Palm wax candles has become one of my new favorite wax for candles. But the idea of turning rain forests into palm plantations is not what I want to see happen.

Fortunately there are sustainable palm plantations out there as well. Aloha Bay candle is one company that uses “Eco Palm Wax”. These waxes originates predominantly from smaller, old-growth palm plantations, located around villages in rural Indonesia and Malaysia.

Pictured here is soy wax tea lights made by Aloha Bay. I’ve been using them and really like it.  The palm wax burn very clean with no soot.  And the wick is made of cotton and the container is made of glass.  Just one little tea light can last for hours.

Here’s some more good info about palm wax by Simon Wright of The Organic Consultancy:

“Palm oil is extracted and refined through pressing and crushing rather than through using chemical solvents such as hexane. Palm oil can be further refined into palm olein (liquid) and palm stearine (solid).

Palm olein is used as a frying oil because it is very stable to heat, whilst palm stearine is used in biscuits and cakes and in non-hydrogenated margarine. Palm stearine is also used to stop peanut butter from separating. Palm oil resists oxidation and rancidity, which means products made using palm oil have extended shelf lives.

Palm oil is frequently confused with palm kernel oil, which is highly saturated. In contrast palm oil contains a balance of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids.”

Palm kernal oil may not be good for eating, but it’s a popular ingredient in handmade soaps.

Last year I experimented with soy candle making. It wasn’t that difficult.

I do like the way soy burns too, but I would prefer non-GMO soy wax.  The soy wax I used did not have any info, but was made in USA (which means it’s probably made of GMO soy).

One year later, I still have a difficult time searching for non-GMO soy wax. I would also prefer the wax come from sustainable plantations that support family farms. If anyone knows of a source or retailer, please share!

I’ve always love having candles around, especially in the winter time. Candles add a nice ambiance to a room. The sight of a candle flickering makes me feel comfortable and at ease.

Over the past years, I’ve been spending lots of money on soy and palm candles.  Most of the time I become disappointed with the scent.  So I decided it’s time to make my own soy candles. 

Mine are very lightly scented or unscented.  This one I scented with blackberry fragrance oil. I also use a lead free cotton wick.

Although I would love to use beeswax candles, they are just too expensive.  In our family, beeswax are usually used for religious or special occasions. But hand rolled beeswax candles can be used anytime and they are lots of fun to make and use.  They are also very clean burning.

Below are some benefits to burning soy candles:

* Soy wax is very clean burning and produce less soot then paraffin wax.

* It also burns longer then paraffin wax.

* Soy is vegetable based and biodegradable.

* Non-toxic, safe to have around for children and pets.

* In case of spills or to reuse containers, simply clean with soap and water.

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I was looking for a beekeeping store in Northern California and was happy to find one located in Sacramento.  So on my latest trip to the city, I was able to stop by and see it for myself.  The only downside to the shop is that they close at 5:30 pm so I really didn’t have time to look around or ask much questions.

As I walked in, I could hear one of the staff (or owner of the shop) discussing something about beekeeping with two fellow shoppers.  It was fun to eavesdrop on that as I have been so intrigued by bees lately.

Some of the cool supplies I got at the Bee shop for making soy and beeswax candles.  Notice my “hand-rolled beeswax candles”?  Also got a jar of Buckwheat honey.

I was also glad that had a selection of soap making and candle making supplies too.  Although the soap making oils were a bit pricey.  Either way I was in “craft heaven”.

I have always wanted to make my own soy wax candle since I learned about how clean it burns.  Beeswax is also great, clean burning and smells great.  But soy wax is more economical.  So I bought 1lb bag of soy wax to make my own candle.  I think this would be a good project to make since boutique soy wax candles are so expensive.  The instructions are really simple, just put the soy wax in the microwave, add 1 oz of fragrance or essential oil to it, then pour into a good container.  And of course don’t forget the wick too.

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