What Are the Benefits of Beeswax Candles?

by Susan Bolich

Overview

Burning candles can add fragrance and ambiance to your home or office. There are some drawbacks to commercial paraffin candles, however, which can be avoided by burning organic beeswax candles.
Smokeless

Beeswax candles burn without smoke, unlike paraffin candles, which exude soot that can clog filters and discolor or build up on surfaces.

Dripless

Beeswax burns clean, so that when the candle is gone, there is no mess left behind to scrape off candle holders or tables.
Fragrant

One of the nicest things about beeswax is its natural fragrance, which comes from the honey and other scents within the hive. Beeswax candles fill the air with a subtle and pleasing aroma.
History

Beeswax has been used in candles since at least Roman times. In the Middle Ages, only beeswax candles were allowed in churches, for their "purity" and because they did not discolor sacred objects.
Fun Facts

Beeswax is a natural substance secreted by bees to form the cells in their hive in which they store honey. Bees consume, on average, eight pounds of honey for every pound of beeswax they produce, painstakingly gathering the nectar from flowers in their daily rounds to produce the honey, and eventually, the wax.