What Soy Wax is BEST for Making Soy Candles?
Posted by Lyschel Bersch on
You are probably reading this article because you have already decided that you want to make candles using soy wax. But, what soy wax is the best for making soy candles? This is the main question that every new candle maker wants answered and every professional questions and strives to perfect. Unfortunately, like so many other things in life there is no one simple answer. Each soy wax has it's own characteristics so personal preference can play a large role in figuring out which soy wax will be the keeper. In general soy wax is a temperamental beast that is prone to splitting and blowing out the sides in pillars and votives, creating strange tops in container candles and having inferior scent throw when compared to paraffin candles using the same scents. Some waxes will minimize these character flaws but no soy wax is perfect.
The first question that you want to ask yourself is how will you be using your soy wax? On the market today I see two kinds of soy wax-container and votive. Hopefully some day there will be a true soy pillar wax. The general difference is melt point. Container wax is generally softer and has a lower melt point than votive wax. Which also means that it contracts less when cooling and clings to the sides of the jars more which is what you want for a container candle. On the other hand, votive wax generally has a slightly higher melt point and different additives than container soy wax which cause it to be able to contract more and pop out of molds.
Will you be using the soy wax for;
Melts (no wicks-used in a melter)--
Container Candles (made in a container)--
Pillars (Free standing. Made from mold.)
Tea-lights, (Small, self-contained candles)
votives (Small. Made in Mold. Usually used in holder)
Tapers (Free-standing thin candles. Often hand-dipped)
You will want to make sure that you are using the wax with the properties that best fit your application. If you are trying to make pillars or tapers I will stop you right here and strongly suggest that you look at another type of wax. Soy wax has a difficult time being dipped for anything beyond a birthday candle in diameter and it also has a hard time when made into a pillar that is wider than 2".
Votives can be made out of soy wax but you will want to make sure that the soy can specifically be used for votives. Some people will use a container soy wax for votives but getting them out of the mold can be a big challenge.
A lot of people use soy for melts. Many people will use a softer soy wax (container) for their melts and pour them directly into a clam shell. This will generally leave a slimy mess in the melter when the melts are ready to be changed. And if the top of the melter does not remove for easy cleaning it can lead to problems. The warmed wax can be poured off but it is still a mess. Personally I like my melts to pop out of the warming tray when they are exhausted so I use a soy that can also be used for votives.
That leaves us with tea-lights and container candles. The same container soy wax can easily be used for both tea-lights and container candles.
Once you have decided on your candle project you can begin to pick out a wax. All soy waxes are not created equal, even if they look alike. They will have different properties such as hot and cold scent throw, frosting, jar adhesion, sink holes and durability. The form that soy wax takes does not affect the finished product.
Soy Wax comes in flakes
Pastilles
Slabs
Many people prefer flakes or pastilles over slabs for ease of work-ability. Slabs need to be broken up before they can be melted. Soy flakes are generally a tad messier to work with than pastilles. Pastilles scoop and pour more accurately with fewer wayward pieces flying out. But again, the form of the product has nothing to do with the finished product.
It is my belief that the most important aspect of a candle is the scent throw (both hot and cold). And the most important choice in scent throw is making sure you start out with the best possible scents. That being said, the wax that you choose can greatly affect the scent that you use. Let's face it, there are some scents out there that will not give you a scent throw no matter the wax that you use. The wax you use can cause a scent to morph by flattening some notes and amplifying others. I have tested just about every commercially available soy wax on the market using 4 different scent groups. I used my Banana Nut Bread for "bakery" scents, Bunchberry and Moss for "clean" scents, Winter Woodlands Whisper for "earth" scents and Fairy Dust and Twinkle Toes for "citrus" scents. Each of these scents is top, middle or bottom note heavy. I was just amazed at how the waxes affected each of the scents. Many of the soy waxes I tested held on to the bakery scents and citrus scents to the point that I would have had to have added more scent to get anything out of them. Some soy waxes morphed my Winter Woodlands Whisper into something almost unrecognizable to me. It is a wonderful pine, spruce and fir scent and what I got out of one of the waxes was a smell something akin to mud. It was interesting but not the intended scent. Some of the soy waxes took my Bunchberry and Moss and made the deeper bunchberry aspect come through way more than the usual top note of moss. It was like a totally different scent.
