What Kind Of Wax Is In Chesapeake Bay Candles?

The Chesapeake Bay Candle Company is a small-batch artisanal candle brand based in Baltimore, Maryland. Known for their distinctively nautically themed candles, Chesapeake Bay Candles are hand-poured in small batches using premium ingredients and customizable fragrance blends.

The company was founded in 1994 by husband and wife duo David and Cindy Kittner. Frustrated by the poor burning quality of mass-market candles, the Kittners began exploring candle making using higher grade waxes and custom scents inspired by the Chesapeake Bay’s natural aromas. This allowed them to create clean-burning, long-lasting candles with exceptional fragrance throw.

Today, Chesapeake Bay Candles are recognized globally for their signature line of candles packaged in apothecary-style jars and nautically themed tins. Each candle features a custom fragrance designed to capture the essence of coastal living along the Chesapeake Bay. From fresh beach and ocean scents, to earthy woodland and floral blends, the candles aim to transport people’s senses and spirits to the beauty of the Bay area.

Soy Wax

Soy wax is made from hydrogenated soybean oil. It is a relatively new type of wax that has grown in popularity over the past couple decades. Some key properties of soy wax include:

• Made from a Renewable Resource – Since soy wax is made from soybeans, it is a renewable and sustainable resource.
• Clean Burning – Soy wax has no petroleum products and burns cleaner than paraffin wax.
• Natural Ingredients – No dyes or synthetic fragrances are added to pure soy wax.
• Customizable – Soy wax can be blended with other waxes and oils to achieve desired properties.
• Low Melting Point – Soy wax melts at a lower temperature than paraffin, making it ideal for container candles.
• Excellent Jar Adhesion – Soy wax adheres well to surfaces like glass and metal.
• Holds Fragrance – The natural properties of soy wax allow it to absorb and retain fragrances.

These characteristics make soy wax a popular choice for many candle makers today. It offers an eco-friendly and customizable option compared to paraffin wax.

Paraffin Wax

Paraffin wax is a commonly used candle wax made from petroleum. It is a byproduct of refining crude oil to produce gasoline and diesel fuels. Paraffin wax is extracted during the refining process and then further purified and refined to meet quality standards for candle making.

Paraffin wax has a crystalline structure that allows it to harden into a solid state at room temperature while melting at approximately 130-150°F. This property makes it an ideal material for forming candles. Paraffin wax by itself is an odorless and colorless substance. To make candles, it requires the addition of fragrance and dye.

The advantages of paraffin wax include:

• Affordable cost
• Excellent scent throw
• Holds dye and pigments well to produce vibrant colors
• Easy to work with due to a low melting point

However, there are some disadvantages to paraffin wax. It is derived from non-renewable petroleum sources. Paraffin wax also tends to melt quicker than some natural waxes, resulting in a shorter burn time. There are also some consumer concerns around potential toxins released from petroleum-based paraffin when burned.

Beeswax

Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees. Bees secrete beeswax from special glands on their abdomens and use it to construct the walls of honeycomb. The wax is initially white, but as bees walk over it and deposit pollen, it takes on a yellow or brown color.

Beeswax has a high melting point of around 62-64°C and solidifies into a brittle, non-sticky substance. It consists primarily of esters, fatty acids, and long-chain alcohols. Compared to other waxes, beeswax is relatively tough and stable.

Some key properties of beeswax include:

• Hardness – Beeswax is quite hard and needs to be heated before it can be molded into shape.
• Pliability – It remains pliable over time and doesn’t crack easily in cold temperatures.
• Aroma – Beeswax has a light, sweet, honey-like scent.
• Waterproof – The wax is hydrophobic and waterproof.
• Malleable – Beeswax softens at human body temperature, making it easy to mold by hand.
• Absorbent – It has the ability to absorb scents and oils without losing its structural integrity.

These characteristics make beeswax well-suited for use in candles, lip balms, furniture polishes, and other products. Its waterproof nature and malleability also lend themselves well to candle-making.

Coconut Wax

Coconut wax is made from the oils of coconut flesh. It is harder than soy wax or beeswax. Coconut wax has a high melting point between 76-82°C which makes it suitable for container candles. It also has excellent scent throw properties compared to other waxes.

Some key properties of coconut wax:

• High melting point – makes it suitable for containers and pillars
• Excellent scent throw
• Hard, brittle texture
• White in color
• Made from renewable resources

The main advantage of coconut wax is its powerful scent throw and suitability for container candles. The high oil content allows more fragrance to be absorbed and released when burning. The natural hardness also minimizes issues like wet spots. However, the brittleness can make it prone to cracking and frosting. Overall, coconut wax produces excellent quality candles when blended properly.

