If you’re a 90’s baby like me, you probably grew up loving the big colorful candles you can buy at the mall. They smell amazing, right? But, unfortunately, in recent years a lot of information has come out about artificial fragrances used in most commercially made candles being toxic to our health. Making your own beeswax candle at home using only essential oils to create the fragrance is really easy and much better for us to have lit around our family.
Beeswax Candle with Two Ingredients:
- Essential Oils
That is it! How is easy, right? You might not have beeswax readily available but don’t fret, you can buy a bag on amazon HERE and have it at your door in two days or less.
To be honest, this beeswax candle recipe does require using a lot of essential oils which can be a bit pricey, especially depending on the brand you use. It would be more cost-effective to put a few drops of your essential oils into a diffuser, however, this candle does put off a beautiful aroma and lasts a while depending on how often you light it. I usually light my candles once a day for an hour or two and this 4oz candle lasts about 3-4 weeks.
Essential Oil Combinations for Candles:
This recipe uses a sweet orange essential oil, which is my absolute favorite. This scent is great for any time of year. In the summer it makes me feel like I’m on a tropical vacation but in the winter It creates a cozy and warm feeling in the house.
Citronella is the best oil to use in the summer, especially if you live in the south and deal with a crazy amount of mosquitos like me. It is one of the best natural mosquito detergents there is, I also like to have one of these candles going during the summer whether it is next to our grill outside while I’m cooking or just in the house to keep them away.
Almost everyone loves the scent of lavender and lavender essential oil has so many uses and benefits. Check out my blog post on the Uses and Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil to learn more.
This scent combination is great for a cozy winter day. The smell of fir trees with the sweet hint of eucalyptus makes for the perfect relaxing environment.
Of course, this particular blend by plant therapy is amazing for Christmas time. Looking to get in the Christmas spirit, and relax by the tree with a fire going? Use this oil in your candle! The blend consists of cinnamon and clove oils however there are tons of different Christmas combinations you could make on your own.
Beeswax Candle vs. Soy Wax Candle
Beeswax is a safe non-toxic option to use when it comes to making candles. Although it is a little bit tricky to deal with (I’ll explain later), there are no added chemicals or artificial ingredients. When choosing a pre-made wax like soy, there is often paraffin in the wax. Paraffin wax can be derived from petroleum, oil shale, or coal. When you think about it, that is not something we should be inhaling when our candles are going. To make your candles the least toxic It is best to use organic pure beeswax with essential oils as the fragrance.
How to Make a Beeswax Candle
What You Need:
- 100% Beeswax, I like this one
- Essential Oil of Choice
- Candle Container
- Utensil to Stir
- Candle Wick
- Dried Flowers (Optional)
Directions:
- You will want to start with an old tin container, like one leftover from canned beans or maybe an old coffee tin. This is because beeswax can be nearly impossible to wash out of a bowl since it dries quickly and is very hard when solid. It is also important to use a stirring utensil that you do not care about, I use an old wooden knife that I have dedicated to beeswax candle making.
- Prepare your candle container by adding a wick to the middle of the container. Have your essential oil bottle close by and ready to use.
- Fill a small to medium size pot with water approximately 1/3 of the way up, bringing the water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add your beeswax into the tin container. Set the tin container inside the boiling water. The tin will get hot so be sure to use oven-mitts or something similar to protect your hands.
- Consistently stir the beeswax using whatever utensil you chose. The beeswax should melt in about 5-7 minutes. Once the beeswax has melted it is important to work quickly since it does dry fast.
- Pour the melted beeswax into an empty candle container of your choosing. Quickly add in 30-50 drops of whatever essential oil you have chosen. The more drops you add the more fragrant your candle will be.
- If you are choosing to use dried flowers as I do, now is the time to add them. Be sure you have crushed the dried flowers to almost a powder so they don’t cause a large flame when coming in contact with the fire. Simply sprinkle the dried flowers on top of the beeswax before it has melted.
- When the essential oil has been added be sure not to touch the candle anymore until it dries, the essential oil will sink and move around throughout the beeswax before drying, spreading the fragrance around.
- The candle should be dry in about an hour or two depending on the temperature inside your home. You can put the candle in your fridge to speed up the process however the wax might sink in or crack if you do this so I suggest leaving it out on the counter to dry.
- Once the beeswax candle has set completely you can trim your wick down and light the candle! Enjoy!
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