I am going to share my personal conclusions with you for container and votive soy wax. Yes, I sell these products and there is a reason why I do. After months of testing I finally settled on the GB464 because my favorite Enchanted Lites was going out of business. The GB464 played nicely with most of my scents. Some of the scents needed a few more days of curing with the GB464 but for the price it is worth it. The look of the wax is also very nice. And did I mention the price! I have found that some of the batches of the GB464 are a little inconsistent. I have noticed that if I get a box that is "wet" feeling that it is best to "age" it by letting it sit open for a day or so. Weather can also play a part in the outcome of candles and should be noted when running tests so as not to confuse wax issues with weather issues.
The Enchanted Lites container soy had slightly better scent throw and I did love those little pastilles. But it was more expensive. After my decision to go with the GB464, Enchanted Lites was sold and now exists under a different name. I am sticking with the GB464 soy wax because I have tested each of my 60 some scents in it and I am very happy with the outcome. We do sell the former EL wax and will probably go back to it at some point. Especially now that Golden Brands is getting more expensive.
Most soy votive wax on the market isn't very good in my opinion. Either it leaves giant sink holes, has terrible scent throw, or both. Not to mention that most votive wax just feels...icky to the touch. And when you are trying to sell a candle that gets touched you don't want people recoiling back in horror because of a slimy feeling candle. I say most soy votive waxes are not very good. The old Enchanted Lites votive wax was like nothing else on the market! It is no longer available in its old recipe and I could not find anything on the market that was like it. So I had one made. The throw is incredible. The candles come out of the votive molds easily. (most of the time.) For some reason there will be a batch every now and then that sticks. We need to freeze those to get them out of the molds. It seems to correspond with weather patterns. Also, the Candle Cocoon votive wax can be demolded easily to make shaped melts. One draw back is that some melters do not get warm enough to melt the soy votive easily. But the votive wax contracts nicely and pops out. Again, most of the time.
There is another votive soy from Midwest soy that is good. But I feel that mine is better and at a much better price.
It should also be noted that when dying soy the colors will always appear a bit "chalky" compared to paraffin. All soys are the same in this regard so it cannot be used as a distinguishing factor. NOTE: 11/13/19 Some soys now produce vibrant color.
So to restate when starting your candle making business consider the type of wax that you want to use, votive or container and purchase small quantities to test with different types of scents. It may take more time, effort and money but the outcome of your candles is worth the price! If you are doing candle making as a hobby I would suggest getting your soy wax from the closest candle making store. Shipping can be very expensive and you can make just about any soy wax work. Also, candle making stores are always much cheaper than hobby stores or even "discount" stores. And don't forget at hobby or discount stores there is a good chance that you will have no idea what you are getting and there will be little to no scent throw.
I hope that I have been able to give some in-site into what to expect and what to look for with different types of soy wax. This article is by no means all inclusive and there are different products entering the market all of the time. The key is to test before committing. I wish you all the best in candle making!
UPDATE - 9/5/19 A few years ago my Candle Cocoon Votive Wax was axed from the wax production schedule and I have not been able to get anyone to make it. So, in search for a new votive wax we have tested the GB416 and some other votive waxes. The GB416 works great in melts but almost 100% off the votives split. And thicker melts split. Then we found EcoSoya Pillar Wax. Works great for votives and melts. Looks good, good hot scent throw, releases from wick pins. Good stuff. The only thing is that it doesn't work great for pillars. We have tried and tried and it blows out on everything we do. When we get some time we will mess around with it and try to get a recipe that works for pillars. I have a feeling good ol beeswax should do the trick. But don't hold be to that.