Palm Wax

Palm wax is a natural vegetable wax derived from the leaves of palm trees. It has a high melting point of around 95°F, making it an excellent wax for candles. When burned, palm wax candles have a bright finish and produce a scent throw that fills the entire room.

Some key properties of palm wax include:

• It’s 100% natural and biodegradable.
• Palm wax burns cleanly without producing smoke or soot.
• It holds fragrances well and evenly distributes scent.
• The high hardness gives palm wax candles a smooth finish with good shine.
• Palm wax is blended with other waxes to modify characteristics like melting point, hardness, and burning properties.

While natural, there are some sustainability concerns around palm oil production. Responsible sourcing focuses on plantations that don’t clear rainforests or displace indigenous populations.

Chesapeake’s Signature Blend

One of the key things that sets Chesapeake Bay Candles apart is their signature soy-paraffin blend. While many candle makers use 100% soy or 100% paraffin wax, Chesapeake Bay has perfected a proprietary blend that combines the best qualities of both waxes.

The soy wax they use comes from American-grown soybeans. Soy wax is prized for its clean burn and excellent scent throw. It’s a renewable and environmentally friendly wax. The addition of soy wax helps the candles burn longer and stronger.

They blend the soy wax with highly refined paraffin wax. Paraffin wax offers excellent scent retention and helps the wax hold its shape as the candle burns. This makes for a smooth and even burn. Paraffin also gives the candles a glossy finish and vibrant color representation.

By combining soy and paraffin in their special formula, Chesapeake Bay Candles have mastered a wax that maximizes scent throw and retention, burn time, and aesthetic appeal. The blend accentuates both waxes’ strengths. The mix varies based on the specific candle design and fragrance oil chemistry. But each signature blend undergoes extensive research and testing to ensure optimal performance.

This proprietary soy-paraffin blend is what gives Chesapeake Bay Candles their exceptional quality that customers have come to know and love. It’s the fuel behind their scented storytelling.

Manufacturing Process

Chesapeake Bay Candles are made in small batches at the company’s factory in Maryland. The process begins by melting large blocks of wax in industrial melters. The liquid wax is then poured into molds to create the candle’s shape. Once the candles harden, employees use machines to trim the wicks to the proper length and smooth any imperfections on the surface.

Next, the candles are hand-dipped into colored dyes multiple times to achieve the desired shade and finish. Some designs require additional steps like rolling the candles in sand or pressing embossed patterns into the wax. After cooling and inspection, the candles are packaged by hand and shipped out to stores across the country.

By producing the candles in smaller batches and hand-finishing each one, Chesapeake Bay Candles can ensure consistent quality and attention to detail in every candle they make. Their manufacturing process combines efficiency with artisan craftsmanship to create a premium candle product.

Quality Standards

Chesapeake Bay Candles are renowned for their exceptional quality and consistency. The company has stringent quality control procedures and rigorous testing at every stage of production to ensure all candles meet their high standards.

All raw materials like wax, wicks, and fragrance oils undergo thorough examination and must be approved before being used in any candle. Chesapeake Bay Candles extensively tests candle prototypes with burn tests that evaluate parameters like scent throw, appearance, melt pool dimensions, and burn time. Only candles that pass these examinations move into production.

Finished candles are inspected to verify flawless pouring, clean seams, proper wick placement, and excellent scent diffusion. Random batches are retested to confirm burn quality. This meticulous quality control allows Chesapeake Bay Candles to guarantee consistent performance from every candle. Customers can trust that each candle will burn cleanly and safely while filling the air with fragrance.

Conclusion

Chesapeake Bay Candles use a signature blend of waxes to achieve their high quality, long burning candles. While many candlemakers rely on just one type of wax, Chesapeake expertly combines different waxes including soy, paraffin, beeswax, coconut, and palm to create candles that are fragrant, clean-burning, and long-lasting.

Soy wax gives the candles a smooth surface for fragrance adherence. Paraffin wax provides a high melting point for shape retention. Beeswax delivers a natural, honey-like scent. Coconut wax makes the candles clean-burning with minimal soot. And palm wax allows for excellent scent throw. By carefully selecting and blending these waxes in their factory, Chesapeake is able to produce distinctive, premium candles known for their consistency and performance.

Through their specialized manufacturing techniques and quality control standards, Chesapeake ensures each custom batch of wax burns evenly from edge to edge, fill to fill. This signature wax blend is what makes Chesapeake Bay Candles stand out among other candle brands and enables them to craft candles that look beautiful, fill homes with fragrance, and burn slowly for maximum enjoyment.