Try our beeswax candles and try other brands of beeswax candles and see the difference for yourself! There is no denying Honey Candles� are the best...
We test and retest our 100% beeswax Honey Candles here in the office of Sunshine Bay Natural Products.
It is not unusual to come to work to half a dozen beeswax candles burning throughout the office as we test a new wick or shape - the room fills with the scent of warm luxurious beeswax.
We decided to test other popular beeswax candle brands against our own high quality candles. We want to share with you what we found:
Overdipping
When examining one competitors pillar, we noticed that as we looked through the beeswax it appeared darker on the inside. The bottom of the pillar appeared dirty. We scrapped off some of the outside wax, Figure 1 shows what we found. Notice the darker wax underneath, with a layer of cleaner wax on the surface.
We believe this is a result of overdipping an inferior cheap wax with a higher quality wax. Figure 2 shows the overdipped candle burning. The wick is thick and coarse and there are impurities in the wax pool. Figure 3 is our own Honey Candles� pillar with premium clean wax throughout.
Holes
Watch for holes at the bottom of beeswax candles such as those in Figure 4. In Figure 5 we cut a competitors candle open and found a significant cavity inside. This will reduce the quality and time of the burn. All Honey Candles have a smooth finish without holes or cavities.
Wicks
Wicks can sometimes mushroom or develop a carbon cap. It is more common with pillar or taper wicks. When this happens it is time to trim the wick. Figure 6 shows a Honey Candles t-lite on the left and another beeswax brand on the right. The carbon cap from the t-lite wick on the right has broken off and continues to burn.
Burn Times
One of the most frequently asked questions about beeswax candles is regarding the burn time. The burn times listed for Honey Candles is a start to finish time. This means it is timed in one complete period. When a beeswax candle is extinguished and relit several times, the length of burn will be significantly longer.
If a burn time listed seems exaggerated, then you must look at the quality of the burn. A very low insignificant flame will result in a long burn.
Why pay more for quality?
One of our retailers switched to a brand with lower prices. She and her customers were not impressed with the quality of the appearance, smell or burn and then discovered that the candles were made in China with Chinese beeswax.
In many cases in China the bees are not allowed to free range on flowers. They are only fed sugar water. This means the beeswax does not have that sweet honey smell nor the golden color and smooth appearance of premium quality beeswax. She switched back to Honey Candles after receiving complaints.
What to look for in quality beeswax candles
Wax
•Look for even color throughout the beeswax candle.
•The wax should be rich and clean with nicely finished edges, as opposed to dark wax under the surface or impurities or dirt in the wax.
•Premium quality cappings beeswax is a yellow-amber that is rich and intense.
•Lower grades of beeswax are gray-green and muddy in appearance.
Bloom
•100% beeswax candles will develop a white bloom over time. This is an indicator of purity and is cherished by candle connoisseurs.
•Beeswax candles that have been blended with other waxes will not develop bloom.
•If you prefer a polished look simply buff with a soft cloth, cheese cloth or nylon.
The Candle Finish
•Quality beeswax candles should have a flawless depth to the finish without surface flakes, cracks or white spots.
•The surface of pillars and tapers should be smooth with the appearance of being solid throughout.
•There should not be holes or cavities.
•Votives should be round and symmetrical to fit snugly in a votive cup. The tops should be nicely rounded and full to obtain full burn time. The wicks should be centered.
•T-lites may be small, but are very sensitive to quality. If the wax is filled higher than the cup they are sold in, it will spill over when burned. If they are too low, you will not get
the length of burn you expected. The wicks should be centered.
•There are many types of candlewick available. The type and size of the wick is an integral part of the burn quality. The best way for you to tell is to burn the candle as recommended by the manufacturer and look for a quality flame, minimal mushrooming and complete wax consumption.
•For ideal burning the wick needs to be centered in the candle. The manufacturer should have taken care to trim the wick, but you may have to trim if needed.
Material Copyright© Sunshine Bay Natural Products, 2008.