Also, we are going back to our first love! Enchanted Lites Classic! We are currently testing it with coconut oil 94F. At 5% addition it looks better and has even better scent throw.
Lyschel Bersch-Owner Candle Cocoon
Questions? Chat on our website www.candlecocoon.com
The first question that you want to ask yourself is how will you be using your soy wax? On the market today I see two kinds of soy wax-container and votive. Hopefully some day there will be a true soy pillar wax. The general difference is melt point. Container wax is generally softer and has a lower melt point than votive wax. Which also means that it contracts less when cooling and clings to the sides of the jars more which is what you want for a container candle. On the other hand, votive wax generally has a slightly higher melt point and different additives than container soy wax which cause it to be able to contract more and pop out of molds.
Will you be using the soy wax for;
Melts (no wicks-used in a melter)--
Pillars (Free standing. Made from mold.)
Tea-lights, (Small, self-contained candles)
votives (Small. Made in Mold. Usually used in holder)
Tapers (Free-standing thin candles. Often hand-dipped)
You will want to make sure that you are using the wax with the properties that best fit your application. If you are trying to make pillars or tapers I will stop you right here and strongly suggest that you look at another type of wax. Soy wax has a difficult time being dipped for anything beyond a birthday candle in diameter and it also has a hard time when made into a pillar that is wider than 2".
Votives can be made out of soy wax but you will want to make sure that the soy can specifically be used for votives. Some people will use a container soy wax for votives but getting them out of the mold can be a big challenge.
A lot of people use soy for melts. Many people will use a softer soy wax (container) for their melts and pour them directly into a clam shell. This will generally leave a slimy mess in the melter when the melts are ready to be changed. And if the top of the melter does not remove for easy cleaning it can lead to problems. The warmed wax can be poured off but it is still a mess. Personally I like my melts to pop out of the warming tray when they are exhausted so I use a soy that can also be used for votives.
That leaves us with tea-lights and container candles. The same container soy wax can easily be used for both tea-lights and container candles.
Once you have decided on your candle project you can begin to pick out a wax. All soy waxes are not created equal, even if they look alike. They will have different properties such as hot and cold scent throw, frosting, jar adhesion, sink holes and durability. The form that soy wax takes does not affect the finished product.
Soy Wax comes in flakes
Slabs
Many people prefer flakes or pastilles over slabs for ease of work-ability. Slabs need to be broken up before they can be melted. Soy flakes are generally a tad messier to work with than pastilles. Pastilles scoop and pour more accurately with fewer wayward pieces flying out. But again, the form of the product has nothing to do with the finished product.
It is my belief that the most important aspect of a candle is the scent throw (both hot and cold). And the most important choice in scent throw is making sure you start out with the best possible scents. That being said, the wax that you choose can greatly affect the scent that you use. Let's face it, there are some scents out there that will not give you a scent throw no matter the wax that you use. The wax you use can cause a scent to morph by flattening some notes and amplifying others. I have tested just about every commercially available soy wax on the market using 4 different scent groups. I used my Banana Nut Bread for "bakery" scents, Bunchberry and Moss for "clean" scents, Winter Woodlands Whisper for "earth" scents and Fairy Dust and Twinkle Toes for "citrus" scents. Each of these scents is top, middle or bottom note heavy. I was just amazed at how the waxes affected each of the scents. Many of the soy waxes I tested held on to the bakery scents and citrus scents to the point that I would have had to have added more scent to get anything out of them. Some soy waxes morphed my Winter Woodlands Whisper into something almost unrecognizable to me. It is a wonderful pine, spruce and fir scent and what I got out of one of the waxes was a smell something akin to mud. It was interesting but not the intended scent. Some of the soy waxes took my Bunchberry and Moss and made the deeper bunchberry aspect come through way more than the usual top note of moss. It was like a totally different scent.
