9 Things You Didn’t Know About Beeswax Votive Candles
Working through the night again? Don’t fret, these beeswax candles won’t burn out so quickly!
In our day and age of working from home and burnout, we are all on the #selfcare train. As we take our minds off work and calm down, we make ourselves some food, light up some beeswax votive candles and soak in our little #hygge bubble.
And it may seem trivial but yes, there’s just something about candles burning in the background that soothes the soul and makes your space go full-on cosytown.
With the upheaval of the candle-burning trend these past few years and as a long-standing sustainable junkie myself, I’ve enjoyed the sweet flowery scents of beeswax candles and did you know that it’s also less harmful to the environment?
What more is there to know about this mystical and more sustainable choice of a candle? Let’s find out!
What Is A Beeswax Votive Candle?
Beeswax Votive Candles are essentially candles that are made out of beeswax which is burned in a votive holder or container.
Here is a little fun fact about how beeswax is made: They are produced by worker bees that live only around 35 days in the summer!
Long story short, bees make honey to feed the hive.
As they make honey, their bodies produce wax which builds up into honeycombs. The honeycombs are then collected and engineered into beeswax.
From being the source of light to cosying up a room with natural fresh scents, votive candles have been an integral part of our lives for centuries.
Since the ancient Egyptians and Romans, votive candles have been used as lighting and as prayer offerings in monasteries. But of course, candles saw a decline after the 19th century when the lightbulb was created.
Now, candles are mostly used as a decorative household item and they come in a plethora of shapes, sizes and scents – perfect to suit every household’s look and feel.
Although the most commonly known type of candles now is tealight candles made out of paraffin wax, pure beeswax candles offer up more benefits than we imagine – for us and the environment.
Interested in buying one now and trying it for yourself? Stick around and read away!
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Here Is A List Of The Best Beeswax Votive Candles:
There is a wide variety of beeswax candles you can find online that suits your taste, decor needs and your pocket.
From affordable mini homemade ones to premium artisanal ones, we’ve compiled a list here for you to check out!
1. 100% Pure Beeswax Votive Candles
You can get an individual candle for USD$7.16 or opt to get it in a set of 8, 16 and up to 32. SkarOrganics put a lot of effort in making these candles and its packaging’s brilliant too.
2. Beeswax Votive Candle By Ames Farm
You can get a beeswax votive candle for USD$3.00. Save USD$10 when you buy a case of 18 votive candles for USD$44.00.
3. Bulk 100% Beeswax Tealights By PollenArt
Get a pack of 20 for USD$16.00 or 1 for USD$0.75. This local Arizona-based small business called PollenArt was founded by a local couple and also sells beautifully-carved Beeswax candles, go check out their shop for more goodies!
4. Organic Beeswax Votive Candles By The Guilded Bee
A set of 4 for USD$16.00. Not only does this shop sell beeswax candles in different sizes, but it also is a wellness haven for all things organic, like this cute little beeswax organic soap!
5. Hand-Poured Beeswax Votive Candle Gift Set By Serenibee
A set of 12 for USD$37.95. These hand-poured options make easy-to-find and great gifts. Just add a lovely handwritten note and you’re good to go.
6. Bluecorn Beeswax 100% Pure Beeswax Votives By Bluecorn Beeswax Store
A set of 18 for USD$51.75. They also have them in black and ivory colours!
7. Beeswax Birthday Number Candles By Honeycomb Candleworks
USD$5.00. If you’re throwing your little one a birthday party, this is such a fun and sustainable alternative for candles!
Benefits Of Burning Beeswax Candles
Believe it or not, burning beeswax votive candles not only burn longer than regular wax candles, but it also produces less soot and is a more sustainable alternative for the environment.
Here are some benefits of burning beeswax candles, if you’re still on the fence!
1. Burns Longer
Ah, have you ever burned a candle and in a blink of an eye, it’s all burned out?
The lifespan of a candle depends on how fast it is burning and of course, the type of wax used plays a prominent role.
Beeswax candles have a much higher melting point than most candles thus it burns very slowly.
Don’t worry, you won’t be wasting a lot of money replenishing your candle supply if you opt for beeswax candles!
Quick tip: If you are still on the fence about the price, you can find beeswax tealight candles online to try it out first.
Tealight candles come in a smaller size as compared to votives, so you can try them out and feel the difference before making your conscious purchase!
2. Natural Honey Scent
The best part (and my favourite part!) about beeswax candles is that there is no added fragrance or colouring in the candle itself.
A lot of the candles in the market are usually heavily scented and chemically-produced, which makes them slightly more expensive.
Although beeswax candles are categorized as unscented, the natural honey scents and flowery notes fill the room quickly while the candle is burning.
It’s not too strong of a smell, but at the same time, it’s subtly there.
3. Burns Clean (No Leftovers!)
I can’t remember the number of times I’ve had to throw away my used candle just because it has burned till the bottom of the pot and there’s just not enough volume for me to finish burning the candle until there’s no wax left.
Since beeswax is made out of organic and natural ingredients, it burns slowly and it limits the number of drips or leftovers.
