Handmade Beeswax Candles & Cosmetics

NatureCraft Products

The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers

 Everything you need to know about burning and maintaining our beeswax candles & more.

 

THE WICKING- The wicking in each of our candles is made from natural plant fibers, as this is the only type of wicking that withstands the long burning properties of beeswax. We twist every band of our wicking up on a Da Vinci rope twist, twisting each strand to the appropriate thickness for each of the different diameters of candles.

 

Each candle has a specific thickness of wick, designed to burn within the diameter of that size of candle, given that the wick stays trimmed between 1/4” to 3/8” long. The benefit of using plant fiber wicks is that they do not ‘disintegrate’ or ‘burn down’ on their own. This is very important, as normal wicks would burn completely away long before the pure beeswax candle would.

 

With a Beeswax Candle, you never need to ‘pour off the wax’ or ‘dig for the wick’. It is important to trim the wick back to 1/4” each time before you relight the candle. As the candle wax burns down, you need to re-trim the wick, or ‘hug’ your candle. See ‘METHODS OF CARE’ below for more complete burning instructions.

 

THE ECONOMICS OF THE DIFFERENT DIAMETERS - Many people assume that we make our candles in a variety of different sizes because we want to offer various size choices. Well, that is only part of the answer. The primary reason is to provide people with a candle that suits the burning needs of their lifestyle habits and also to provide the best economic use.

 

The science to each different diameter is a balance between the wick and the width of the candle.  The whole time that the flame is ‘melting’ the pool of wax, it is not evaporating it, it is only melting it with minimal burn-off. Once the pool reaches the full melt diameter to which that wick will melt, the candle then starts to burn down. Even if you continue burning this candle you still get incredible value per hour when compared to the paraffin alternatives.

 

This is not to say that any one of these candles cannot be burned for an indefinite period of time, however, take note of the timing in which you should either trim the wick back to 1/4” (1/2 cm) or preferably, push the side walls into the liquid pool to raise the level of the wax, which will shorten the wick at the same time.

 

METHODS OF CARE - The most important factor with a Beeswax Candle is to keep the wick trimmed between 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. If the wick gets longer, your candle will be burning with a very larger flame which will melt a wider ‘pool’ in a very short time. This can result in the ‘pool’ melting through the side of the candle and leaking out. You then have an even larger wick that proceeds to melt the wax even faster, taking you into a meltdown. This statement is not designed to scare you, simply to emphasize the importance of trimming the wick.

 

When the candle has burned down somewhat and the wick gotten taller, an alternative to trimming the wick is called ‘hugging’ the candle. This involves push the side walls into the liquid pool to raise the level of the wax, which will shorten the wick at the same time.

 

PURE BEESWAX CANDLES DO NOT SMOKE - If you ever see smoke coming off the candle, it is simply telling you that the wick is too tall. A large wick smokes because it is melting the wax so fast that it is not burning it off efficiently. Correct this by trimming the wick back to 1/4” (1/2 cm.) or by putting the candle out, let the pool solidify and trim the wick when cooled or before re-lighting.

 

WHEN TO EXTINGUISH YOUR CANDLE - Besides putting it out when you want to, the only time when they need to be extinguished is when the wick has become taller and has melted the liquid pool very close to the edge of the candle. This situation can be rectified by ‘pushing’ the sides in and arranging the wax to thicken the areas that have become very thin. It would also be wise to trim the wick.

 

WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER ‘BLOW OUT’ YOUR PURE BEESWAX CANDLE - The plant fiber wicks that are used in our candles work by conducting the melted wax up the wick to the flame, very much like an oil lamp. If you blow out the flame, this type of wick continues to smoke and smolder. They are smoldering because there are small embers inside the wick burning the wax out of the fibers. Generally, this will not completely damage the wick, however, it could leave the wick brittle and unable to relight and hold a flame properly.

 

Ideally, your candle should always be extinguished using a snuffer or by being ‘dunked’. ‘Dunking’ is a method of dipping the wick into its own pool of liquid wax using an implement like a pencil, chopstick, or the point of your wax scissors or even a small stick.

 

TROUBLE SHOOTING - If you experience any problems with your candle, use our contact page to let us know. If we cannot help you fix the candle, we will fix it for you when you bring it in to one of our shows or ship it to us. If the issue is our fault in creation, we will replace the candle and the shipping. Most situations can be solved very simply; however, given that each of our candles are handmade, there have on the odd occasion been something technically wrong with the candle, which is our responsibility to correct.

