A guide on choosing the right type of wax for your wax melt/candle business

Soy Wax

Soy wax is a one of the more affordable eco-friendly options of wax. It comes as container and pillar wax to suit your products' needs. And as a more natural wax it does not emit harmful chemicals into the air.

It supports fragrance oils and colours well, giving them room to emit a strong aroma.

It you are looking for an affordable, pleasant and clean wax then soy may be the way to go.

However one thing to always consider is how it is originally made. Soy is a by-product of the soy bean industry, where there are concerns over deforestation. 

Coconut

A wax that is certainly growing in popularity. Coconut wax is more sustainably sourced and supports fragrance oils and colour very well.

Available as container or pillar wax. The container wax version of coconut wax does tend to be softer and more "crumbly" than others.

It is more on the expensive side of the wax market. Definitely something to consider when deciding on how you want to price your products and in tern who your customer demographic is.

Beeswax

Beewax has been around for a long time, being a natural wax derived from our little buzzing friends, during the honey-making process, so is at the top of the charts when it comes to being eco-friendly. It also has a secret superpower of helping to purify the air... GO BEES!

A few things to think about when it comes to beeswax:

• It's one of the most expensive, so dig deep into those pockets if you are exclusively using it for your business.
• It's not technically vegan, as it is an animal by-product.

Paraffin

Paraffin wax is pretty much everywhere because it is the most affordable. However being a by-product of the oil industry it certainly is not eco-friendly by any amounts.

Paraffin is good if you are experimenting as it comes in a variety of melting points and is the least expensive, but it is not great on the environment and if not cared for properly, it can cause high soot levels when in use.

Blends

There are many types of blended wax on the market. Blends can take advantage of benefits of multiple properties of different waxes, which can result in a unique and powerful wax product.

Which wax should you choose?

This, like many things, is totally up to personal preference.

Aspects to seriously consider are (and not exclusive to):

• Is your brand eco-friendly?
• Is your brand vegan friendly?
• What is the price point of your products?
• Who is your target audience/customer demographic?
• What can you realistically afford?