If there are still drips after burning, you can make the most of the candles by re-melting them.
Quick tip: If there is an excess of wax in several candles, we can consolidate and re-use.
Make a boiling water bath on the stove and start melting the wax from all of your used candles until it’s a watery consistency. Pour the melted wax into a jar, and voila, You have a brand-new candle!
4. Cosy Up Your Space
To take your space to a cosy new level, candles just add more than just light and fragrance to a room.
With some aesthetic flair and clever positioning, candles can add to a home by sparking inspiration and invoking feelings that are grounded, inclusive and inviting.
Over time, pure beeswax candles develop a white ashy coating (especially in cooler climate) called bloom.
Deemed a desirable and unique feature of the pure beeswax candle, bloom starts as a light film and over the years, gets heavier and patchy.
If you decide to polish it and make them look fresh, just hold it with your hands and let the heat of your hands warm it up as you take a soft cloth to polish off the bloom.
Easy peasy
Quick tip: Beeswax pillar candles are getting more and more popular, especially those with intricately-carved designs.
They look amazing especially when put together with other pillar candles in a corner of your room or along the staircase.
5. Cleans Air
Beeswax candles are 100% natural and this type of candle produces negative ions.
To put it simply, these negative ions that are emitted binds with toxins in the air and helps remove them from the air we breathe in.
Negative ions are great for removing air pollutants like dust, dirt and allergen particles; ensuring a cleaner and safer environment for you and your family.
If you live with infants or toddlers and you might be wondering if burning a candle would be harmful to the air your children breathe in, try beeswax candles as they burn clean and remove any foul odour from the room.
Quick tip: Make sure you put your candles on a high shelf, somewhere out of children’s reach!
6. Non-Toxic
Since beeswax candles are made of natural materials, there are no chemicals or toxins that are in pure beeswax candles.
Not only can you burn them to make your house look warm and cosy, but you also don’t have to worry if your children put the candle in their mouth.
Of course, we’d still recommend taking a look at the ingredients list in the candle you’re buying.
Some beeswax candles contain only a percentage of genuine beeswax, so it’s always good to do your due diligence and checking the label.
Quick tip: If you’re organizing a party for your kid, use beeswax birthday candles instead as a safer and healthier option.
7. Value For Money
The cost of beeswax candles varies depending on the size of the candle, its purity and the candle design itself.
But generally, beeswax candles are frequently more expensive than the other types of candles (i.e. soy, paraffin, tallow etc.) because of the natural ingredients.
However, if we drill down to it, beeswax candles give you more value for your money as they burn longer than regular candles and the health benefits that come with it as well.
So, it’s a bang for the buck 🙂
Quick tip: If you are still on the fence about the price, you can buy beeswax votive candles in bulk to help you save money.
Look out for any periodic sales that many online e-commerce platforms have monthly to grab those candles with some substantial savings.
8. Hypo-Allergenic
Unlike a lot of the paraffin candles out in the market, pure beeswax candles are hypo-allergenic.
If you have a sinus issue, asthma or other sensitivities, beeswax candles are ideal as they are toxin-free which means they don’t give out chemically-induced emissions which might pollute the air we breathe in.
I know quite many asthmatic people who often find it uncomfortable staying in rooms with a lit candle.
For those who want a clean burning candle in your home without getting a headache or an allergic reaction from the fumes, give pure beeswax votives a try.
9. Supports Local Bee Farmers And Small Businesses
As green business ideas rise to prominence, we foresee that eco-friendly creative small enterprises are on the rise.
Many local bee farmers have branched out from just selling honey, to making other bee products such as beeswax votives, soaps, lip balms and hand lotions.
In the US, there are some churches and monasteries that run gift shops selling handcrafted beeswax candles made by nuns to support its services. And it’s always encouraging to see the community buying local and helping small businesses in the area.
Quick tip: If you like beeswax products, do support our humble little sustainable-living business and check out our Beeswax Food Wraps!
100% compostable, washable and reusable, a beeswax food wrap not only keeps your food fresh, but it also is a natural alternative to cling wrap, plastic containers and ziplock bags!
Burning Tips For Beeswax Votive Candles
- Use a sturdy and heat resistant votive holder and ensure that it is larger in diameter than the candle itself.
- To avoid having to clean up a mess after burning, pour a few drops of water at the bottom of your votive holder before attaching your candle.
- Use a candle snuffer to extinguish your candle flame or a metal tool to move the lit wick into the wax pool.
- Always double-check with the retailer/seller that what you’re buying is 100% pure beeswax. Some shops might sell a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax and claim it’s 100% organic, so just ensure what you’re purchasing is 100% authentic.
- Last but not least, make sure all candles are extinguished before you go to bed or leave the room. We don’t want a fire to catch, do we?
Convinced Yet?
For a better and healthier alternative to regular paraffin candles, there are an array of benefits from burning beeswax candles that you’d have to experience yourself!
Not only do they burn longer, cleaner and are all-natural, it also takes your space up a few notches to an upgraded level of cosiness.
We invite you to join our journey of finding sustainable solutions for a healthier and eco-friendly every day!
