Soy candle vs beeswax candle: an honest comparison

Soy candle vs beeswax candle is usually framed as a contest. It is closer to a matter of taste. Both are established candle waxes, both burn well when the candle is well made, and each has a real point in its favor. We make soy candles, so we will say that up front, and then give beeswax its due.

Soy candle vs beeswax candle at a glance

What soy wax is

Soy wax is a vegetable wax. According to the National Candle Association, the US trade body for candle makers, it was developed for commercial candle use in the late 1990s by hydrogenating soybean oil.

Our candles are soy. The Lavender Candle is natural soy wax, hand-poured into a small glass jar, with a cotton wick and a light scent of classic lavender with soft herbal and floral notes. Dried lavender buds decorate the top.

What beeswax is

Beeswax is made by bees. A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization handbook on beekeeping products describes how young bees secrete small wax platelets from glands on their abdomens and work them into comb. For centuries it was prized as the best material for candles.

The same handbook gives beeswax three points worth knowing. Fresh comb is white, but rendered, untreated beeswax comes in shades of yellow, and pure white beeswax has been bleached. It has a pleasant, typical aroma of its own, which bleaching destroys. And it melts at about 62 to 65 °C, higher than most paraffin, so beeswax candles stay straight in a warm room and, with the right wick, are less likely to drip.

Those are real strengths. For a candle that smells of the wax itself, unbleached beeswax is the one.

Which one is vegan?

Soy wax is plant-based. Beeswax is not vegan: The Vegan Society says vegans avoid animal-derived materials, and names honey among the foods they avoid. Beeswax comes from the same hive.

Both of our candles are vegan and cruelty-free: soy wax with a cotton wick. Our guide to vegan vs cruelty-free explains the two words.

Does one burn cleaner?

This is where most comparisons overreach, in both directions. You will read that one wax "burns cleaner" than the other, in both directions. We did not find strong evidence either way, so we make no such claim for soy or for beeswax.

What the National Candle Association says is plainer: no specific wax is considered best, and all candle waxes, in a quality candle, burn in the same manner. There is no such thing as a soot-free wax, and sooting is mainly a matter of wick length and a disturbed flame. Bear in mind that this is the industry's own association speaking.

The useful part is that the things that matter are in your hands:

• Trim the wick before each burn. The association says to ¼ inch.
• Keep it out of drafts, away from open windows, fans and vents.
• Let the whole top melt on the first burn, so the candle does not tunnel.
• Never leave it burning unattended, and keep it away from children, pets and anything that can catch fire.

How to choose

• You want a vegan candle: soy.
• You want the scent of the wax itself, nothing added: unbleached beeswax.
• You want a particular fragrance in the room: a scented candle. Ours are soy, in lavender or soft floral.
• You want tall, free-standing candles for a warm room: beeswax's higher melting point is a point in its favor.
• You avoid fragrance: not ours. Both of our candles contain fragrance, with each fragrance component named on the page.

For a second scent, the Wild Flower Candle is the same soy wax and cotton wick with soft florals and bright, fresh notes, finished with dried petals.

And if the candle is for bath night, the Forest Soak Gift Box pairs a soy moss candle with a wash, a scrub and lavender bath salt. Light the candle first, then run the bath; the soak is covered in how to use bath salts.

Frequently asked questions

What are the disadvantages of beeswax candles?

Beeswax is not vegan, and it was historically the costly wax. It also has its own aroma and yellow color unless bleached, which is a plus if you want that and a limit if you want a different scent.

Can I mix beeswax and soy wax for candles?

Candle makers do use blends of waxes; the National Candle Association lists blends alongside single waxes. A blend containing beeswax is not vegan. Ours are made with soy wax.

What is the healthiest type of candle wax to burn?

We do not make health claims for any wax. The candle trade body says no wax is considered best and that quality candle waxes burn in the same manner. Trim the wick, avoid drafts and never leave a candle unattended.

Are soy candles vegan?

Soy wax is plant-based, but check the wick and any additives. Ours are soy wax with a cotton wick, vegan and cruelty-free.

How long does a soy candle burn?

It depends on the candle's size, wick and how you burn it. We have no measured burn time for ours, so we do not print one. Each is net wt 3.06 oz (87 g).

Sources

National Candle Association. Elements of a Candle: Wax. https://candles.org/elements-of-a-candle-wax/
National Candle Association. Candle Safety Tips. https://candles.org/fire-safety-candles/
Krell R. Value-added products from beekeeping, chapter 4: Wax. FAO Agricultural Services Bulletin No. 124. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 1996. https://www.fao.org/4/w0076e/w0076e12.htm
The Vegan Society. Definition of veganism. https://www.vegansociety.com/go-vegan/definition-veganism
Product details are taken from the exokiss product pages.