Coconut Wax Vs Soy Wax For Candle Making; Which Is Best?

Updated on August 17, 2022

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Which Is Best For Candle Making: Coconut Wax Vs Soy Wax?

If you enjoy lighting scented candles, you are probably aware that the candle's wax greatly impacts the aromatherapy experience. The fuel causes the candle to burn and controls such things as scent throw, burn time, and amount of energy or pollutants emitted.

As a result, selecting the proper wax for your candle may make all the difference in the world. You may have zeroed in on two natural choices: coconut wax and soy wax, along the way of selecting one option among numerous options.

Both waxy substances are made from plants, making them appealing choices if you don't want to use dangerous chemicals in your fragrant candles. Let me spend a little more time with them so you can make an informed decision between them.

Types of wax used in scented candles

While there are several options on the market, paraffin wax is most commonly seen in stores. However, burning paraffin creates emissions of toxic substances, a petroleum industry's by-product. The second choice would be beeswax; it burns cleanly but doesn't have a strong smell. Unfortunately, beeswax candles aren't sustainable either.

A common question candle-makers ask is whether soy wax or coconut wax is a better fit for their needs. When it comes to sustainable and eco-friendly materials, both options have advantages.

When choosing the wax for your next scented candle, consider these four factors: burn time, smell throw, clean burn, and environment-friendliness. Here at Innerfyre, we prefer coconut wax to soy or other wax types after considering these. Let's compare the two side-by-side using each criterion.

1. Scent Throw

A scent throw of a scented candle is the distance over which it can spread its fragrance or the degree to which it may fill a room with fragrance.

Coconut wax has a great scent carrier capability since it mixes well with essential oils without causing disruptions. The wax might include as much as 12% of the fragrance. Coconut wax blends nicely with aroma oils and essential oils due to its ability to bind smells effectively.

Coconut wax has a wonderful scent throw when it is hot and cold. Even if you only open the jar lid of the fragrant lavender-scented coconut wax candle, you will be able to detect the lovely odor of the lavender. As a result, if you're looking for a fragrance that will fill your home with an intense aroma, coconut wax is the product to consider purchasing.

Because Soy wax has a lower melting point, it is much easier to release essential oils. However, compared to coconut wax regarding how much fragrance it can hold, soy falls significantly behind, only being able to retain 10% of the fragrance in its wax. Furthermore, the perfume that soy projects is also not as strong as coconuts.

2. Environment Friendly

The demand for soy is rising. As a result, 94% of the world's soy supply is now produced using agricultural methods involving genetically modified organisms and large amounts of pesticides. Even though Soy is a natural product, there is currently no non-GMO soy on the market due to these industrialized cultivation practices.

Soy wax is less expensive than coconut wax since it is more widely available. It isn't easy to discern whether a product contains GMOs. Soy wax may be natural but isn't environmentally beneficial or sustainable. Unlike soybeans, coconuts do not require pesticides or fertilizers. They haven't been genetically modified non-GMO means they have not been altered through genetic engineering.

Coconut wax is a biodegradable, long-lasting product. Coconut candles are wonderful. In this process, coconut oil is hydrogenated to create wax. The birth of coconut oil ends with the harvesting of coconut palm branches. Coconuts are quickly replaced. Coconut wax has several advantages, which contribute to its longevity. 

3. Burn time

When you invest in a popular fragrant candle, you anticipate it will burn for a long time and maintain your space smelling like it did when it was burning. While Soy wax candles burn more slowly than other types, their flaky appearance might deter people from purchasing them. This may be very disappointing if you have spent significant money on a high-priced scented candle.

Candles made of coconut wax burn for a long time and maintain an even burn throughout their duration. A slow and consistent spread ensures that you get the most value for your money and that the fragrance you want will be in your home for a long time.

4. Clean Burn

Burning an aromatherapy candle improves your mood, relaxes your muscles, and fills the air with fragrance oils. It's agreed that breathing soot is harmful. When burned, some scented candles produce more soot and other pollutants visibility. A coconut wax candle is the safest option. Paraffin candles create the most soot of any candle. Coconut wax for candles is long-lasting and produces no harmful chemicals when burned. When they're lit, they emit very little soot, so you won't have to worry about carcinogens or other environmental pollutants. While soy wax will be frosting within 3 years. Read out our article about soy wax frosting.

5. Price

Though Soy wax is cheaper and more available than coconut wax, some candle-makers still choose to use a blend of the two. This provides structure without sacrificing naturalness. Soy candles might be easy to come by, but they lack the candle quality scent and clean burn of their pricier counterpart.

6. Cold Scent Throw

Make your home smell amazing by opening a candle or two. Both soy and coconut wax for candles can fill the room with lovely smells, even when they're not lit. Coconut wax is known to have a stronger 'cold throw' than soy wax, meaning that you'll be able to smell it better when it's not burned. When you first open the container, Soy candles might not stink up the place as much as coconut, but their scent will become more intense over time of candles.

7. Hot Throw Of Scent

Burning candles in any space promotes a sense of calm. The smell of the candle wax helps to relax muscles. Soy and coconut wax for candle making burn differently, often providing more heat than another type of candle. This usually increases client retention rates as they return for more soy-scented products.

Soy candles have a slower burning rate, as they are denser and need more heat to release the fragrance. Soy wax is thick, so combining it with anything else might be challenging. Coconut wax candles produce greater heat than soy candles. Coconut wax is light in weight and easy to scent. The aroma of candles will be released faster when you burn coconut wax for candle making.

Smell is one of the human senses which can flow through the whole body. I am the Founder of NeoCandle.com where we talk all about scented candles. Known as Candace the Candle Girl, I know pretty much all there is to know about scented candles. I make and sell them on Etsy and Ebay - so be sure to ask if you have any burning questions :) (pun intended ;) )

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