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Contents History of Candles 2
20
4 Early Origins 34
Early Wicked Candles
The Middle Ages
Colonial Times
18th Century
19th Century
20th Century
Nowadays’

Candle components

Waxes
Wicks
Scents
Colours
Candle Types

Science of Candles

How Candle Burns?
What Does the Flame
Colours Represent?
Why Do Candle Flames
Aways Point Up?

Spiritualism 40

The 5 Elements 44
Paganism 46
Judaism 56
Buddhism
Hinduism 66
Christianity

Buying Preferences
Candle Creation
Chandlers

The Adventurer
The Benevolent
The Goddess
The Guardian
The protector

DIY Candle

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History

Early Origins

Candles were made with
rushlights and torches by soaking
the core of reeds in melted animal
fat, which is known as Tallow. At
that time, wicks did not exist yet,
so this candle is mostly a torch
than a candle.

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Candles were
mostly used as
a source of light
and celebration
for more than
5000 years.

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Early Wicked Candles

Wicked candles were 3000 BC by the
Egyptians, but it was the Romans that
were credited to have invented the
wicked candles. This is because they
were dipping rolled papyrus repeatedly
into melted tallow or beeswax which
resemble more nowadays’ candle.
People used beeswax mostly to light
up their homes, to use in religious
ceremonies and when travelling at night.
Researchers found that many other
civilisations made candles with their
local plants and insects. Early Chinese
candles were moulded in paper tubes
using rice paper as a wick and wax from
an indigenous insect called Cocos Pella
combined with seeds. In Japan, wax was
extracted from tree nuts and in India,
from boiling the cinnamon fruit. The
Jew and Christian mostly used beeswax
candle for religious ceremonies.

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The Middle Ages

“Most candles were
made of tallow.”

Tallow candles were commonly
found in European households
as they were relatively cheaper
than beeswax candle. In the 13th
century, candle making became
very popular in England and France.
Candlemakers, also called Chandlers
went into households and collected
their fat from the kitchen to make
candles. The people were collecting
the fat purposely for this before
candle shops opened later on.

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“Beeswax Candle 11
Revolution”

In Europe, people
found out that the
beeswax burned
purely and cleanly
without a smoky
flame.
The beeswax
candles gave a
nice fragrance
unlike the foul
and acrid odour
of tallow candles.
Unfortunately, only
the church and a
few people could
afford it as it was
very expensive.
The candle was
mostly for the
rich instead of the
common people.

History

Colonial Times

America’s first
contribution
was the candle
making industry.
They made wax
by boiling the
bayberry bushes
which gave sweet-
smelling candles
that burned
cleanly. However,
the extraction
of wax was
extremely hard,
and its popularity
diminished quickly.

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18th Century

The growth of the
whaling industry made
big changes for the
candle making industry.
The wax gain by
crystalising sperm whale
oil was called spermaceti
which was available in big
quantity. The wax did not
produce a foul odour and
burned with a brighter
light. It was harder than
tallow or beeswax which
did not soften nor bend
during summertime.
Spermaceti was used to
make standard candles.

History 13

19th Century

1820s

Developments of
Contemporary
candle making
started. A French
chemist, Michel
Eugene Chevreul
extracted stearic
acid from animal
fatty acids to make
stearin wax. Stearin
wax is hard, durable,
burned cleanly and
is still popular in
Europe nowadays.

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1834

The inventor Joseph
Morgan developed
the modern-day
candle industry by
making a machine
that allows mass
production of
candles. The
machine could
mould the candles
into cylinders and
had a movable
pistol that ejected
the candles out of
the mould when
finished. With the
invention of this
machine, candles
became easily
accessible to the
masses.

History 15

1850 ” The invention of
paraffin wax. ”
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Paraffin wax
was created by
separating the
naturally-occurring
waxy substance
from petroleum
and refining it. The
wax is odourless,
blueish – whitish
colour, burn cleanly,
has a consistent
burning time and is
more economical to
produce. However,
its disadvantage was
that it has a very
low melting point.

