I made my first homemade candle when I discovered the chemicals store bought candles can have in them such as paraffin wax and synthetic perfumes. Making it myself gave me peace of mind knowing everything in it was natural and non-toxic. The best part is candles are easy and inexpensive to make. I wanted to share a bit about this and a simple DIY Candle Recipe below.
About Candles
A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow.
Candles are known for their soothing properties and are often used during a massage or similar therapy to create a calming ambiance. At home people use them when taking a bath or to create a similarly peaceful or romantic atmosphere. The lovely flicker and gentle glow of a candle itself can help ease and soothe the mind
When you make your own candles you can add your choice of essential oils to them for additional aromatherapy benefits and to add a nice fragrance to a room.
Candles are a nice decoration and have many other traditions connected with them so they are nice to have around and available. They can also make a nice gift to a friend or loved one.
Common Ingredients for Homemade Candles
Beeswax the wax secreted by bees to make honeycombs. It is used to make candles, cosmetics and polishes.
Carnauba Wax is a natural vegetable wax derived from the leaves of the Copernicia cerifera botanical, more commonly known as the Carnauba Tree. During Brazil’s dry season, this palm protects itself against moisture loss by secreting a coating on both sides of its leaves. This coating is called Carnauba Wax. It is commonly used in vegan cosmetics, edible gummy candies, protective polish and candles.
Coconut Wax is a high melt-point (hydrogenated) coconut oil that is usually blended with other natural waxes so it is solid at room temperature. This wax can be used as another option in making natural candles.
Soy Wax is a vegetable wax made from soybeans, the oil extracted from these beans is hydrogenated to make it solid and suitable for making candles and other such creations.
Essential Oils are plant extracts used for aromatherapy and to add natural scent to cosmetics, candles and soaps.
Cotton Wick A candle wick made of braided cotton that holds the flame of an oil lamp or candle.
Recipe for a DIY Homemade Candle
Ingredients ratio:
- 2 parts Beeswax (example: 8 oz)
- 1 part Coconut Oil (example 4 oz)
Materials needed:
- Container for the candle
- Cotton wick
- Double sided tape
- Pencil or a straight stick
How to Make:
- Fill up your container with beeswax to measure how much will be needed
- Weigh the amount of beeswax so you know exactly how much you have in your container and can figure out how much coconut oil you need
- Weigh out one part coconut oil compared to how much beeswax you used
- Put the beeswax and coconut oil into a double boiler and melt these on low heat
- Secure the wick in your container by using a small piece of double sided tape at the bottom of the container (at the center point)
- Using a pencil, chop stick or similar straight item place this across the center of the top of the container and secure the wick to it so it stays in place while the melted ingredients are poured inside
- Once the beeswax and coconut oil are melted, mix them up and pour them into your container
- Allow these to cool until solidified at which point they will be ready for use
DIY Candle Recipe Video
Here is our tutorial video of our DIY candle recipe below:
I hope you found this helpful. Let me know if you have questions or feedback by leaving a comment below.