Candles had their roots as far back as 3,000BC. The candle progression has been a slow burn. (no pun intended) Candles have served our society throughout history. The first known candles were believed to have been used on the island of Crete using animal tallow. Animal tallow candles were made from animal fat, an easy resource by primitive man.
Historians also hypothesize that original candles were used by primitive men as a reliable source of light. Ancient Egyptians used candles after the sunset for evening light. The story of King Solomon references candles in the story of King Solomon. After Solomon’s Temple was built they used candles to light the main entrance of the temple.
Candles began their popularity in Europe as candlemakers formed candle guilds as the need and demand for candles increased. Candles were especially important as a source of light after dark for monks to write manuscripts. The early church used handmade beeswax candles for reading after dark along with ritual use and prayer. Candles also became an important tool for keeping time.
Candle materials have changed through the years
Candle wicks, candle materials, and containers have changed through the years. Candle wicks were originally made from reeds or rushes. And then in 1824, a Frenchman named Jean-Jacques Cambaraceres introduced the plaited wick. Plaited wicks are made of three strands and each strand individually consists of several fibers. It burned more evenly than unplaited wicks. Plaited or twisted cotton still makes up a large majority of wicks today.
Additional changes came with animal and vegetable fat materials transitioned over to using beeswax. Beeswax became a staple candle material as it was an easier and more pleasant smelling material.
In the beginning, original candles used reeds as the wicks. The reed wicks were dipped repeatedly into an animal or plant fat liquid molten. The taper candles were dipped repeatedly until the fat stuck to the wick producing the desired candle thickness.
Animal fat material slowly evolved into using the beeswax material. Over time, the production changed from dipping the wicks into the wax to the more hand pouring standard method. The melted beeswax was poured over a suspended cotton wick while the wick was simultaneously twirled. Today hand-poured candles are the preferred luxury candle. Hand-poured candles are made in small batches so the candlemaker can maximize quality control to ensure consistency and excellence.
Modern-day candle material options
In the United States, standard commercial candles typically contain 60% paraffin, 35% stearic acid, and only 5% beeswax. Paraffin is a white solid wax that is derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale. Candles made using paraffin wax release soot, similar to what is released from a diesel motor. Burning candles that have synthetic scents are unhealthy and may increase allergic reactions, headaches or your risk of getting cancer.
Today’s luxury lotion candles
Today, a higher-end candle uses coconut, soy, beeswax, palm or a variation of several to create a blend. These higher-quality waxes do not contain paraffin wax and are clean-burning. These luxury candles are healthy for you, your family, and even your pets. Soy, coconut, and beeswax as a base candle material have many benefits. They provide a more pleasant odor, a slower wax burn, and a stable base to which natural aromas can be blended well together. A huge consumer benefit is its long burn time. A luxury candle wax candle can yield up to 30% longer than a conventional paraffin candle wax.
We have come a long way to get to our Luxury Lotion Candles
There is a lot that goes into creating a candle that can claim to be a luxury lotion candle. We have come a long way to getting to a higher quality wax blend, better quality wicks, BPA free containers, certified pure grade essential oils and natural aromas.
All of our luxury lotion candles have high-quality products that allow them to be used as a hand or body lotion. They offer a clean burn with recyclable or reusable glass containers. All our wax formulas are vegan, cruelty-free, and non-animal tested. All parts of our hand-poured luxury lotion candles are made in the USA.
PureSoapsAndCandles.com makes only the finest in luxury lotion candles that are better for your health and for your body.
