Lets jump right into the pros and cons of beeswax candles! As great as beeswax candles can be, they do still have several disadvantages. I have used beeswax candles for a while now and I am still impressed with them! No matter what this comprehensive list shows you, it is up to you to decide whether you are for or against them based on what you are looking for in a candle!
Pros of beeswax candles
Lets start with everything a good quality beeswax candle has to offer in no particular order!
- 100% natural
- requires no chemical processing or additives
- 100% biodegradable
- vegetarian friendly
- Bees wax candles have the longest burn time
- It is a hard wax and has the highest melting point or any other candle wax
- aesthetically natural and earthy
- subtly sweet honey scent
- produces negative ions when burned, helping purify the air
- Ideal for those with asthma, allergies, and other sinus/ respiratory issues, or fragrance sensitivities.
- purest light that prevent eye strain
- produces brightest, most warm-toned flame closest to the light spectrum of natural sunlight
- candles never expire!
Cons of beeswax candles
I am sure beeswax candles seem like the perfect candle right about now! But lets move on to some of the disadvantages or cons of beeswax candles. Again, in nor particular order.
- Since it is a natural wax, it is more expensive.
- You can save a lot of money by learning how to make your own!
- Does not hold scents as well as other waxes
- Can be difficult to add colorants for aesthetics because it is naturally yellow in color
- white beeswax can be used if color is something you value in a candle
- Some people may combine the beeswax with other waxes to lower the cost of the product
- if this is the case, many of the toxins you are trying to avoid would be added into your candle
- be sure to purchase 100% pure beeswax.
- Not Vegan friendly
- The hard wax makes it very difficult to get beeswax out of dishes and containers
- Allergens- though uncommon, some people can have an allergic reaction to the beeswax
Depending on what you are looking for, It is clear that the best overall candle is a 100% pure beeswax candle!
Lets look into some other wax options for more traditional candles.
Paraffin Candles
Paraffin wax, for example, is a by-product of petroleum refining. It is highly toxic when burned. Though It is probably the cheapest option, at the cost of your health, it simply is not worth it. It is quite literally poisoning the air you breathe as you burn it! Not to mention whatever artificial fragrances are used in such a poor quality product cannot be trusted either.
It is very likely that you probably know someone who loves when things smell good, but their allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues prevent them from ever getting the cozy feel they want from a candle. This is not a problem with beeswax! (unless you’re allergic to beeswax obviously)
Soy Candles
Soy wax is higher quality than paraffin, yet less expensive than beewax. It is vegan friendly, colorants can more easily be added for aesthetics, and it can hold artificial fragrances and scents better than beeswax. However, this also comes at the cost of your health since traces of herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticides can make their way into your soy candles. Furthermore, like paraffin, these pollute the air you breathe when burned; Soy candles do not emit the more natural hue of light when lit and certainly do not last as long.
Why are beeswax candles better?
Despite having its disadvantages, beeswax remains as the superior candle wax. There are money saving options like making your own, or adding coconut oil which has its own set of advantages in beeswax candles.
Since beeswax is naturally provided to us by bees, there are no chemical additives needed in order to make the candles; Making it the least processed candle wax.
These are safe, nontoxic, purifying, 100% biodegradable, and because of burn time, will definitely burn longer than any other candle wax.
The fact that they never expire is a huge win in my book! Even soy candles can last years, but after a while, the way they burn is affected. A 100% beeswax candle will not!
If you want even more reasons to love a beeswax candle, read all about beeswax candle benefits here! If you’re looking for more natural living tips or natural living recipes, you can find those here.
“The hard wax makes it very difficult to get beeswax out of dishes and containers”. In this article on the cons of beeswax candles, I agree that beeswax is extremely difficult to get out of dishes. I have 3 glass candle holders that I used for my new beeswax candles. I have tried and tried to get the wax off the glass, but with out success. How can I get clean glass holders now that the candles are burned?
Personally, I freeze the entire glass holder. Once frozen, I find it easier to scrape out the leftover wax in larger chunks. I still feel sometimes that I cannot quite get it all though. Another option would be to just pour boiling water into your glass container. Most of the wax will melt and rise to the top. Once the water has cooled, I just scrape out the top layer, dump the water and wash my jar. Sometimes, I need to do both the boiling water method and the freezing method afterwards to get everything out. I hope this helps!