Get to know the waxes

There are a few waxes on the market you should get to know. We have paraffin, which your probably most familiar with; gel, a jelly like wax; soy, or all natural vegetable wax; and beeswax, made from you guessed it, bees!
Paraffin is the wax most candles are made from. Its is a cheap wax that is easy to work with. It does have some chemicals in it that may irritate some sensitive people. In fact there is much debate as to how safe these waxes actually are. This wax comes in a hard form for free standing candles and a soft form for container candles.
Gel wax in a bouncy jello like wax. It is mostly oil based and is a bit difficult to work with. Only certain scents may be used in this wax and air bubbles is always an issue. This wax as well contains some harsh chemicals. Not as cheap as the paraffin wax, but may be used in "forever candles" which you don't burn you simply use as decoration.
Soy wax in a wax made of vegetables. It is an all natural wax that burns clean. This means you will get far less soot than the paraffin and gel waxes. It hold scents pretty well, but since there are no preservatives the shelve life isn't nearly as long as the synthetic waxes.
Beeswax is known to be the finest of all the waxes. Creamy and strong it even has its own slight scent of honey. But it is extremely expensive and not very well known at the moment.
Which wax is right for you? Only you can answer that question! Until then have fun figuring it out.

Until Next Time,
Marie Ilardi
Artistic Candles by Marie, Inc.- Owner
http://www.artisticcandlesbymarie.com