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Difference between wax melts and candles
What if we told you there’s a product out there that works almost exactly like a scented candle but is safer for the environment, your home and pets?
Yep that’s right – there’s a product out there that can make your home smell cosy, and well, like a home, while also helping you rest easy knowing you’ve given back a little bit to our fair planet.
We’re talking about wax melts.
If you’ve ever searched what are candles made of then you’re going to absolutely love learning about wax melts.
In this blog post, we’re going to break down what exactly these products are, how they differ from candles, and whether they are right for your home.
What are wax melts, and how do you use them?
So, what are wax melts?
Wax melts take things back to the most basic of basics. Also, spoiler alert; the secret to what they do is kind of in the name.
Ultimately, wax melts are a scented piece of wax, without a wick, designed to be slowly melted in a burner or a warmer to release the fragrance.
These burners or warmers can be electric or fuelled by a tea-light – and can be a stylish addition to your home in their own right. Just check out this gorgeous grey glass burner sold at Target.
Wax melts, like candles – can come in all different shapes, colours and smells.
Just have a look at some of the scents we sell on Raw Beauty Box if you’re sceptical.
- Australian Florals + Honey
- Honeysuckle + Jasmine
- Lemongrass + Persian Lime Natural Colour Wax Melt
- Neroli + Ylang Ylang
- Champagne + Strawberries
We should mention, all of our wax melts are made from high-grade soy wax and have a melt time of approximately 5-8 hours.
You should avoid any melts made from paraffin wax as it’s a petroleum by-product.
That leads us to our next section…
What are candles made of?
If you answered wax then you are correct – but the key here is there are different types of wax and not all are created equal.
The most common type of wax used in candles is paraffin, which as we mentioned is a petroleum by-product.
Soy wax, made from soy beans, is also common and a much better option for the environment.
Why?
When they burn they have been shown to release 10 times as less soot into the air as paraffin wax candles, which can also contain harmful chemicals like acetone, benzene and toluene.
These nasties are known carcinogens and have also been shown to aggravate asthma and cause skin problems.
We should mention here, Raw Beauty Box only sells soy wax candles, which have an average burn time of 40-60 hours. We also have a fun range of limited-edition scents, which are definitely free of nasty chemicals.
Other wax options include: beeswax and coconut wax.
We’ve compared the four main candle waxes in one of our previous blog posts if you’re interested in learning more.
Are wax melts safer than candles?
On the surface candles and wax melts look similar, smell similar, and achieve the same purpose – but there are some differences between the products.
The environment
When you’re tossing up buying a wax melt vs candle one of the biggest differences to know is wax melts are actually a tad better for the environment, and have big safety pluses.
That is, and here is the caveat, if you go for an electric burner and cut out the use of a tea light.
When candles, or more specifically their wicks, burn they release soot into the environment, like a mini- car exhaust, but at a much lower level.
Safety
Candles also burn with an open flame, which means they pose a fire risk should they get knocked over – anyone who has children or owns a fur baby knows this fear – or be left burning during sleep time.
Quite a few house fires in Australia have been caused by candles.
Over the past five years, in just South Australia, the damage bills clocks in at almost $8 million across 113 homes.
Big yikes.
Value
Wax melts also happen to be more economical in that they’re cheaper than candles, which have to be housed in a container like a glass jar.
These are expensive for brands to produce, but also brings us back to the environment – unless you’re repurposing your glass jars into things like indoor planters, estimates show it takes a glass bottle roughly one million years to decompose.
Lastly, if you’re sensitive to strong smells and prone to headaches – you can easily control the strength of your fragrance with a wax melt.
How you ask?
This is done by breaking the wax melt into smaller chunks.
Simple right? It also has the added bonus of making the melt last longer.
How do I know what option is right for me?
Look, when choosing wax melts vs candles for your home there is no easy answer; what works for one home, may not work for another.
So, we’ve developed a key of sorts to help you decide.
If you have children or pets, or are sensitive to smells then a wax melt may just be the better option for you.
Similarly, if you want to embrace a more economical option – in other words, save some moolah – why not give a wax melt a go? They last longer and are usually significantly cheaper.
On the flip side – nothing creates ambience quite like a flickering candle after a long day, week, month, year…
So, if you are confident you won’t burn your house down, promise to invest in an eco-friendly candle made from soy or beeswax, and are not prone to scent headaches – by all means, press checkout on a candle and light that baby up!
We just ask one thing of you; please, please, please always extinguish your candle when you’re not there to keep an eye on things.
CONTACT US
- RAW BEAUTY BOX
- 1300 729 232
- info@rawbeautybox.com
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