Candle Glossary • Armatage Candle Company

If you’re just starting out or just need a refresher, hack your candle makers toolbox with this handy list.

When you’re done, I recommend you read how candles work.

B

• Beads (wax) – wax processed into tiny beads for ease of use in candle making.  Smaller beads tend to melt easier than larger chunks due to the reduction in mass.
• Beeswax – actually created by bees, and potentially processed to remove impurities from the comb.  The quality and attributes of the wax can vary depending on the colony’s diet, health, location, and where the wax was harvested from (caps, cells, etc).  Generally has a higher melting point than other waxes, which requires larger wicks (that are capable of providing sufficient heat to generate fuel). Recommended more for tapers than containers due difficulties with container candles reaching an appropriate temperature.

C

• Candle – a combustion machine that balances heat, fuel, and oxygen to achieve a pleasing presence.  Usually has a fragrance associated with it. You know what a candle is.
• Coconut wax – coconut oil, which is extracted through various processes from the meat of a coconut, is transformed through hydrogenation and occasional combination with other waxes to raise the melting point and maintain a solid state at room temperatures.
• Cold Throw – the subjective strength of a candle’s scent when it is not burning.
• Container Candle – wax and wick inside a vessel.  One of the most common types of retail candles.
• Curing – process of allowing a wax to harden and chemically lock in dyes and fragrance.  Note: fragrance oil does not chemically bind to wax – it is essentially trapped in between atomic layers of hardened wax.

E

• Essential Oil – oils extracted from a large variety of plants.  Many claims exist for how these work, but it is known they do not perform well in a candle outside of having a good cold throw.  Many synthetic oils use essential oils as an ingredient (or set of ingredients)

F

• Flakes (wax) – wax processed into tiny flakes for ease of use in candle making.  Smaller flakes tend to melt easier than larger chunks due to the reduction in mass.
• Flash Point – the point where a vapor will combust if given a proper ignition source.  Regulates the shipping constraints around materials with a low flash point. Some fragrance oils have flash points in the range of candle making temperatures, but this is not a cause for concern as an “ignition source” is relevant to the temperature and volume of the vapor present, not the liquid.
• Fragrance Oil – a synthetic oil specific for use in candle making.  Typically composed of trade secrets and essential oils, but regulated in the United States and safe for use.
• Frosting – a common cosmetic issue characterized by discolorations of the candle in a snowflake pattern.  Mostly visible in soy wax. Much more noticeable in waxes with dye in it. Does not affect performance, and can be temporarily remedied by applying heat to the container.

H

• Hot Throw – the subjective strength of a candle’s scent when it is burning.

M

• Melt Point – the temperature at which a solid transforms into a liquid.  Relevant for identifying the different stages of candle making as it pertains to melting and pouring wax.
• Melt Pool – the liquid wax present in a candle.  Characterized by the diameter and depth.  Different theories exist about what attributes of a melt pool over time are best for performance.  The liquid wax travels from the melt pool to the flame using the wick where it is transformed into a vapor and transforms into carbon dioxide, oxygen, heat, and light (complete combustion).
• Mottling – an imperfection often seen in paraffin wax candles which appears as a crystallized pattern.  Some candle makers count on this in their design while others actively work against it.

P

• Palm wax – mainly derived from palm trees in Asia, this wax has a host of environmental concerns from a production standpoint.  It has a higher melt point than most other waxes and is generally recommended for straight-sided glass containers
• Paraffin wax – product created as a result of the petroleum refinement process.  United States retailers only sell fully refined wax which comes with controversy but hasn’t been convincingly proven to be any more dangerous than natural-branded waxes such as soy, coconut, and beeswax.  Anything less refined than what you can buy on the market for candle making is probably Slack Wax. Stable, but container candles made from paraffin occasionally require a second pour to achieve a smooth top with no imperfections.
• Parasoy wax – a blend of paraffin wax and soy wax.  This is typically done to take advantage of the good properties of both waxes in the manufacturing and performance of the candle.
• Pillar candle – Poured into a cast to create a standalone, non-container candle.  This is essentially a container candle sized taper candle..
• Pouring temperature – the temperature a wax is poured into its final vessel (containers only).  Wax manufacturers typically recommend a range to pour in, but there are plenty of other factors in play any chandler will need to account for in this process.

S

• Soy wax – wax derived from soybean oil.  Considered a natural wax despite the hydrogenation process, it is a very common candle type with upsides in the scent throw categories.
• Stearic Acid – an additive typically used in the production of paraffin candles to add stability and raise the melt point.  Too much can potentially hurt the Hot Throw.

T

• Taper candle – a non-container candle with much higher height than diameter.  Made by dipping a wick into a wax solution and generally has a tapered edge.  Usually requires a stand or holder to use and cannot stand on its own.

V

• Vybar – an additive used in place of stearic acid to provide greater scent throw and reduce imperfections such as mottling.

W

• Wet spots – areas where the wax in a container candle has pulled away from the wall.  This is common, almost unavoidable, and shouldn’t affect performance in 99.9% of cases.
• Wick – the tool that allows the magical science of capillary action to move liquid wax to the flame.  There are tons of different wick types and theories of how to wick. Candle making quality lives and dies by wick selection.
• Wick Tab – allows ease of connecting a wick to a container by providing a wider spot of adhesion prior to pouring melted wax into the container.