Candle Waxes

Soy wax candles offer numerous advantages, including extended burn time, absence of unsightly black soot, and a reputation as a desirable, naturally-derived product. It's no surprise that soy candles comprise more than half of the current candle market.

Soy wax is particularly suitable for container candles, tealights, wax melts, and tarts. At CandleWax, we offer three varieties of container soy waxes and one soy wax specifically designed for melts and tarts. So, let's determine which soy wax is best for your needs.

What type of candle are you planning to create?

Containers and Tealights

When selecting the best soy candle wax for container candles and tealights, it's important to consider the most significant attributes. We've outlined these attributes below, along with the recommended waxes for each:

Fragrance Throw

For most consumers, the fragrance is the key feature of a candle. The strength of the scent emitted by a burning candle, known as fragrance throw, and its ability to fill a space depend on various factors, including the type of wax.

Achieving a strong fragrance throw with soy wax flakes can be slightly more challenging than with paraffin, but it's definitely achievable with the right wax. Here are our top picks for soy waxes with excellent fragrance throw:

AAK Golden Brands 464: Our favorite and long-standing bestseller. We use 464 for all our fragrance testing because it produces the strongest scent while burning.

AAK Golden Brands 444: Very similar to 464, but with a slightly higher melt point. This is a good option if you plan to ship your finished candles or sell them in outdoor markets during hot weather.

Appearance

The opaque, semi-matte finish of soy candles is appealing to many consumers. While soy wax may develop a bumpy or cratered surface after burning, in contrast to the smooth post-burn surface of paraffin, this can be a desirable characteristic for those seeking a naturally-derived product.

Another notable feature of soy wax is its adherence to the walls of the container once solidified. Glass adhesion is usually only important when using clear containers.

It's important to mention "frosting" when discussing the appearance of soy wax candles. Frosting refers to tiny crystal formations that appear on the top and sides of the wax. While it doesn't affect the candle's performance, some waxes are less prone to visible frosting than others.

Marketing

If you have invested time in perfecting your process to create top-quality soy candles, it's essential to market them persuasively to your customers. Soy wax offers numerous advantages, so utilize your packaging, web presence, and literature to demonstrate to your target customers why your soy candles are worth purchasing. For instance, any of the waxes mentioned in this article can be referred to as "all-natural soy waxes." Here are a few additional points you can highlight in your marketing:

AAK Golden Brands 415: If you value marketing your candles as 100% soy, this is an excellent choice. While the finish of 415 candles may not always be as consistently pleasing as a wax like 464, it still offers an excellent fragrance throw.

AAK Golden Brands 464: This wax is derived from American-grown soybeans, a fact you can proudly display in your marketing materials!

Wax Melts and Tarts

Wax melts are widely appealing and offer endless opportunities for creativity. Moreover, they are incredibly easy to make. With no wick involved, the most challenging part of making soy wax melts is deciding on the fragrance to use. Melts and tarts require a wax that is slightly harder with a higher melting point than container waxes, ensuring they retain their shape and easily release from molds.