Are you thinking about dabbling in candle making or are you already in the early stages of testing? Whatever stage you’re in, our knowledge guide on which wax is best for container candles can help you determine which wax (or waxes!) you’d like to start testing with.

With a huge variety of container candle waxes on the market right now, choosing the right one for you and your business or hobby may appear daunting and can cause you to second guess if you’re making the right choice.

After all, most of us know that candle making isn’t up there with the simplest of products to pursue due to the more extensive testing involved and higher cost outlay for ingredients such as fragrance oils, vessels and wicks, but knowing more about the waxes available can help alleviate some of the stress you may be feeling as you start or continue your candle making journey.

The truth is, 'best' is a subjective term and every candle maker will need to weigh the pros and cons of different waxes depending on what works best for them. We'll start by talking about the pros and cons of each wax for you to help you in your decision of what you might like to try and test first. We'll then be discussing when container wax would be required and what kinds of waxes are available for candles that are 'contained' in a candle glass or vessel.

Note: Our recommended temperatures stated below are simply a guide and are provided by the wax manufacturers. If you find these aren't working for you, then you would need to undertake your own individual testing by adjusting the temperatures slightly (~5 degree increments either way) on each test to find what works best.

KeraSoy 4130 Soy Container Wax

KeraSoy 4130 Soy Container Wax is an ideal wax for beginners! May arrive in pellet, block or flake form and has a 10% maximum fragrance load.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, extremely easy to use, excellent container adhesion, skin safe – dermatologically and clinically tested (providing any additions to the wax are also skin safe), minimal shrinkage, smooth tops, single pour, pellet form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: long curing time (for best results 7-14 days), potential to frost when using dyes or from poor temperature control, pellet form will require more storage space in larger quantities.

KeraSoy 4130 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: 75 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: between 65-70 degrees Celsius

Pour: between 45-55 degrees Celsius

EcoSoya CB-135 Soy Container Wax

EcoSoya CB-135 Soy Container Wax is an all-natural soy wax. Comes in pellet form and has a maximum fragrance load of up to 12%.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, single pour, great glass adhesion and scent throw, skin safe – dermatologically and clinically tested (providing any additions to the wax are also skin safe), pellet form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: long curing time (for best results 7-14 days), will need to work quicker with this wax as the temperature from melting to pouring is within a 10-15 degrees Celsius range, may frost with the addition of dyes, pellet form will require more storage space in larger quantities

EcoSoya CB-135 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 70-75 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: between 63-65 degrees Celsius

Pour: around 60 degrees Celsius

EcoSoya CB-Advanced Soy Container Wax

EcoSoya CB-Advanced Soy Container Wax is an all-natural, advanced soy wax. Comes in pellet form and has a maximum fragrance load of up to 12%.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, single pour, excellent scent throw, skin safe – dermatologically and clinically tested (providing any additions to the wax are also skin safe), pellet form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: long curing time (for best results 7-14 days), will need to work quicker with this wax as the temperature from melting to pouring is within a 10-15 degrees Celsius range, may frost with the addition of dyes, pellet form will require more storage space in larger quantities

EcoSoya CB-Advanced Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 70-75 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: between 63-65 degrees Celsius

Pour: around 60 degrees Celsius

Sasol 6213 Paraffin Container Wax

Sasol 6213 Paraffin Container Wax is a professional grade, premium paraffin and vegetable wax blend used by high-end luxury candle manufacturers. Comes in slab form and has a maximum fragrance load of up to 7%.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, short curing time (48-72 hours), excellent burning properties, superb fragrance retention, unrivalled hot and cold fragrance throw, the higher pouring temperature allows the maker to produce candles quicker as there’s no need to wait to pour, slab form will require less storage space in larger quantitites

Cons: may need a second pour to reduce the likelihood of sink holes appearing and uneven tops, slab form so more difficult to break up in smaller amounts

Sasol 6213 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 85-90 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: between 80-85 degrees Celsius

