England but it’s not easy.
Deb
Hello, I am wondering about beeswax tart melts. Can they clean the air still?
We recently burned a beeswax candle in a space that had cigarette smoke come into from another place and I am highly allergic, but it worked to clear the smell and the air and I was completely floored.
Thanks!
That’s awesome to hear about your experience! I don’t know about the beeswax melts — I wish I could answer that one for you.
Very good post Lauren, like your other posts, the beeswax candles are amazing, besides they are more luminous and last longer than conventional candles.