Beeswax History

Sit Back, Relax, and Light a Beeswax Candle!

Beeswax History • Candle Notes • Why Soy Wax • Benefits of Beeswax
Printable PDF format: |Why Beeswax.pdf|

History of Beeswax Candles

Candles, one of the earliest sources of light, have played a crucial role in history. Without the precious flame to extend the daylight hours well into the night and to illuminate the halls of humanity, doctrines might not have been written, physicists on the brink of discovery might have befuddled their formulas in the dark and entertainment would have stopped at sunset. Evidence of candles, or a similar illuminating devices like torches and fire baskets, dates back to as early as 3000 BC.

Over the centuries, candles have adorned the walls of rulers, played integral roles in religious ceremonies and lit streets and shops. Candles have even been used to keep time: In coal mines, less than half a century ago, candles marked with 12 lines---one for each hour---burned steadily to record work shifts.

Beeswax was one of the first ingredients used for making candles; recognized since ancient Roman times---and subsequently by many other civilizations--for its effective aromatic burning properties. (Beeswax burns very slowly and smells deliciously sweet.) The prohibitive cost of beeswax, though, greatly limited its use and availability; it became exclusively reserved for the wealthy and the Church. In thirteenth century England, beeswax became such a valuable and negotiable commodity that The English Tallow Chandlers and The Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers were charted to regulate and control the beeswax trade. Laws preventing the adulteration of the wax were passed and the penalties for breaking them quite stiff. (Catherine Bardey, Making Candles & Potpourri)

In the mid 1800's paraffin, a by-product of crude oil was discovered. Most paraffin waxes burn at a lower temperature than beeswax and are used for most mass produced candles that are sold today. (Check out Beeswax VS. Paraffin below)

Beeswax is made from the nectar of flowers! The honeybees produce beeswax from wax glands on the sides of their body and use it to create "cells" to store their honey in. Its color is white when first made. It will vary from white to yellow, by the flower and pollen sources that the bees make their honey from. It possesses a delicate aroma, the fragrance of honey ingrained with the other scents present in a bee hive. The demand for beeswax exceeds the supply in most years. For this reason, it is expensive. On the average, eight pounds of honey are consumed by the bees for each pound of wax made by the colony. A large amount of the available beeswax is used in cosmetics and many waxes and polishes.

We at Beelite Candles use only 100% natural beeswax and all cotton wick in the Candles. We render beeswax for other beekeepers. Most of the wax we use comes from the North East, United States. The wax that we use in our candles has been refined by filtration (No Chemical Bleaching).