Pour: around 75-80 degrees Celsius

Naturewax C3 Soy Container Wax

Naturewax C3 Soy Container Wax is a 100% soy wax. Comes in flake form and has a maximum fragrance load of up to 6%.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, soft creamy appearance, smooth tops with correct temperature control, one pour, good glass adhesion, exceptional scent throw, low shrinkage, flake form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: long curing time (for best results 10-14 days), potential to frost heavily when using dyes, bumpy tops/blooming when temperature control is poor, an additive will be needed if adding more than 6% fragrance oil (additive allows up to 8% to be used successfully), flake form will require more storage space in larger quantities

Naturewax C3 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 75-80 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: between 68-70 degrees Celsius

Pour: around 55-65 degrees Celsius

Naturewax C6 Soy Coconut Container Wax Blend

Naturewax C6 Soy Coconut Container Wax Blend is a luxurious soy and coconut oil wax blend. Ideal for beginners who wish to start with a superior wax or for larger candle manufacturers. Comes in slab form and has a maximum fragrance load of up to 6%.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, excellent glass adhesion, smooth finish with the use of correct temperature control, higher pouring temperature helps decrease candle production times, resists frosting, exceptional scent throw, holds dyes well with a vibrant finish, flake form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: long curing time (for best results 7-10 days), bumpy tops/blooming when temperature control is poor, flake form will require more storage space in larger quantities

Naturewax C6 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 90 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: around 80 degrees Celsius

Pour: between 50-80 degrees Celsius

Golden Wax 464 Soy Container Wax

Golden Wax 464 Soy Container Wax is a good quality wax. Comes in flake form and has a maximum fragrance load of 10% although, 7%-8% is usually sufficient enough.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, lower melting point improves jar adhesion and prevents the likelihood of wet spots appearing, great hot and cold scent throw, flake form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: long curing time (for best results 7-14 days), prone to circular surface cracking if temperatures aren’t controlled, may frost with the addition of dyes, flake form will require more storage space in larger quantities

Golden Wax 464 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 85 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: around 75 degrees Celsius

Pour: between 65-75 degrees Celsius

Kerawax 4105 Paraffin Rapeseed Container Wax

Kerawax 4105 Paraffin Rapeseed Container Wax is a very easy to use rapeseed and paraffin blend wax. Ideal for beginners and used by some high end home candle brands! Comes in pellet form and has a maximum fragrance load of 12%.

Pros: vegan friendly, cruelty free, short curing time (2-4 days), exceptional hot and cold scent throw, creamy appearance, excellent glass adhesion, pellet form so easier to measure smaller amounts

Cons: may require 2 pours as the wax contracts, pellet form will require more storage space in larger quantities

Kerawax 4105 Recommended temperatures:

Melt to: around 75 degrees Celsius

Add fragrance: around 70 degrees Celsius

Pour: around 65 degrees Celsius

Why Is Container Wax Ideal for Making Candles in Vessels?

Container waxes (as opposed to pillar waxes) are softer in form and are designed to adhere to the vessel you’re pouring the wax into. Container waxes generally also have lower melting points, making them the ideal option for creating container candles and with the addition of the right wick and percentage of fragrance oil, container waxes are slow burning, providing you with a perfectly balanced, long lasting scent throw.

What Types Of Container Wax Are Available?

The most popular types of container wax are either soy based or a paraffin wax blend. Paraffin wax alone is too hard to use for container candles and as such is usually blended with soy or rapeseed wax. Parasoy wax is becoming more popular as chandlers are wanting the best of both paraffin and soy wax for their candle creations. Soy waxes are usually 100% pure soy wax or come in a blend such as soy and coconut.

Now you have a rough understanding of why container wax is best for container candles, the types available as well as knowing more about the waxes we stock here at Craftovator, we hope that this has helped you decide which wax you wish to use or try out as you progress within your business or hobby. An important factor to consider is to make sure you have the correct wax for your container candles from the get go as this will potentially save you a lot of money and get your hobby or business off to a great start.

Unsure which wicks you should use with your chosen wax? Take a look at our guide, How to Choose the Correct Wick for your candle.

Have you made a few starter candles already but are experiencing some issues with them setting or whilst you’re test burning? We have you covered with our Candle Making Troubleshooting Guide.

Are you an absolute beginner and want to try making your hassle-free first candle? Our Perfect Beginners Guide to making your first scented candle will talk you through the process.