Beeswax vs Paraffin Candles: Why Beeswax Burns Cleaner
If you have a love affair with the candle flame, beeswax has a lot to offer. Beeswax candles offer the most healthy and enlightened candle burning experience on Earth. Candles made from pure beeswax are a renewable resource producing a bright, white light (in the same spectrum as sunlight).
Beeswax vs paraffin candles
They burn completely clean — non-toxic and non-allergenic. They contain no paraffin, benzene, acrolein, lead, stearic acid, or any chemicals. Yes, these are major differences between candles made from beeswax vs paraffin. There's a reason those paraffin tealight candles are so cheap at the dollar stores. Unlike paraffin's burn off, beeswax reacts more like water and evaporates by the heat of the flame. This is one of the reasons why beeswax doesn't smoke.
How to burn a beeswax candle
This is also why you should maintain the wick at ¼ inch — the higher the flame, the hotter the flame, the faster the evaporation.
Beeswax and the air around you
Using beeswax candles is even said to help clean the air. Beeswax is the only fuel known to release negative ions as it burns, and these are associated with cleaner air — nature's way of clearing dust, pollen, smoke, odours and pet dander. Negative ions are a fundamental aspect of our planet's survival, found in high concentrations in ecological areas like mountain regions, seashores, waterfalls, and the ocean's tides. Electrical storms and rainfall release tremendous amounts of them too. Many people find beeswax candles help create a calmer, more restful space.
The scent of beeswax
And that sweet aroma though… is the true essence of 10,000 flowers.
Our beeswax candles
A few of our favourites, each poured or carved from pure Canadian beeswax:
- Beeswax Beaded Pillow Candle — a sculptural square cube with a beaded texture, as much an object as a candle.
- Canadian Beeswax Fern Globe — a rustic round candle embossed with pressed ferns, made right here in Canada.
- Beeswax Carved Egg Candle — an intricately carved egg that glows softly from within as it burns.
Browse the full collection of natural candles, or come and find one at our shop on Dundas St W in Toronto.
Common questions about natural candles
Are beeswax candles better than soy candles?
Both are far better than paraffin, and each has its strengths. Beeswax burns the longest and brightest with a natural honey scent and a warm, golden light. Soy wax burns cooler and slower, holds added fragrance particularly well, and takes colour nicely — which is why most scented candles are soy. If you want a naturally scented, long-burning candle, reach for beeswax; if you want a strong fragrance throw, soy is often the better choice.
Which candle wax is the cleanest?
Beeswax, soy and coconut wax all burn far more cleanly than paraffin, which is a petroleum by-product. Beeswax is the only one that's entirely natural with no processing of the wax itself, while soy and coconut are plant-based and renewable. Any of the three is a clean-burning choice — the key is simply avoiding paraffin.
How long do beeswax candles burn?
Beeswax has a naturally high melting point, so it burns slower and longer than the same size candle in soy or paraffin — often significantly longer. Trimming the wick and letting a full melt pool form on the first burn will stretch the life of any candle further.
Do beeswax candles need a special wick?
Because beeswax is denser than soft waxes, it burns best with a wick sized correctly for it — most quality beeswax candles come with a cotton or wood wick already matched to the wax. Keep it trimmed to about ¼ inch and you'll get a clean, even flame.
Are natural candles safe to burn around pets?
Unscented beeswax and soy candles are generally a safer choice around pets than heavily fragranced paraffin candles, since they don't release the same by-products. As always, keep any lit candle out of reach, and be cautious with strong essential-oil scents, as some can bother sensitive animals.