12 Stats About how to make beeswax candles with essential oils to Make You Look Smart Around the Water Cooler
I’ve always been interested in how essential oils can be used to enhance the fragrance of candles. This video by the American Beekeeping Society (ABS) explores a couple of techniques that can help you do this.
Essential oils are the key to candles’ unique “bloom.” The oils we use to create candles are extracted from plants that are rich in terpenes (or compounds with terpene-like molecules), which are volatile and highly aromatic and therefore smell great. You can use these oils to either add more floral notes to your candles, or to create a more eucalyptus-y scent.
This video is a good one. The videos make it look like a real process, because they really do seem like they have this process all figured out. The only thing I didn’t like about the video is that the video was on the second of three videos, so I am not sure if that was intentional, but still, it’s very misleading.
I think it is best practice to have these candles at room temperature, since there is a reason that the oils are so volatile. The oils are also good to mix with something that you might not want to get burned up or get smelly, like olive oil or coconut oil.
The video did seem to imply that the oils can be used as a fragrance, but the best way to use essential oils is in a candle, not on your skin. I wouldn’t recommend using them to flavor your food either, because they can be very strong.
Of course the video also said candles that were wax melting and not burning because beeswax is known for its high heat resistance. They also said that the oils can be used to make candles that burn in a few minutes, but not in a few days. I wouldnt use these with your food either, but for a decorative item, the oils can be quite impressive.
The video said that the beeswax candles can be made that burn for at least 60 seconds. The candle i tested burned for about 90 seconds. When i burned a candle that was already full of beeswax, it burned for less that 30 seconds. I wouldnt recommend using the oils for food either, but if you want to add them to your candle, that’s fine too.
For a recipe we use a lot of candles, but I wouldnt recommend doing them with your food either. For example: for the recipe of a candle, it burns for about 40 seconds. When i burned a candle that was already full of beeswax, it burned for less that 30 seconds. The whole thing, I have to admit, is somewhat weird.
I wonder how else these candles can be made at all…
The beeswax candles I’m talking about are typically made with essential oils, in this case lemon oil and citronella oil. You can definitely use them for hair or nail polish, but it would be best to use the candle as a substitute for food, and not for cooking. The essential oils in the candle actually come from the beeswax itself. The wax is not burned at all.