Natural waxes
Natural waxes are most often used in the home production of natural candles, but some can also be found in recipes for home cosmetics. Most of them are plant-based and are an excellent substitute for raw materials that are not exactly friendly to our health or nature, especially paraffin, which is obtained during the distillation of oil and from which "classic" candles are made. You won't find that with us, because we have a number of amazing products with which you can make stunning homemade candles that take nature into account. So let's check them out!
Soy wax
Today, soy candles are probably the best-known alternative to the "oil" ones, and they are very popular. No wonder, soy wax is a very friendly partner for home production, so it is not a problem to make a soy candle yourself! This wax has a low melting point, is great to work with and its white color is suitable for dyeing, for example using natural dyes or shimmering mica powders. Soy wax is also suitable for making massage candles, for example, you can find the recipe here. In addition to being environmentally friendly, soy candles have one other great advantage - since soy wax is water-soluble, if you overturn the candle and pour the hot wax onto your grandmother's memorial tablecloth, it will be much easier to clean than if you overturned a traditional candle in this way. You can find another great recipe for making a natural candle (for example, from soy wax) here, and if that's not enough for you, click here for more tips. Due to the softness of the wax, soy wax is not the best for making standing candles, unless we give it strength with another hard wax, such as palm, candelilla or carnauba wax.
Rapeseed wax
This wax is perfectly suited for the production of so-called container candles, or candles in glass. It is a mixture of rapeseed wax mixed with other types of natural waxes, for example beeswax. This mixing improves the burning quality, which is suitable for candles in glass. Rapeseed wax also adheres nicely to the glass and shrinks minimally when it cools down, so the resulting candle is just the tip of the iceberg! In addition, it burns for a really long time, so a romantic backdrop in the garden by the fire is taken care of late into the night!
Coconut wax
Coconut wax is used in the production of candles, soaps, but also balms, massage and body butters. It is actually a hardened version of today's well-known coconut oil, which must not be missing in the arsenal of natural cosmetics lovers. Coconut wax has a higher melting point than coconut oil, but is still quite soft, so it is recommended to mix it with other natural waxes.
Such a variant is, for example , coconut-soy wax, which has a lower melting point and higher viscosity compared to other natural waxes, which makes it an ideal material for the production of container candles. When making candles from this wax, you can also look forward to excellent burning quality and a high degree of whiteness, thanks to which the candles will dye well.
Palm wax
Even palm wax is a popular ingredient for making homemade natural candles. When working with this wax, we can really play around and create a really beautiful candle, because palm wax creates beautiful lava effects. However, since it is white in itself, we recommend adding your favorite color and scent, and the perfect candle will be born! Palm wax is suitable for making candles in glass or other packaging, as well as for casting free-standing candles. Working with it is simple and very pleasant, and another significant plus is its cheap price. So if you are a candle beginner or want to try more variations of candle making, palm wax will be a great choice!
Beeswax
Beeswax can also be used to make candles that we all know and love. But now we will move more into the world of cosmetics. Beeswax is an absolutely wonderful ingredient for homemade natural cosmetics! It contains up to 284 different ingredients and it goes without saying that many of them work in our favor and effectively protect our skin and complexion. Thanks to its consistency and properties, it is especially suitable for various protective lip and body balms or ointments. Not only does it have a positive effect on our skin, it creates a protective film on it and prevents dehydration, but it also helps the resulting product to have the right consistency.
Plant waxes that can be used not only as a substitute for beeswax (for candles and cosmetics)
Although beeswax is a wonderful product, behind it are diligent bees, which may not suit those who limit animal products of all kinds in their lives. Fortunately, we have many great plant-based alternatives.
Hemp wax
For example, you can reach for hemp wax, which works very similarly to beeswax in cosmetics. It is suitable for candles and soaps, but it is also, for example, an indispensable ingredient in lip balm. It is anti-inflammatory and heals well, for example, a cold sore on the lip. Hemp wax can be excellently replaced with, for example, almond wax.