 

The most common problem is an off center wick. This is easily corrected. Light your candle and let it burn for 1 - 2 hours. Using a pair of scissors, skewer or a chop stick, slide the implement down the side of the wick about 1” deep. Do this on the side that is too close to the edge and ‘push’ the wick gently into the center. Hold the candle firmly when doing this.

 

NEVER THROW OUT LEFT OVER WAX - Beeswax has many household uses that can utilize any scraps. Otherwise, all scrapes can simply be recycled back into any other Beeswax candle. Simply shave the left over wax into small pieces and use it as fuel to ‘fill up’ your candle whenever possible.

 

Why Should I Burn All Natural Beeswax Candles - (instead of paraffin or others) Our Beeswax Candles are handmade from 100% Pure Organic Beeswax, much out of our own hives..

 

Features and Properties of Pure Beeswax:

1. Beeswax is non-toxic, non-allergenic and non-carcinogenic.

2. Beeswax produces negative ions which help to clean the air of dust, odors, toxins, pollen, mold, dust mite feces and viruses.

3. Beeswax costs only pennies an hour to burn this is much less than the typical paraffin burn which can cost as much as $1.00 an hour or more.

4. Beeswax burns with a golden halo while exuding a natural aromatic honey essence.

5. Beeswax is proven to be beneficial for people who have allergies, environmental sensitivities and just too much stress in their life.

 

Why should we burn Beeswax and not Paraffin?- First of all, do some research, and as we have found out, paraffin starts as the grayish-black sludge that oozes from the backside of the petroleum refineries.

 

This goop is bleached, creating dioxins, processed and textured using carcinogenic chemicals, colored with synthetic colorants and artificially scented with that which creates fluorocarbons. Remember, they don’t squeeze flower juice into those sweet smelling candles.

 

Dozens of pages can be found on the internet relating to the toxicity and carcinogenic effects of paraffin. It is one of those downsides to the mass production world. We have been led down a path guided by the profit of the producers not the quality of the product or the best economical choice for ourselves.

 

Beeswax is truly one of the world's best natural gifts. It is non-toxic, naturally aromatic, completely healthful and produces the most conducive and balanced negative ion known to benefit humanity.

 

Pure Beeswax costs only pennies an hour to burn, whereas paraffin costs upwards of a dollar an hour because it burns away so quickly., not to mention the wasted candles because the wicks don’t burn properly or they drown themselves as the candle burns down the middle and you have to keep pouring out the wax.

 

Beeswax burns with no smoke and clean your air each time you use them. Paraffin burns with a black soot that coats your walls, household furnishings and curtains, not to mention your lungs and skin.

 

Please know, that just as all whole wheat bread is not all wheat, the legalities of calling a candle beeswax can be as ‘shy’ as only 30% beeswax. Our Candles are 100% ALL PURE BEESWAX WITH NO ADDITIVES OR

CHEMICALS OF ANY TYPE.

 

Some people claim that burning beeswax produces negative ions.

 

First, let us state we know of no scientific study in print which we can offer as proof of this claim. We ourselves have tried to find information proving or discrediting this claim and can find none with solid proof or backed by any studies. We do know the following to be true:

 

POSITIVE IONS ~ Any particles that float in the air, be it in your home, office or outdoors, is doing so because it is 'positively charged'. This includes everything from dust and pollen to toxic residues and emissions coming from household furnishings, rugs, construction materials, to viruses, bacteria and germs. Even odors such as food smells from cooking, household pets, mold and mildew all remain ‘smelly’ because they are airborne ‘positively charged’ particles. Many of these particles can present a potential health problem as they are floating in our air and being inhaled. These particles become positively charged by static electricity, friction from walking across carpets or from the 'dry', recycled air and heating systems we all use.

 

Mother Nature's Balancing Act

It is an accepted fact that people feel better when they go to the ocean, when they are near waterfalls, in the woods or after a fresh rain and thunderstorm. This is a wonder of nature as each of these natural phenomena creates and pumps 'negative ions' into the air.

 

NEGATIVE IONS ~ The scientific principle at work here is that a proper balance of negative ions bind with the positive ions, creating complete molecules which have a heavier weight mass and a balanced charge. Hence, the positive ions (toxins, dust, odors, etc.) no longer float, they simply fall to the ground.