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20th Century

Candle gained Chandelle
its popularity
back due to the
growth of US oil
and meatpacking
industries which
brought an
increase in the
by-products
that are the main
ingredients for
candle making.

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Mid 1980s

People were
interested in
candles as
decorative items,
mood setters and
gifts.
Candles were
available in all
sorts of sizes,
shapes, colours
and scents.

History 19

1990s

The candle making industry became
extremely successful and for the first
time after a century, a new type of
candle waxes was being developed.
The USA began making wax out of
soybeans which is now very popular
and a sustainable candle.

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Nowadays’

Candles are no
longer viewed
as a source of
light it continues
to be popular.
Candles symbolise
celebrations and
ignite romances. It
is mostly used for
aromatherapy or
home decoration.

History 21

Candle components

Waxes

Wax is the main fuel for
the candle flame and is
biosynthesised by various
plants and animals.

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Wax is a flammable, carbon-containing solid
that becomes liquid when heated above
room temperature.

Scientifics consider
all materials
containing those
characteristics are
considered waxes:
1. Solid at room

temperature
2. Liquid at a higher

temperature
3. Primarily

hydrocarbon in
structure
4. Water repellent
and insoluble
5. Smooth texture;
buffable under
slight pressure
6. Low toxicity; low
reactivity
7. Low odour

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Coconut wax

Coconut wax is odourless, colourless
and burns cleanly without any smoke.
It has great burn quality and aromatic
throw. This is one of the best and most
eco-friendly types of wax.

Paraffin wax

Paraffin wax is very cheap and has a
strong burning point but burns fast.
It also has a high scent throw and is
considered to be unsustainable because
it is a by-product of the oil industry.

Soy wax

Soy wax is odourless, colourless and
burns slowly and cleanly. It is also
considered to be a cheap wax because
of its crumbly texture. One of its
disadvantages is a low scent throw.

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Beeswax wax

Beeswax is the hives of honeybees. It is a
golden colour and has a honey-like scent.
Beeswax is a sustainable wax but it is very
expensive compared to other waxes.

Palm wax

Palm has the same characteristics as
paraffin wax but has a feathered effect
to it. It is mostly used for its aesthetic
and considered unsustainable because
of deforestation for palm tree planting.

Gel wax 25

Gel wax is a combination of resin
and mineral oil that can hold colour,
scents and melt like other waxes.
Its main feature is its transparency
which imitates water or other liquids.

Candle Components

Wicks

The type of wax used in a candle as well
as its size, shape, colour and fragrance
materials all impact a wick’s choice. It
is very important to choose the correct
wick for the candle to burn cleanly.
There are different type of wicks. Some
wicks burn slowly and are used in many
high-quality candles whereas wicks burn
quickly but are great as birthday candles.

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Candle Components 27

Cored wick

These are either braided or knitted
wicks that use a core material to keep
the wick straight or upright while
burning. Different core materials
provide a range of stiffness effects and
the most common core materials are
cotton, paper, zinc or tin.

Wooden wick

These are very popular for their visual
aesthetic purpose and the soft cracking
sound they create. They usually consist
of a single ply, multi-layered and have a
curved and decorative shape.

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Flat; knitted wick

These are three bundles of fibre that
have a very consistent burning. They
tend to curl in the flame and give off a
self-trimming effect. These are the most
commonly used wicks.

Square wick

These are braided or knitted wicks
that also curl in the flame for a
self-trimming effect. They are more
preferred for beeswax candle and
help inhibit clogging of the wick.

Speciality wick

These wicks are specially designed
to meet the burn characteristics of
specific candle applications, such as oil
lamps and insect-repelling candles.

Candle Components 29

Scents

“75 to 80 per cent of candles
are scented candles. Most
scented candles contain a
combination of natural and

faux fragrance.”

Scented candles are not only pleasing,
but they will burn safely and properly.
The aroma from a lighted scented candle
is released through evaporation of the
fragrance from the hot wax pool and from
the solid candle itself.

