A Brief History of Candle Wax
There are many wax types to choose from in candle making. We aren’t going to get too deep on the history…just a light touch for some background.
In antiquity waxes were produced from animal fats, namely cows and sheep and this continued for quite a long time. Insect waxes were also a go-to for an age. Beeswax was a favourite of candle makers as unlike tallow (animal fat derived materials), Beeswax produces a cleaner burn with less smoke and aroma. Beeswax was a very expensive material however and reserved for the rich and churches. If you look around the Internet or your library you will find other examples of waxes produced from various sources: tree bark and nuts for example.
As whaling became more commonplace in the 18th Century, chandlers moved to the wax produced by sperm whales referred to as spermaceti wax, a waxy substance found abundantly in the head cavity of sperm whales and in lower amounts in other whales. Spermaceti wax made for a better candle in terms of performance with longer lasting, brighter and less odorous qualities. Wax from sperm whales may seem like an exotic option however we must remember that the whaling trade was roaring in the 18th century and the abundance of whale fat, the ease of removal and use meant that sadly, this wax was a ‘viable’ solution then – history is bloody, ugly and bloody ugly!
As we moved towards the 19th Century rapeseed oil became an even more viable source for wax, not only was its performance better than the alternatives, it was more sustainable and more economical too. From the 19th Century there were significant developments that heralded in a real ‘golden age’ for candle making. The quality of candles improved and the cost of production was lowering meaning chandlers could supply better quality candles at lower prices and more of them. Throughout this time there were inventors and pioneers all looking to profit from making their candles more accessible to the masses. Beyond the inventive candle production methods (how to make more, quicker and cheaper) we also see candle businesses innovating on wick production too. Creative chandlers discovered that by braiding wicks so they curl during burning not only regulates flame height, but any excess wick will be incinerated after some time. These wicks are now commonplace and are referred to as self-trimming wicks.
For the most part we could categorise these waxes as traditional candle waxes. However, we are all aware that Beeswax and Rapeseed candles are still widely produced however tallow (for the most part) and spermaceti wax are thankfully no longer commonplace.
As a side note, many candle waxes include stearin (derived from fatty acids). Stearin was traditionally derived from animal sources however plant based triglycerides are the industry norm now – there are some producers of animal derived stearin though.
What changed?
With the introduction of paraffin wax from the 1830s, the candle making landscape changed. From then on, high quality Paraffin candles could be produced very economically.
Please note that Paraffin wax is a natural product, it comes from minerals found in the earth.
Fast-forward a couple decades and the use of candles dwindles at the hands of paraffin lamps which themselves meet the same fate as the light bulb takes over as the main source of lighting.
Candles remain in production however for those whom couldn’t afford electricity. Scent was eventually added to candles - fine perfumery was taking off by the start of the new century… ones abode should also smell delicious!
Another change came in the early 1990’s. A creative candle maker decided to experiment with various plant waxes in an effort to replace the Beeswax they were using. The resulting wax was a blend of soy, palm and coconut wax with some Beeswax too. The patent for this soy wax production process was bought and is owned by Cargill, one of the world’s most powerful conglomerates (you might not have heard of them but they are big players in agriculture, chemicals and many intertwined – sometimes contradictory - sectors).
In more recent years, as the demand for Soy and Palm reached unsustainable levels, a new source of more sustainable wax was on the horizon. The industry found this in coconut wax, a source that had been used in previous decades however tended to be more expensive than other plant based waxes – mostly as demand for coconut products was never as strong as palm or soy. I am sure if you are reading this you will have noticed that coconut oil and wax has been having ‘a moment’ these past few years. As any raw material surges, the costs lower and infrastructure improves, making all associated products more economical for use.
Thankfully the main coconut producing nations (Philippines and Dominican Republic namely) treat the cultivation, production, sustainability and supply of this cash crop with huge emphasis – closely governing the workforce, practise and export of coconut-derived produce. Only time will tell if coconut will suffer a similar fate as soy and palm but we are hopeful the supply of coconut wax remains as clean and maintained.
As a side note, there are a handful of synthetic waxes, which have been produced over the past few decades. These waxes, once further developed will provide the most sustainable wax option over all waxes. However, we find the current synthetic offering to under-perform, but we are hopeful progress in this area advances.
Anyway, we aren’t historians so we’ll leave the history of candle waxes here! What should be noticeable is that industry is always looking for the most accessible and economical material to use in the production of anything, and that goes for candle making too.
The primary function of candles used to be as a source of light with some using as a measure of time. In some parts of the world candles are still used as a primary source of lighting. In other more economically developed areas, such as Europe, most people use scented candles as a treat and or to mask odours in a space or decorative candles as an interior focal point.
At HEROWN we craft scented candles using a blend of Coconut and Rapeseed wax. We’ll delve deeper into modern-day candle waxes in a blog post…coming soon!
