| The most basic ingredient of your favorite hobby | | | | organization they have created, known as RSPO, |
| of course is the candle making wax. Unlike the | | | | has been founded to develop and define best |
| early days of candle making when the only choice | | | | practices for sustainable palm tree cultivation. |
| you had was a paraffin wax, today wax is made | | | | Another wax that is becoming popular is |
| from a range of diverse ingredients. | | | | beeswax. Again this is a natural product, it has a |
| It is true that a lot of candles are still made with | | | | pleasant fragrance, it is hardy and has great |
| wax refined from petroleum because it is suitable | | | | burning characteristics making it especially good |
| for making the most popular types of candles. | | | | for making candles. Unfortunately beeswax can |
| This is due to the fact that a paraffin based wax | | | | be expensive to buy so I would not recommend |
| is still relatively inexpensive compared to other | | | | using it if you are just starting with your candle |
| types of wax you could use such as wax refined | | | | making venture. |
| from vegetable or plant materials like palm, | | | | Gel candles are the new candle on the block! Gel |
| bayberry, or the increasingly popular soy candle | | | | has a clear, rubbery texture but handles in the |
| wax. | | | | same way as wax. One great property of gel |
| Soy wax is becoming popular due to the | | | | wax is it is translucent which makes for great |
| renewable resource it is created from and is, | | | | candle decorations. The wax is available in three |
| therefore, more eco-friendly. Palm wax is also | | | | densities and this affects the type of candle you |
| made from a renewable resource. namely palm! | | | | can make with it and also the amount of |
| Unfortunately due to the increasing use of palm oil | | | | fragrance you can add, if you are making scented |
| in all types of products like face creams and | | | | candles. |
| spreads, great areas of rain forest are being | | | | The denser the gel wax the more fragrance oil it |
| demolished to make way for the palm plants | | | | can hold. The low density gel wax is best for |
| leading to many animals becoming close to | | | | candles with a 0-3% fragrance load. The medium |
| extinction. | | | | density gel wax supports candles that have a |
| If you decide to use palm wax in your candle | | | | 3-5% fragrance load and the high density gel wax |
| making make sure your supplier is obtaining it in | | | | is best for fragrance loads higher than 5%. The |
| an eco-friendly way and in accordance with the | | | | medium density gel is the most popular gel wax |
| farming and cultivation practices as laid down by | | | | to work with as it supports most types of |
| the WWF (the Worldwide Fund for Nature). An | | | | candles you would probably want to make. |