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Candle Components 31

Coloured Candles

Dyes

Dyes are used to providing colour
to the candle throughout and give
the candle a translucent colour.
They are available in both liquid
and powder form which allows a
degree of control over the colour’s
shade. They do not combust
easily that is they do not clog the
wicks do not affect the burning
performance of the candle.

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Pigments 33

Pigment only coats
the outside of a
candle with colour,
which means that
they do not dissolve
and as such are not
as susceptible to
colour fade as dyes.
They are microscopic,
suspended colour
particles that create
a solid wall on the
candle similar to
paint. Pigments
usually do not burn
well and will clog
the wick if burned.
They are unsuitable
for a candle that is
coloured throughout
and meant to be
burned but is useful
for coating only the
outside of the candle.

Candle Components

Types of Candle

Jar candle

Mostly used for their
scents and aesthetic look.

Votive candle

Mostly used for their small
size, scents and aesthetic
look.

Tealight candle

Mostly used for parties,
home decor or creating a
romantic atmosphere.

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Pillar candle

Mostly used in holiday
deco or religious
ceremonies.

Gel candle

Mostly use for home
deco for their transparent
characteristics.

Liturgical candle 35

Mostly used during
Christian ceremonies or in
the church.

Candle Components

Science of Candles

How Candle Burns?

All waxes are essentially hydrocarbons, which means they
are largely composed of hydrogen (H) and carbon (C) atoms.
When a candle is lit, the heat of the flame melts the wax near
the wick and the liquid wax is then drawn up the wick by
capillary action. Then the heat of the flame vaporises and turns
into a hot gas which starts to break down the hydrocarbons
into molecules of hydrogen and carbon. These vaporized
molecules are drawn up into the flame, where they react with
oxygen from the air to create heat, light, water vapour (H2O)
and carbon dioxide (CO2). Heat radiates from the flame in all
directions which is enough to radiate back and melt more wax
to keep the combustion process going until the fuel is used
up. It takes a few minutes for a candle’s combustion process
to stabilize, and the flame may flicker or smoke a bit at first,
but once the process is stabilized, the flame will burn cleanly
and steadily in a quiet teardrop shape. The wisp of smoke
that is sometimes seen when a candle flicker is caused by
unburned soot particles that have escaped from the flame due
to incomplete combustion.

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What Does the Flame Colours Represent?

The blue colour at the base of the flame is the oxygen-rich zone
where the hydrocarbon molecules vaporise and start to break apart
into hydrogen and carbon atoms. The hydrogen is the first to
separate and reacts with the oxygen to form water vapour whereas
some of the carbon burns to form carbon dioxide. Above that is a
small dark orange-brown section that has relatively little oxygen,
where the various forms of carbon continue to break down and
small, hardened carbon particles start to form. As they rise, along
with the water vapour and carbon dioxide created in the blue zone,
they are heated to approximately 1000 degrees Centigrade. Lastly,
at the bottom of the yellow zone, the formation of the carbon
particles increases, and they continue to heat until they ignite to
incandescence and emit the full spectrum of visible light. Since the
yellow portion of the spectrum is the most dominant when the carbon
ignites, the human eye perceives the flame as yellowish. The fourth
zone of the candle is the faint outside blue edge that extends from the
blue zone at the base of the flame and up the sides of the flame cone.
It is blue because it directly meets with the oxygen of the air, and is
the hottest part of the flame, typically reaching 1400o C.

Science of Candles 39

Why Do Candle Flames Always Point Up?

When a candle burns, the flame heats the nearby air and starts
to rise too so as this warm air moves up, the cooler air and
oxygen rush in at the bottom of the flame to replace it. When
that cooler air is heated, it creates a continual cycle of upward-
moving air around the flame which is called a convection
current, that gives the flame its elongated or teardrop shape.
Because “up” and “down” are a function of the earth’s gravity,
scientists wondered what a candle flame would look like in
outer space, where the pull of gravity is minimal and there isn’t
an up or down. In the late 1990s, NASA scientists ran several
space shuttles experiments to see how candle flames behaved
in microgravity. A candle flame in microgravity is spherical
instead of its elongated shape on Earth. Without gravity,
there’s no “up” direction for warm air to rise and create a
convection current.