Jojoba wax
In addition to hemp wax, another option is jojoba wax, which gives strength and shine to all products, so it is great for the production of lipsticks, but it is also suitable for the production of soaps, hair care, balms and, of course, candles. Jojoba wax is also a great fragrance carrier. So if you want your creations to smell more strongly of selected essential oils or fragrances, try jojoba wax.
Olive wax
We can't leave out olive wax, which is also suitable for allergy sufferers, has softening and restorative effects on the skin, and is also popular as a natural substitute for firming hair gel and other products where we want creaminess and a good "slip" on the skin or hair. Olive wax in your products will ensure that they apply beautifully and spread well.
Almond wax
Almond wax is particularly suitable for nail and skin care, on which it has softening and moisturizing effects. We will use it in the production of home cosmetics, for example solid soaps, creams, body and lip balms or hair care products. It contains a lot of nutrients and richly cares for the skin, nails and hair. Almond wax is similar to olive wax in its products - it "glides" well on the skin and does not stick.
Carnauba wax
Carnauba wax is a purified wax that is obtained from the leaves of the Brazilian palm tree and is mainly used to improve the stability of emulsions as a co-emulsifier, as it provides a cohesive consistency and stiffness. Carnauba wax is the hardest vegetable wax, so it is perfect for products that require strength, or to add stiffness to other soft waxes. It creates a fine protective film on the skin and has water-repellent properties, which is why it is also used as a protective cream for shoes. It is also used in the production of hair cosmetics, for example in conditioners, and is also suitable for the production of decorative cosmetics such as mascara, lipstick, make-up and lip balms. In some recipes, we can replace it with rice wax, which is a vegetable wax extracted from rice bran, which is used as an emollient in cosmetics.
Candelilla wax
Refined candelilla wax, which is obtained from the stem of the Euphorbia Cerifera shrub, also works well in the production of decorative cosmetics. It has a light yellow color, is hard, brittle and bright and gives cosmetic products a cohesive consistency, strength, stiffness and shine, which is useful for example in the production of lipsticks, lip balms, eye shadows, make-up and the like. It also takes excellent care of the body and hair, so it is suitable for body creams and butters, protective emulsions for the body, skin creams, hand creams, soaps or hair products. And like almost all waxes, this one can also be used to make homemade candles.
Candelilla and carnauba wax are very similar in properties and can easily be interchanged in recipes. Unlike beeswax and its vegetable alternatives, these two waxes do not ensure creaminess and "gliding" on the skin in products, but, as already mentioned, they deserve strength, shine and hardness, so they are suitable, for example, in the heat. If you want both in your products, combine multiple waxes!
Flower waxes
Flower waxes are obtained from the flowers of individual plants and differ from natural waxes in that they have a distinct scent corresponding to the scent of the flower from which they were created. Thanks to this natural scent, it is usually no longer necessary to add a scent to the candle or cosmetics. We call them waxes, but they are actually more of a kind of "pseudo-waxes" that are created during the production of rare and expensive essential oils. It dissolves very easily and you can use it, for example, in the production of homemade soaps, solid deodorants or solid perfumes, body lotions and creams, giving them not only a beautiful scent, but also a better consistency: if you have a problem with the fact that you often the consistency of the cream will be too thin, the wax will thicken the product nicely.
You can find 7 flower waxes on Ekokoza: rose flower wax, jasmine flower wax, mimosa flower wax, tuberose flower wax, marigold flower wax, lotus flower wax and violet flower wax. All of them smell wonderful and are great for the aforementioned home cosmetics, as well as natural candles, but due to their higher price, use in cosmetics is a more reasonable choice.
Green tea wax
Green tea wax is also an excellent helper. Green tea wax has a dark green color, so it can be used as a dye, either in creams or other cosmetics or in the production of candles. It is also suitable for skin creams or lip and body balms due to its action against free radicals, as it is a natural antioxidant.
Depilatory wax
Among the natural waxes, you will also find depilatory wax, which you can use especially in the swimwear season. This wax is designed for warm waxing to remove hair, but you can also use depilatory sugar paste.
