How to make DIY Coconut Wax Candles and Beeswax Candles from scratch at home.

Indoor air pollutants are often two to five times higher than outdoor levels, with some cases exceeding 100 times that of outdoor levels.

Candles are one of the top contributors to indoor air pollution, as the most common types of candles – paraffin candles, derived from petroleum – can release chemicals like soot, toluene, benzene and other chemicals into the air when lit.

After learning this, I switched over to using only soy, beeswax and coconut wax candles that used essential oils for scent rather than chemical fragrances. As these candles can be quite expensive, I started making my own using repurposed jars I’d collected from past products.

When it comes to incorporating scents into the candle wax, use around 100 drops of essential oil for every one cup of wax to achieve a noticeable scent. I like to keep to this ratio when making wax melts or candles of any size or shape. Feel free to adjust the ratio of essential oils you’ll be using as you see fit, depending on how strong you want the scent of your candles to be.

Paraffin candles should be avoided as they do more harm than good to the quality of the air inside your home. Pure beeswax candles, on the other hand, do not. They can actually help to purify air in the home. These candles burn with nearly no scent or smoke and clean the air by releasing negative ions, just like salt lamps do. The negative ions bind with toxins and remove them from the air, helping to purify.

People with asthma or allergies may find beeswax candles especially helpful as they’re good at removing common allergens like dander, dust and mould from air. Beeswax candles also last a lot longer than paraffin ones because they burn at a much slower rate.

What to Look for When Sourcing Wax

I recently visited a market stall up in the Sunshine Coast, and one of the stalls there sold all-natural wax candles! The lady who owned the stall (Wonders of Nature) shared a few helpful tips with me about what to keep in mind when sourcing a wax to make homemade candles with:

• Be careful when sourcing soy wax as the phrase “100% soy wax” can be misleading. A candle using soy wax is processed (like other candles) and can have additives (like other candles) that help it to burn.
• To be labelled as a soy candle, it only has to be 51% soy. Even ‘100% soy’ candles can contain a small amount of paraffin (so inquire further with the retailer).
• Always be sure that the candle packaging shares the full ingredients list, not merely vegetable wax or plant wax, and that it’s 100% paraffin-free. Many “soy” candles contain only a small percentage of soy wax, with the rest being palm oil or paraffin.
• Ensure the packaging states 100% soy.
• Soy grown on an industrial scale has a heap of negative environmental and socio-economic impacts. Just being a plant doesn’t make it “eco-friendly”.
• While you can find GM-free soy from smallholders producing soy in certain areas; the problem is that the majority of soy is still produced in South America. Soy crops are a major cause of deforestation in South America, are often GM, use a lot of pesticides, and the soy requires intensive processing to produce the wax.
• Natural doesn’t mean sustainable. Most soy is grown in monocultures on land where rainforests were cleared.
• Check that the soy wax used to make the candles has come from non-GMO soy that’s grown outside of South America.
• Choose scent-free, or look for soy candles scented with only pure essential oils.
• Check that the wick is pure cotton, and does not contain lead or zinc.

Before we get started in learning how to make these all-natural beeswax and coconut wax candles – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!

Homemade Beeswax Candles

Beeswax burns very hot, so it can be challenging to find the right combination between the wick and your jar. Blending beeswax with a softer oil, like coconut oil, can help bring down the melting point of the candle. This creates a more even burn and stops the candle from ‘tunnelling.’

You can use only beeswax, but it will most likely ‘tunnel” around your wick, and you’ll be left with a ring of wax around the inside of your jar that won’t burn. If this happens, you can re-melt the wax and make it into a new candle.

Pure beeswax also tends to crack if the candle cools down too quickly. If this happens, that’s okay too, as the candle should still burn effectively.

Please be aware that beeswax is flammable, so please take care and keep an eye on it while it’s heating. Do NOT forget about it and let it get too hot or spill onto your hot stove.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pure beeswax, either in pellets or shredded
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 100 drops essential oils
• 4 oz mason jars
• Cotton braided wick #4, cut into pieces
• Metal pitcher
• Bamboo skewers or pencils

To make:

1. Pour the beeswax into a metal pitcher and place the container in a large pot of water – filled just enough to cover the outside of the pitcher, without spilling over into the pitcher. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down to medium heat and stir the wax occasionally until completely melted. Make sure no water spills into the pitcher.
3. Once melted, remove the wax from heat and stir in the coconut oil with a bamboo skewer.
4. Add in the essential oils, stir through, then pour a small amount of the wax mix into the bottom of each jar. Return the pitcher to the hot water to keep the wax melted.
5. Pop a wick into the wax, keeping it to the centre of each jar. You can use a skewer to hold the wick securely in place while the wax sets; it will take around 5-10 minutes.
6. Fill the jars with the remaining wax, and leave about an inch of room at the top.
7. Wrap the end of the wick around a skewer or pencil until taut, then lay it horizontally over the jar. This will keep the wick in the centre while the wax hardens. It may take a few hours for the wax to completely set. I usually leave mine overnight.
8. Once the wax has completely hardened, trim the wick to about half an inch, then it’s ready to light. Do not trim it any shorter than this because it’ll make a smaller flame, which may cause the candle to ‘tunnel’.
9. During the first burn keep your candle lit for at least two and a half hours, or until the entire surface has melted.

Here is a recipe to make beeswax candles without needing glass jars.

Homemade Coconut Wax Candles

Coconut wax is a great wax to use as the scent tends to last longer in this type of wax compared to others. The essential oils can sometimes have a weak scent due to how little of the oil can safely be infused in them.

These coconut wax candles are made with both coconut and soy wax, as this blend works well for holding the aroma and allowing for a 100 percent natural and fully biodegradable wax that is smokeless and soot-free resulting in a clean burning candle.

I sourced the coconut wax online. It took an extensive amount of research to find pure coconut wax as it wasn’t a common wax used by retailers.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic coconut wax, shredded
• 2 cups organic soy wax, shredded
• 100 drops essential oils
• 4 oz mason jars
• Cotton braided wick #4, cut into pieces
• Metal pitcher
• Bamboo skewers or pencils

To make:

1. Pour the coconut wax and soy wax into a metal pitcher and place the container in a large pot of water – filled just enough to cover the outside of the pitcher, without spilling over into the pitcher. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Turn the heat down to medium heat and stir the wax occasionally until completely melted. Make sure no water spills into the pitcher.
3. Once melted, remove the wax from heat and stir in the essential oils, then pour a small amount of the wax mix into the bottom of each jar. Return the pitcher to the hot water to keep the wax melted.
4. Pop a wick into the wax, keeping it to the centre of each jar. You can use a skewer to hold the wick securely in place while the wax sets; it will take around 5-10 minutes.
5. Fill the jars with the remaining wax, and leave about an inch of room at the top.
6. Wrap the end of the wick around a skewer or pencil until taut, then lay it horizontally over the jar. This will keep the wick in the centre while the wax hardens. It may take a few hours for the wax to completely set. I usually leave mine overnight.
7. Once the wax has completely hardened, trim the wick to about half an inch, then it’s ready to light. Do not trim it any shorter than this because it’ll make a smaller flame, which may cause the candle to ‘tunnel’.
8. During the first burn keep your candle lit for at least two and a half hours, or until the entire surface has melted.

As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post. 

Have you made your own candles before? Do you prefer beeswax, coconut wax or soy wax candles? If you have a favourite candle recipe, share below! We’d love to try it out too!

Lots of love,

🖤 Vanessa