You’ve decided on soy wax for your candles or maybe you are switching from another type of wax. You google soy wax for candle making and find that there are many types to choose from! Which is the best soy wax for candles? At this point you may just choose one and roll with it. You may eventually find that you run into a few issues. Maybe it’s too much frosting. Maybe you don’t get the strong fragrance throw you were looking for. Sink holes, why are there sink holes???
You begin to wonder if you made a mistake and start looking for answers.
You search Google for “What is the best soy wax for candles” and find multiple articles with different opinions.
You ask in groups and find hundreds of different opinions there as well, though some soy waxes tend to stick out as ones that a majority seem to have the best luck with.
All this can be so confusing!!
The problem is, it is really difficult to say which soy wax is best. There is no “best” soy wax for candle making, only what works best for you.
Each soy wax has strengths and weaknesses. Different soy waxes have different melting temperatures, pouring temperatures and cooling temperatures. Some soy waxes cool with smoother tops, while others have more of an issue with sink holes or frost. (there are things you can do to minimize the frost and sink holes). Some candle makers find that some soy wax gives a better hot throw than others.
I know you probably came upon this article because you hoped I would give you the magic answer and tell you what the best soy wax for candle making is. I’m sorry to disappoint, but I can list the types of soy wax and give you some idea of which ones I’ve used that have worked well, and which ones others tend to use most with great success. So far my favorite soy wax for candles is 100% Midwest Soy, P-100 Pillar Blend (great for tarts and votives) and Ecosoya Advanced.
Types of Soy Wax for Candles
Calwax CB3- Made from 100% hydrogenated soy and vegetable oils. Single pour
Candle Science Soy Wax on Amazon.com– This is actually just the Golden Brands 464 that they have on their website as well. It’s a little expensive for a 2lb bag of soy wax on Amazon, but if you have Amazon Prime, then it would qualify for free shipping, so it might be worth it depending where you live and if you are just wanting to test it out.
Cargill Naturewax C-1– This is actually a soy/palm wax blend. Description says it has great fragrance throw, and resistant to bloom or “frosting”. Also avoids wet spots by completely pulling away from the containers. This soy wax could also work for tarts and votives since it pulls away completely.
Cargill Naturewax C-3– 100% soy wax from Elevance. It is resistant to bloom or “frosting” and wet spots and is supposed to give an excellent scent throw.
EcoSoya Q210, Ecosoya Q220, EcoSoya Q230, EcoSoya Quantum– Ecosoya recently re-formulated their soy wax and these are the new formulas. I have not tried any of their new soy candle waxes yet so I can’t comment on them personally at this time.
Ecosoya Advanced Container soy wax– Made with pure soybeans and carefully selected botanical oils. Extreme resistance to bloom or “frosting”. Contracts slightly for a more even appearance. Smooth tops and consistent color retention.
Ecosoya PB Pillar Blend– Made from pure 100% soybeans and carefully selected botanical oils. Self-releasing from molds. This wax is for Pillars, votives, tarts and any other molded candles. Very smooth appearance and I personally know it makes beautiful votives and melts. Ships well in all climates.
P-100 Pillar/Votive/Tart blend This is a pillar/votive blend soy wax and is great for pillars, votives and tarts/melts. *I have used this wax and it works very well and cools to a nice smooth finish and has good hot throw
100% Midwest Soy This is an excellent soy wax for candle making that I have used for my containers since I started several years ago. Excellent jar adhesion and hot and cold throw. It is 100% soy wax, nothing added or blended. Since it is 100% soy, it can have more issues with frosting. I’ve found I have a lot less trouble during the warmer months so room temperature plays a big part if you are doing everything else correctly.
Millenium Blend – A container wax that is a blend of soy and other natural ingredients (no paraffin) to resist frosting or bloom. Long burning, good jar adhesion and color retention. This blend does give a nice smooth appearance and has a smoother appearance than some other soy waxes after it burns as well. It is a nice wax, but can have a little more trouble with “wet spots” (pulling away from the jar in some spots).
Golden Brands 416– A tart/votive soy wax that contains no additives and is natural and kosher.
Golden Brands 435– This is a soy/cotton blended wax that is also both natural and kosher. The cotton blend is supposed to help with an easier burn and reduce frosting.
Golden Brands 464– *Recommended by many in our Facebook group for soy candle making! I had trouble with it the first batch I bought, but I think it was just a bad batch because the second time I bought it, it worked out much better. The best pour temp for this wax seems to be 135 degrees F or higher. Lower melt point than the 444 wax for better glass adhesion and burn time. This is a blended soy wax using a soy-based additive and is both natural and kosher. This soy-based additive enables the soy to be poured at a hotter temperature reducing frosting and increasing FO load. This wax blends well with paraffin, slack wax, and microcrystalline waxes.
