One of the things I miss most about an 80/20 “natural, organic” life style is candles. I love burning candles. Mostly in the winter when it’s cold, dark and windy outside. I even use to sell Gold Canyon Candles. I love all the different sizes, shapes and scents. The different holders, melts, burners and diffusers. I would get so excited when I held a party and the orders would come in. Man, it was Christmas each and every time.
I had read somewhere that Bees Wax candles were the best. They are all natural and help to purify the air. Wow, that’s pretty cool. I googled Bees Wax Candles and found a site. I ordered a three pack large tea light set for $20.00. I liked them just fine. They burn well, but do not really smell like anything. However, I do not like spending $20.00 for 3 large tea lights. I wanted to add a link to the website I ordered them from, unfortunately, I can’t seem to find it.
Anyway, as I was reading different blogs, I came across www.diynatural.com. I believe I was looking for homemade candles on Pinterest, because I had been reading about fragrance, wicks, they types of wax and what’s so bad about them. I had tried to burn Soy candles and the fragrance in the candle was just too much. They made my throat hurt and my nose run. Also, soy wax is cut with paraffin wax, which is toxic. So that can’t be good, right?
I decided to try out the recipe from www.diynatural.com. I purchased the ingredients form her affiliate links. When they all came, I was so very excited. I purchased the 4oz jam jars from Walmart and started in on the recipe.
These candles are super easy to make especially if you follow her directions. The bees wax has a higher melting temperature than the palm oil, so the process takes a bit of time. After I poured the wax in the jars, I only let them sit for a few hours because I was too excited to wait till the next day, so I burned one.
I really like these and unless I find a better recipe, I will probably always make and burn them. I will miss the scent of store bought candles, but everything I have read about adding EO to these candles says the oil could become toxic at such a high temperature. I’m not super excited about that, so I won’t be adding oils to them. Unless, I learn otherwise and feel confident about doing so. If I do, I will let let you know. 🙂
So, as a review of these candles, the one draw back is the wax doesn’t burn all away in most of them. It tunnels down the center leaving a 1/4 inch of wax up the side of the jar. However, I put the used candles in a stove top double boiler, melted the wax, poured it all back into the double boiler, gave it a stir and poured the wax into clean jars, fitted with the new wick. This worked beautifully so I don’t feel like I wasted a thing.
I really hope you give this recipe a try for yourself. If you do, let me know how you like it. Be sure to look around diynatural.com as well. Matt and Betsy put a lot of work into they’re DIY projects.
*UPDATE. I spoke to a candle making company. BeesWax Candles. They add EO’s to their candle and told me their scientists haven’t found any truth to the information that EO’s become toxic at a high temperature.
♥Sabrina
keystothegenuinelife.com 