Beeswax Through the Ages
Beeswax has always been highly valued in history, at least as far back as the second century BC, when the Romans defeated the Corsicans and imposed a tax of 100,000 pounds of beeswax! Beeswax has thousands of uses from lip balm to furniture polish, from accordion repair to lubricating didgeridoos. Historically, beeswax candles were a sign of wealth, a sign of spiritual purity and, in England, chandlers formed the oldest known English Guild.
Why Use Beeswax?
Beeswax is a 100% green product. Natural, renewable, beautiful and toxin free, beeswax is the right choice for the environmentally aware. Compare beeswax to paraffin and the differences are significant. Paraffin is a petroleum-based product that, according to the EPA and the American Chemical Society, releases known carcinogens including benzene and toluene when burned. Amber Lights Candles are 100% pure beeswax. The natural scent of these candles fills your room with the wonderful, natural scent of honey and beautiful earthy glow.
What about Wicks?
Amber Lights Candles uses only 100% cotton wicks. Metal core wicks used in some container candles are a health hazard, although zinc and tin cores are now more prevalent than lead.
Bloom
Bloom, the white substance that appears over time on both beeswax candles and chocolate, is the result of the exposure of the wax to air. For pillars and tapers, this can be wiped off with a soft cloth or your hand – or leave it for a rustic look. For decorative candles, run a hair dryer over the surface for just a bit and the bloom will be reabsorbed. In the United States, it is legal to sell a candle as beeswax if it only contains 51% beeswax. Candles adulterated with paraffin will not produce bloom.
Tips
Keep your wicks trimmed to 1/4” + approximately. For larger candles such as3” pillars, leave the wicks a bit longer for a larger, brighter flame. Keep the wicks straight. The first time out, burn your candle 1 hour for each hour of diameter for a single wick candle. Keep the wick in the middle of the candle so that the edges burn evenly.
Cost
Beeswax candles are more expensive, sometimes even as much as two to four times the price of paraffin candles. However, beeswax candles typically burn about five times as long as an equivalent paraffin candle! Actually, buying a beeswax candle is a bargain and good for you and good for the earth!