Soy Candles

The idea to use beeswax in forming candles began in the Middle Ages.  Before that time, beeswax was used by the Ancient Egyptians as a preservative.  The Romans used beeswax to make coins to pay their taxes.

Before the entrance of beeswax in candle making, tallow or fat rendered from butchered animals was used.  These candles provided light but were dirty, offensive in smell and filled the room with smoke.  So when beeswax came on board, they were readily accepted, due to the fact that they were smoke-free, long-burning, had a pleasant honey aroma, and didn’t drip.  The disadvantage was that they were expensive and the common man couldn’t afford them, unless they were a beekeeper.

Beeswax is only produced by the honeybee, as a by-product of ingesting flower nectar and pollen.  It is used in the hive as food for the young honeybee.  Beeswax is a renewable resource. 

Beeswax candles are used today for the same reasons as used in the 14th century.  You can purchase them from gift shops, home furnishing stores, candle-makers, online or in retail stores.  They come in tapers, votives, aromatherapy, body massage candles and even in pillars.  You can purchase a traditional beeswax candle that has the characteristic six-sided honeycomb structure and is coarse to touch, or with modern methods a smooth molded beeswax candle can be produced.  Soy pillar candles need an additive wax in order to hold their shape.  Beeswax is a good source, since it is also non-toxic. 

You can make these candles at home by purchasing thin sheets of beeswax.  Simply put a wick down on the edge of a sheet of beeswax and begin rolling it up, continuing to add layers to your desired candle width.  In the 20th century beeswax candles also began to be made by the dripping technique.  Innovations as the development of silicone used to release the beeswax from the mold have created newer ways to make beeswax candles.