Golden Brands 444 Soy Wax– Higher melt point than the 464 for higher fragrance load/stronger scent throw. This is a blended soy wax using a soy-based additive and is both natural and kosher. This soy-based additive enables the soy wax to be poured at a hotter temperature reducing frosting and increasing FO load. This wax blends well with paraffin, slack wax, and microcrystalline waxes.
Golden Brands 415 Soy Wax– A pure soy wax that has a higher melt point than 402 allowing for a higher fragrance load for a stronger scent throw. *I have tested this wax and I really like it. It cooled to a very nice smooth appearance with no frosting.
Golden Brands 402 Soy Wax– A pure soy wax that has a lower melt point for better glass adhesion (less “wet” spots) and better burn.
KY Soy 115– 100% soybean wax for containers. Fragrance load up to 10% (they state that tops may require a repour)
KY Soy 125– All natural soybean/cottonseed blend. Fragrance load up to 10%
KY Puresoy– 100% soy wax with no additives. Fragrance load up to 12%. They also state that tops may require a repour.
Nature’s Garden (NG) 100% Soy Wax– This is simply the Golden Brands 415 (see description above)
Soy 120 by Candlewic– This is an all natural soy based wax. Fragrance load is 3% which seems extremely low. They do suggest adding Palm Stearic or beeswax to it, but it can be used alone.
Soy 125 by Candlewic– This is an all natural soy wax made with soy wax and soybean oil so that it has a higher fragrance load than the 120. Fragrance load is 5-6% . The addition of Palm Stearic or Beeswax is also suggested which will give a higher fragrance load.
EcoSoya CB Advanced and EcoSoya pillar blend I find are the best. I’m so thrilled they brought them back!
Yes, that was a good move for them. Those were their two best soy waxes before!
Hello melissa, I wanted to let you know how much I thank you for sending me the list of waxes that you have worked with. I still make candles and really enjoy making them, but I still only make them for family members.Awhile back I did order the golden wax 464 and liked it much better than the 444 wax. I still tend to make container candles and wax melts. I would like your feedback on trying another wax other than the two I mentioned.
Hi Connie! I would have suggested the Ecosoya CB Advanced but they have changed their wax formulas and I haven’t tried the new ones yet. 464 is still one of the most popular soy waxes. I’m hoping to get back to testing waxes soon, especially the new Ecosoya, so I will be sure to post some reviews.
Oh, I forgot they brought back the Ecosoya CB Advanced. I really like that one and think it is comparable to 464, only I think I’ve had an easier time with the Advanced not getting sink holes.
I’ve used the Cagill soy wax and after the first burn the surface is quite dimpled – is this normal? Is there a way of preventing this? Otherwise I loved the finish and it had an excellent cold scent throw (though not as good a hot throw).
Hi Melissa,
I’ve been working with Midwest Soy. I love it! Purchase it from American soy Organics. Any advice on how to get smooth tops!
So I make both molded and container candles. My molded ones have been smaller, like votives, and burn great. But my container candles are larger and I have the problem where the wick burns out into the wax. I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong or if you have a suggestion on which wax I should use so that doesn’t happen? I’m guessing I need something with a lower melt point but I’d love your opinion on it. Thanks!
EcoSoya is discontinuing again unfortanutely!
unfortunately *
I am currently using the Golden Brand 464 wax. Can you please tell me what is the best wick to use for this wax?
EcoSoya was excellent have switched to Goldenwax and frankly its awful, very temperamental, difficult to get smooth tops and when the candle resets after being lit the top never goes smooth.
I am a new chandler and have been experimenting with GB 464 but some oils do not give a good hot throw. Some days I will make 6 different batches and the first 4 are great and last one or two will have frosting and bumpy tops so it’s not consistent.
I just received virgin coconut soy from Wooden Wick and tried one batch in various sized containers and wicks. Wow it’s great. Beautiful white appearance, no second pour or fixing tops and after a two day cure fabulous hot throw even with a weld wick. May just switch to this
Oops. I meant wood wick not weld wick
I bought 50 pounds of the golden 444 soy wax. I’m also new at this hobby. What is the best pour temp and the best wick to use for this wax? Please give me all the info I need to know
What are the best scents for soy wax 464 I’m ordering from lone star? Help anyone please
I am looking for a soy wax in flakes that are soft to the touch and not crunchy. Wanting to use it for art on cradle boards by melting it with pigment colors and doing it in layers. Once it is dry I want the wax to still be soft not hard. Would really appreciate some advice.
What’s the best fragant or strongest to use with soy wax. I’ve made a few to test but the results were not really good you could hardly smell it at all while it was burning.