 

Outside of our home environment, we are very limited to affect the quality of the air we breathe. Within our own homes we have some options, setting up a waterfall is one option, but not generally practical. Many people who understand the seriousness of this situation are spending hundreds of dollars on Negative Ion Emitters to ‘clean’ the air in their homes; however, you must be very careful because these ‘Negative Ion Emitters’ can produce an overabundance of ozone which can also be harmful.

 

“Beeswax is the only fuel to emit balanced ‘Negative Ions’ when burning.” is the claim some make. What we know and experience, as do all of our customers, is that beeswax candles do behave as a negative ion emitter would. When you burn beeswax, other odors clear the air and a rich warm honey scent fills the room. People with asthma and allergies swear by our and other beeswax candles all the time, claiming they breathe easier and suffer from their conditions far less. If you burn a beeswax candle next to a paraffin candle, the paraffin candle will begin to produce a great deal of extra soot and that soot will move away from the beeswax candle clinging to the nearest surface, exactly as it will do if that same paraffin candle is burned next to a negative ion air purifier.

 

Additional Information

Each of our Beeswax Candles is guaranteed to have a golden halo. This special halo (which is actually a heat ball) is created by the fact that beeswax burns significantly hotter than other waxes. This heat ball works very efficiently as an ecological, catalytic converter and bug zapper.

 

Essential Oil Diffuser

You can use any essential oil in your beeswax candle to diffuse the essence into the air. Simply allow the candle to form a pool, and then add 3-4 drops at the edge of the pool. This will effectively scent the top 3/8” of your candle. When the candle is extinguished, any remaining oils will be ‘sealed’ in the wax ready for the next use. Our fragrance & herbal blended oils are specifically designed to burn well with beeswax candles in this same manner Our oils are also designed to cooperate with beeswax in candle creation & anointing as well.

 

Bloem in Beeswax- NO IT ISN'T MOLD ON YOUR CANDLE

Over time, beeswax naturally produces a whitish film on the outside of the candle. This is called ‘bloem’ or ‘bloom’ and is simply a natural tannin that is exuded from the wax. It is named apis mellifera, also called beeswax absolute, and it is, in simple terms, the essential oil/wax derived from beeswax. It is very expensive, very concentrate and it takes a large amount of beeswax just to yield a few ounces of this substance from very rich beeswax. Beeswax absolute is 100% all natural, when it 'sweats' from your candle. You can get rid of it by handling your candle with warm hands and then wiping on your skin or face, after all this is one of the substances that makes beeswax superior for cosmetics. You can also use a hair dryer on a low setting to warm the parts of your candle showing the bloem. Watch as the bloem disappears and the candle takes on a shining appearance and notice the aroma.

 

Cleaning Candle Holders

To clean most candle holders, heat oven to 200 degrees. Fold two paper towels in half and place this on an aluminum pie plate. Place candle holder upside down onto the paper towel in oven for 7-10 minutes. Remove candle holder with an oven mitt and wipe clean using two or three fresh paper towels. Your holder is now ready for a fresh start. This cleaning method works well on any glass, metal or pottery holders. For wooden candle holders, use a hair dryer and successive paper towels.

 

Scrap Wax and Overflows

Never throw out leftover beeswax. This is valuable fuel that can be added back into your new candles to extend their burning life by feeding.

 

An Ancient Craft

The origin of these non-toxic, ion-producing candles goes back to the earliest of civilizations. Each wick is handmade from natural plant fibers.

 

Long before the need of religions, governments and philosophies, temples were filled with mountains of golden grains and smiling faces.

 

During these ancient eras, Beeswax Candles were used not only to light and warm the temples, but most importantly; they were used to produce the God-sent ions and frequency needed to keep the human psyche fully balanced at all cellular levels according to their belief systems.

 

We are each coming to recognize that our bodies are also our temples, our home is our castle, and hence it is well deserved and appropriately timed that we should contemplate meanings of wholeness and life in the presence of such golden light.

 

The reasons and purpose for Mastering the Art of Burning a Pure Beeswax Candle

When masterfully burned, these fine candles do not smoke, drip or burn down the middle, nor do their wicks fall over, disintegrate or become drowned in their own wax. Each candle comes with full burning instructions needed to become a bona fide Candle Master.

 

Burning a Beeswax Candle enhances the mental and physical well-being of anyone who is fortunate to be in their presence truly a pleasure when entertaining, enjoying personal relaxation, at workshops, social gatherings and in the workplace.

 

Wax Chandler Video Demonstrations  "Wax Chandler Product Demonstrations - Scarborough 2008" "Wax Chandler Product Demonstrations - Scarborough 2009"

 

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