Beeswax Candles – The Perfect Choice

People have been using candles


for as long as they have lived in communities , going back to the times of the Greeks and


other well known ancient civilizations. Those people


would have some difficulty in recognising what we


use as candles in the modern age. In the first place,


the notion of people wanting such a thing as scented candles would would no doubt bemuse them totally. In days gone by


candles were not seen as something decorative – they were completely functional


in nature. They had one main purpose and that


was to shed some element of light when used indoors. They could also provide


some small measure of heat. The suggestion of using


candles as decorative items ~ to decorate your home just would not


have occurred to them and even if it did it it almost certainly would be regarded as a ridiculous


and fanciful idea. As well as this  contemporary candles are produced from a  selection of different waxes,  of which the most popular is certainly


paraffin wax which is derived from petroleum You can also find more


environmentally sound waxes available as well, including soy wax and vegetable wax,


but none of these items would have been known to our predecessors. There is,


however, one variety of wax which our ancestors would


have recognised when it comes to candles and candle making in general namely beeswax, which is


employedby top quality  producers including true grace candles or Yankee candles, to name but two  in the manufacture of their products.


Beeswax, as as you will no doubt have guessed from the


name, is obtained~ from the honeycomb. It is


made from nectar in a similar manner to honey and is


currently used in the manufacture of candles not to


mention  a wide range of other items including cosmetics and toiletries. Beeswax has been used in


candle making for many centuries. It has a number of positive attributes which


make it perfect for candle making. Chief among these is the fact that  it burns cleanly, with little mess. It gives off little soot so it will not cause dark marks to form on your walls and ceilings when you light a beeswax candle at home.  Beeswax also burns


slowly - a good deal more slowly than conventional wax candles -  which means that your candle last longer and it also contains natural properties which


help cleanse the air as it burns, which is particularly important when using


candles indoors. In actual fact beeswax candles ionise the air while they burn making things so much easier for anyone who sufferes from allergies or perhaps a respiratory condition. So it seems, that while they probably didn't know the scence behind beeswax candles,  our ancestors knew a good thing when they saw it!


















The author is owner of The Scented Candle Store which supplies a wide range of candles as well as  reed diffuser