I am going to share my personal conclusions with you for container and votive soy wax. Yes, I sell these products and there is a reason why I do. After months of testing I finally settled on the GB464 because my favorite Enchanted Lites was going out of business. The GB464 played nicely with most of my scents. Some of the scents needed a few more days of curing with the GB464 but for the price it is worth it. The look of the wax is also very nice. And did I mention the price! I have found that some of the batches of the GB464 are a little inconsistent. I have noticed that if I get a box that is "wet" feeling that it is best to "age" it by letting it sit open for a day or so. Weather can also play a part in the outcome of candles and should be noted when running tests so as not to confuse wax issues with weather issues.
The Enchanted Lites container soy had slightly better scent throw and I did love those little pastilles. But it was more expensive. After my decision to go with the GB464, Enchanted Lites was sold and now exists under a different name. I am sticking with the GB464 soy wax because I have tested each of my 60 some scents in it and I am very happy with the outcome. We do sell the former EL wax and will probably go back to it at some point. Especially now that Golden Brands is getting more expensive.
Most soy votive wax on the market isn't very good in my opinion. Either it leaves giant sink holes, has terrible scent throw, or both. Not to mention that most votive wax just feels...icky to the touch. And when you are trying to sell a candle that gets touched you don't want people recoiling back in horror because of a slimy feeling candle. I say most soy votive waxes are not very good. The old Enchanted Lites votive wax was like nothing else on the market! It is no longer available in its old recipe and I could not find anything on the market that was like it. So I had one made. The throw is incredible. The candles come out of the votive molds easily. (most of the time.) For some reason there will be a batch every now and then that sticks. We need to freeze those to get them out of the molds. It seems to correspond with weather patterns. Also, the Candle Cocoon votive wax can be demolded easily to make shaped melts. One draw back is that some melters do not get warm enough to melt the soy votive easily. But the votive wax contracts nicely and pops out. Again, most of the time.
There is another votive soy from Midwest soy that is good. But I feel that mine is better and at a much better price.
It should also be noted that when dying soy the colors will always appear a bit "chalky" compared to paraffin. All soys are the same in this regard so it cannot be used as a distinguishing factor. NOTE: 11/13/19 Some soys now produce vibrant color.
So to restate when starting your candle making business consider the type of wax that you want to use, votive or container and purchase small quantities to test with different types of scents. It may take more time, effort and money but the outcome of your candles is worth the price! If you are doing candle making as a hobby I would suggest getting your soy wax from the closest candle making store. Shipping can be very expensive and you can make just about any soy wax work. Also, candle making stores are always much cheaper than hobby stores or even "discount" stores. And don't forget at hobby or discount stores there is a good chance that you will have no idea what you are getting and there will be little to no scent throw.
I hope that I have been able to give some in-site into what to expect and what to look for with different types of soy wax. This article is by no means all inclusive and there are different products entering the market all of the time. The key is to test before committing. I wish you all the best in candle making!
UPDATE - 9/5/19 A few years ago my Candle Cocoon Votive Wax was axed from the wax production schedule and I have not been able to get anyone to make it. So, in search for a new votive wax we have tested the GB416 and some other votive waxes. The GB416 works great in melts but almost 100% off the votives split. And thicker melts split. Then we found EcoSoya Pillar Wax. Works great for votives and melts. Looks good, good hot scent throw, releases from wick pins. Good stuff. The only thing is that it doesn't work great for pillars. We have tried and tried and it blows out on everything we do. When we get some time we will mess around with it and try to get a recipe that works for pillars. I have a feeling good ol beeswax should do the trick. But don't hold be to that.
Also, we are going back to our first love! Enchanted Lites Classic! We are currently testing it with coconut oil 94F. At 5% addition it looks better and has even better scent throw.
Lyschel Bersch-Owner Candle Cocoon
Questions? Chat on our website www.candlecocoon.com