What Are Candles Made Of? Wax, Wick and Everything Else

A candle looks like one material, but it is really a small system: a fuel, a wick to carry it to the flame, and often a handful of additions for scent, colour or hardness. Most people have never been told what goes into the candles they light. This guide answers the question plainly, what are candles made of, ingredient by ingredient, and ends with what goes into ours.

What are candles made of?

Candles are made of two essential parts: wax, which is the fuel, and a wick, which draws the melted wax up to the flame. Everything else in a candle, such as fragrance oil, colour, hardeners or a jar, is an addition rather than a necessity.

That is worth keeping in mind when you read a label. A candle needs only wax and wick to give light. The longer the ingredient list, the more of it is there for scent, colour or appearance.

Why are candles made of wax?

Because wax is a fuel that stays solid at room temperature and turns liquid just above it. That makes it easy to shape and store, and lets the flame melt only a small pool at a time.

When you light a candle, the heat of the flame melts the wax around the wick. The liquid wax is drawn up the wick, much like water into a cloth, and the heat turns it into vapour. It is that vapour, not the solid wax, that burns. The flame keeps melting a little more, and the cycle continues for as long as there is wax and wick.

What is candle wax made of?

Candle wax is made from one of a small number of raw materials: crude oil, plant oils or the wax that bees produce. Each gives a different wax, and many candles use a blend.

• Paraffin wax is refined from crude oil. It is the most widely used candle wax in the world. We explain how it is made in What Is Paraffin Wax Made Of, and Where Does It Come From?
• Soy wax is made from soybean oil, which is hydrogenated so that it becomes solid at room temperature.
• Beeswax is produced by honeybees to build their comb, then melted, filtered and cast into blocks. It has a naturally warm, honey-coloured tone.
• Rapeseed wax is made from rapeseed oil in a similar way to soy wax, and is grown widely in Europe.
• Coconut wax is made from coconut oil and is mostly used in blends for container candles.
• Stearin is made from fatty acids, from vegetable or animal fats. It is common in European household candles and is also added to other waxes to make them harder.

What are most candles made of?

Most candles sold today are made of paraffin wax, or of a blend in which paraffin is the main part. It is produced in large, consistent quantities, holds colour and fragrance easily, and has been the standard candle wax since the second half of the nineteenth century.

If a label only says "wax", "candle wax" or "mineral wax", it is very often paraffin. Makers who use beeswax, soy or rapeseed usually name it. Our guide Paraffin-Free Candles: How to Tell if a Candle Is Paraffin lists the words to look for.

What are candles made of today, compared with the past?

For most of history, candles were made from tallow, which is rendered animal fat, or from beeswax, which was reserved for churches and wealthier homes. Paraffin arrived in the nineteenth century and quickly became the everyday choice. Soy, rapeseed and coconut waxes are much more recent, mostly from the last few decades.

Today, then, a candle can be made from almost any of these, which is exactly why the label matters.

What is a candle wick made of?

Most candle wicks are made of braided cotton. Some have a thin core of paper or zinc to keep them upright, and some candles use a flat wick of wood.

The wick is not just a string. Its thickness and braid are matched to the wax and the width of the candle, so that it draws up exactly as much fuel as the flame can burn. We go into each type in What Are Candle Wicks Made Of?

What else is added to candles?

Beyond wax and wick, many candles contain one or more of these:

• Fragrance oils or essential oils, which give a scented candle its scent.
• Dyes or pigments, which colour the wax.
• Hardeners and additives, such as stearin, which change how firm the wax is or how it holds colour.
• A metal wick tab, a small disc at the base that holds the wick in place in container candles.
• A jar or tin, for candles made from wax too soft to stand on its own.

None of these is required for a candle to burn. They are choices, and every maker decides which of them to include.

Where does the wax go when a candle burns?

It becomes the flame. The wax is the fuel: drawn up the wick and turned into vapour, it reacts with oxygen in the air and is released mostly as water vapour and carbon dioxide, along with heat and light.

That is why a candle grows shorter as it burns. A wick trimmed to 0.5 to 1 cm and burns of no more than four hours at a time keep the flame steady and let the candle burn as it was designed to. Our guide How Long Does a Candle Burn? goes into the hours.

What are LLIOR candles made of?

Wax and wick, and nothing else. LLIOR is a Dutch candle brand that makes unscented candles from a 50/50 blend of beeswax and soy wax, with a cotton wick and no paraffin, added fragrance or dye. Our Four Tapers are the one exception in the wax: they are poured in soy alone.

We chose not to use paraffin because we wanted to know, and be able to say, where every part of a candle comes from: wax from bees and from soybeans, and a wick of cotton. Paraffin comes from crude oil; that is its origin, not a judgement. We simply started from different materials. Why we blend the two waxes is explained in Beeswax and Soy Candles: Why We Blend the Two, and the thinking behind keeping the list this short in The Principle.

Because our pillars are firm enough to stand on their own, they need no jar and no wick tab. The Signature Candle is the clearest example: 20 cm tall, 8 cm across, 800 g of beeswax and soy, and 180 to 200 hours of light.

Frequently asked questions

What are candles made of?

Candles are made of wax, which is the fuel, and a wick, which draws the melted wax up to the flame. Fragrance, colour, hardeners and a jar are optional additions.

What is candle wax made of?

Candle wax is made from crude oil (paraffin), plant oils (soy, rapeseed, coconut), fatty acids (stearin) or the wax produced by honeybees (beeswax). Many candles use a blend.

What are most candles made of?

Most candles sold today are made of paraffin wax, or a blend in which paraffin is the main ingredient.

What is a candle wick made of?

Most wicks are made of braided cotton. Some have a paper or zinc core, and some candles use a wooden wick.

What are LLIOR candles made of?

LLIOR candles are made from a 50/50 blend of beeswax and soy wax with a cotton wick, and no paraffin, added fragrance or dye. The Four Tapers are poured in soy wax.