Did you know that beeswax is excellent for natural and nontoxic candle-making at home? It doesn’t require chemical processing to turn it into a wax-like paraffin does, as it’s a natural byproduct of beekeeping.
While we all love a fresh-smelling home, it’s important to minimize toxin exposure whenever we can. Beeswax is great for that. Though the scent is subtle, a coconut oil and beeswax candle pairs great with the aroma of diffused essential oils.
Candles can be made from 100% beeswax alone. However, adding coconut oil does help extend the candle’s burn time, making a typical beeswax candle last longer. Adding coconut oil also helps prevent ‘tunneling’ (when the center of your candle burns, but the outer edges don’t), an issue commonly associated with beeswax candles. Finally, beeswax is very difficult to melt. Adding coconut oil can help lower the melting point making beeswax easier to work with while producing a smoother, more even burn.
Learning the art of adding coconut oil to beeswax candles can be tricky, especially, if this is the first time you are attempting to make these candles yourself. But you’ve nothing to worry about! You have come to the right place to get all the answers you need.
To ensure that no harm befalls anyone during the process we have carefully constructed instructions to help you along the way.
How Much Coconut Oil Should I Add To Beeswax Candles?
The ideal combination of how much coconut oil to add to beeswax depends on a bit of trial and error. However, a good starting point is to try a 50/50 mixture. So, 1 ounce of coconut oil for 1 ounce of beeswax. This would make things easy when it comes to measuring and should offer a good consistency to the blend making the wax not too hard or too soft.
You can try different combinations to find what works best for you. But for a starting point, 50/50 works great! If you feel the wax is too soft try a 75/25 mixture. 75% of it being beeswax and 25% coconut oil. Trial and error is the only way to figure out the right amount that works best for you.
What Type Of Coconut Oil Is Best For Candles?
It is always best to add raw 100 % natural coconut oil to beeswax once the beeswax has melted sufficiently (We talk more about this below). There is no exceptional coconut oil you should use for candle making. Any 100% natural coconut oil would do just fine.
How To Make A Coconut Oil And Beeswax Candle?
The sweet and unpretentious aroma of coconut oil and beeswax candle makes anyone want to cozy up in their home and take a nap. Luckily making these candles is pretty easy. They are after all made with only 2 ingredients and in 10 minutes time following this simple recipe!
| Prep Time | Active Time | Additional Time | Total Time |
| 5 mins | 5 mins | 1 hour | 1 hour & 10 minutes |
Materials
- 2 cups (205 grams) of beeswax
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- Water
Tools
- Wicks with wick clips
- Wick stickers or glue
- Measuring cups
- Disposable aluminum tin container
- 8oz jar
- 2 pencils or skewers
- Candle container
- Shallow pan
- Large pot or double boiler
Instructions:
Step 1
Grind the beeswax if utilizing a wax bar. When using pellets, just leave them as-is. Place the beeswax into a disposable aluminum container.
Step 2
Get a large pot or double boiler and fill half of it with water. Place it on a stove and set to boil.
Step 3
When the water in the large pot arrives at a boil, place a shallow pan on top of the large pot. On top of the pan place the disposable aluminum tin container with the beeswax. To accelerate the melting process, you can add 1 cup of water to the shallow pan as well. Wait for the wax to melt inside the aluminum tin container. This can take several minutes.
Step 4
As the beeswax melts, stick the wick clasps to the lower part of the 8oz jar you intend to use to house the candle (or use stickers assuming you bought those). If you’re using a large jar, fold the highest point of the wick over a pencil/bamboo stick until it lays on the edge of the jar. This will help keep your wick straight and centered.
Step 5
Once the beeswax is at its desired pouring temperature of 140-150 ℉ (60-65 ℃). Take it off the heat and add coconut oil into the melted beeswax, stirring it for at least a couple of minutes.
Now, pour the melted wax mix 3/4 of the way full into your 8oz jar. Leave 1/4 of the jar unfilled.
Step 6
Leave the mixture until the wax is completely solidified. Cut the excess wick, leaving around 1/2 inch from the top.
Step 7
Allow the candle appropriate time to fully cure. This could be days or weeks depending on the candles intended use. Light the flame and enjoy the hype!
A Critical Safety Note!
Beeswax is highly flammable! Never melt beeswax in a pan or on direct heat.
The Environmental Impact Of Beeswax Candles
Whenever beeswax candles burn, they clean the air like an extraordinary high-end air purifier. Very much like lightning, beeswax produces negative ions. These negative particles append to positive particles (like residue, dust, mold, and poisons) drifting in the air.
This interaction in turn cleans the air and purifies it from unwanted harmful particles.
Beeswax is an excellent material for nontoxic candle-making at home. It absorbs well and has an extremely unpretentious yet pleasant fragrance. It also doesn’t need synthetic handling to transform it into a wax-like paraffin does.
Paraffin wax and gel wax are both made from a by-product of petroleum refinement. These waxes are in no way eco-friendly.
A blend of coconut oil and beeswax offers the perfect natural alternative to candle making, offering an all-natural aroma, unlike any other fragrance candle you will find in the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. When should you add coconut oil to beeswax?
Coconut oil should be added to beeswax the same way you would add fragrance oils. Once the melted beeswax is at its pouring temperature (140-150 ℉ (60-65 ℃), empty the melted wax in a container and mix in the desired amount of coconut oil. Make sure you stir the coconut oil for at least a couple of minutes to ensure it is fully mixed in.
Q2. Does coconut oil burn clean?
Yes, candles blended in with coconut oil tend to burn the cleanest as compared to other types of waxes. When burnt coconut oil produces less ash or soot than paraffin wax and gel candles. When mixed in with other types of wax coconut oil can also help a candle burn smoothly. evenly, and for longer.
Coconut oil is an all-natural ingredient that is non-toxic, renewable, sustainable, and safe for the environment.
Q3. Can you add fragrance to beeswax candles blended in with coconut oil?
Yes, you can but you have to be careful. Adding coconut oil lowers the melting point of beeswax and adding further essential oils can lower that melting point even further.
A few drops of fragrance oils into the mixture won’t do much harm but adding too much fragrance can be hazardous as the candle is more prone to burning unevenly and flaring up on occasions.
Final Thoughts:
You may have to do some troubleshooting before getting your beeswax/coconut oil candle just right. However, once you get the gist of it you’re in for a treat as adding coconut oil to beeswax has many advantages as discussed.
The aroma it produces alone is infectious and the experience of it all is something you just won’t be able to get enough of. Let us know about what you chose to be your ideal mixture ratio and why?
