Candle-Making!

Making your own candles is a wonderful way to relax, save money (candles have become so expensive!), and fill your home with cleaner, natural ingredients. Unfortunately, many candles sold in stores worldwide contain harmful toxins and can actually contribute to indoor air pollution. Two red-flags to consider and investigate when shopping for a candle:

Candles Containing Paraffin:
Paraffin is a common candle ingredient that has been proven to release carcinogenic chemicals and even cause respiratory issues.

Certain Scented Candles:
Some scented candles have been found to contain lead or lead cores in their wicks, along with other hazardous chemicals like benzene and toluene. Both have been known to cause damage to the central nervous system as well as the brain and lungs.

The safer, more natural alternative is simple: make your own beeswax or soy candles! After years of making candles for my family and friends, I recently started taking my hobby more seriously, taking notes on each batch I make and the feedback I get from people who use them. In my opinion, nothing smells better than pure beeswax, and it's widely available for purchase online. Here are a couple photos of my most recent beeswax candles, infused with olive oil, shea butter, and dried marigold:

I love sprinkling dried herbs like marigold and lavender on top of my candles, and I create soothing scents with essential oils I find at stores like Whole Foods. While soy wax is much less expensive than beeswax, it burns faster and in my opinion doesn't have as wonderful a scent (beeswax smells unbelievably refreshing!). Without further ado, here my simple "get-started" recipe for candle-making. I'm no expert, but I've found that these candles turn out beautifully:

A Simple Beeswax Candle:

Ingredients:
-1 lb pure filtered beeswax
-1/2 cup coconut oil (I've also used olive oil)
-3 half-pint canning jars
-60 ply cotton braided wick #4 cut into 6 inch pieces
-A metal pitcher (or an empty coffee can)
-Large pot to use as a double boiler for pitcher
-Wicks (I use wooden ones with metal bottom clips)
-2 Tablespoons of Pure Shea Butter (Optional)
-Essential Oils (Optional)

Directions:
-Place beeswax in pitcher or coffee can.
-Fill the large pot with water and put the pitcher in the pot, bringing the water to a gentle boil until all the wax has melted
-As the wax is melting, I like to pour a little bit at the bottom of each candle jar, to fasten the wick to the bottom (as it cools the metal clip will dry stuck to the bottom of whatever candle container you choose). Let the wax dry completely - you may have to hold the wick in place for a minute.
-Once the beeswax is completely melted, turn off the heat and stir in the coconut oil, shea butter, and any scented oils you'd like.
-Pour remaining melted wax into each jar. Leave about an inch of space at the top.
-Let the candle cool for 10-20 minutes, then garnish with any herbs or petals you'd like, sprinkling them gently on top.
-Let the candle cool for an hour, then trim the wick to about 1/2 inch (not any shorter).

And voila! You have a candle! The process for soy candles is very similar and very simple. I currently sell my candles in small batches - feel free to reach out to me on Instagram at @carolinemdunaway for more information :)