The idea of making your own candles at home sounds fun and easy, but you’ll soon find out that there are few types of candle waxes you can use.

If you’re not sure what makes a particular candle wax better than the other, hopefully, this will help you find out what you need and help make up your mind.

First off, the most commonly used wax is paraffin wax. This traditional wax has been used for hundreds of years. It’s cheap and takes colours and scents easily as compared to the other waxes.

However, its use has waned in recent times due to increasing worries of its potentially toxic fumes.

Due to this, an increasingly popular option is to use soy wax. It’s made with soybean oil and it’s sometimes mixed with paraffin and other waxes. Similar to paraffin, it takes colours and scents well too.

Soy wax is said to burn cleaner (producing less soot) and slower, which means your candle will last long. With that said, soy wax candles have a subtler scent throw, so it’s a perfect option if you have a sensitive nose and want a lightly scented candle.

Another popular and environmentally healthier option is to use beeswax. It’s the oldest candle-making ingredient and is said to have been found in the great pyramids of Egypt.

The wax is produced by bees and is a by-product of the honey-making process. Due to this, beeswax has a natural golden brown colour and a subtle honey scent. The sweet scent may not go well with some of the other scents you want to incorporate in your candle.

Beeswax candles are smokeless and sootless too. On top of giving a cleaner burn, it’s said to be able to purify the air.

Beeswax can be expensive, and as such it’s often mixed with another cheaper wax.

Coconut wax is another expensive yet eco-friendly option. The scent throw of coconut wax is amazing and burns slow so your candle will last long.

Another wax with superb scent retention and scent throw is the rapeseed wax. Also known as the canola wax, rapeseed wax is gaining popularity as an alternative to soy wax with similar benefits.

For an artsy take, a gel candle is a great, non-toxic option. Due to their clear finish, gel wax candles give off an elegant vibe and make great gifts.

The gel used is a combination of polymer resin and mineral oil and comes in three grades: High-Grade, Medium grade and Low Grade.

For better scent throw, most candle makers use the Medium Grade gel because the High-Grade gel can be expensive.

When it comes to fragrance, it’s important to use a non-polar fragrance with a flashpoint higher than 76.7°C.

Unlike the other candle waxes, liquid dyes can be used to colour gel candles. It is said that gel candles burn twice as long as paraffin wax.

Out of all the waxes, soy wax is considered to have the longest burn time while paraffin wax gives the best scent throw.

Now that you’re equipped with all the relevant information, you’ll be able to choose the best waxes to make your candles smell amazing and longer-lasting.

This article was first published in theSun Buzz Candle Craft edition. Find out how to make and beautify your own candles.