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Spiritualism

The 5 Elements

Lighting a candle
represents the five
elements: earth, water,
air, fire, and spirit.
The wick and base
signify earth and are
vital for keeping the
flame steady. The wax,
which transforms from
a solid to a liquid and
then to gas, emulates
water. Oxygen
represents air which
keeps the flame lit.
The flame is a fire that
represents the element
of transformation and
rebirth. Lastly, the spirit
is represented when we
focus our intention on
the candle and infuse it
with our energy.

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Pagans use candles as intention candles, Paganism
also called Moon candles which are used 43
to bring focus and attention to working
with dreams, intuitive and psychic
natures, the inner selves, emotional
landscape and the cycles of lives.
When the candle is lit, it illuminates the
intentions of the person and meditating
on it, it releases a message and sends
energy out into the universe.
In astrology, the Moon is the second
luminary in the sky, receiving the light
from the Sun and beaming it back in a
softer and receptive way. The moon rules
the zodiac sign Cancer and represents the
watery and fertile aspects of life. Many
pagan Goddesses are associated with the
moon namely: Diana, Artemis, Selene,
Hecate, and Coyolxauhqui.
Some other associations with the moon
are fertility and childbirth, child-rearing,
growth and development, nourishment
and nurture, the inner realm of feeling,
daily life and habits, the sacred feminine,
adapting to change, honouring the
cycles of life, menstruation, instincts and
intuition, the dream realm and psychic
experience and personal subconscious.

Judaism

For Jews, one candle is lit every Buddhism
Friday night to celebrate the
beginning of the weekly Sabbath Candles are part of a traditional part
and on Saturday evenings, a of Buddhist ritual observances and
Havdalah candle is lit to mark the candles are also placed before Buddhist
end of the Sabbath. Pillar candles shrines or images of the Buddha as a
are also used in the Chanukah show of respect. They represent the
ceremony, where a candle is lit light of the Buddha’s teachings and
every evening for eight nights, to echo the metaphor of light used in
mark the candle which miraculously various Buddhist scriptures.
burned for eight days, when the
Jews recovered their temple from
the Greek / Persian Invaders. For
them, a candle flame represents
the ever-burning flame of the
divine being.
A memorial candle is lit and burns
for twenty four hours on the
Yahrzeit, or the anniversary of the
death of a loved one according
to the Hebrew calendar. Another
one is lit on Yom HaShoah, a day
of remembrance for all those who
perished in the Holocaust, and on
the eve of Yom Kippur.

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Hinduism

Candles are called Diya in Hindi
which means clay lamps that are
made from baked clay or terracotta
and holds oil that is lit via a cotton
wick. The oil lamps are lit daily
before the altar of the Lord, and
these are frequently used in Hindu
celebrations. These are mostly used
for Diwali to symbolize life and hope
and the conquest of good over evil.

Christianity

Candles are sometimes burnt in
churches and cathedrals as a sign of
remembrance or to represent the light
of God or, specifically, the light of
Christ. A Votive candle may be lit as an
accompaniment to prayer, or a special
candle is known as the Paschal candle,
which specifically represents Christ
and is lit only at Easter, funerals, and
baptisms. Candles were traditionally used
to light up Christmas trees before the
advent of electric lights.

Spiritualism 45

Chandelle

Buying Preferences
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Candle Creations

Mango Dreams

This is a coloured
beeswax jar candle
with mango, vanilla
and reading fragrance.

12 Princesses

This is a coloured gel
wax jar candle with
stawberry, adventure
and dancing fragrance.

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Flower Painting

This is a transparent
coconut wax jar candle
with hyacinth, waterlily
and painting fragrance.

Chocolate Forest

This is a coloured
coconut wax jar candle
with forest berries,
chocolate and raw
minerals fragrance.

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Fruity Afternoon

This is a coloured
soy wax jar candle
with cakes, fruits and
knitting fragrance.

Tropical Adventure

This is a coloured soy
wax jar candle with
beach, spring breeze and
caravan travel fragrance.

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