Why paraffin wax is reliable for candles

Paraffin wax offers several benefits and is one of the most common waxes used by the candle industry today.¹ Here are some of the reasons why.

What is paraffin wax?

Paraffin wax is solid at ambient temperature and melts between 35-85°C/95-185°F.
The melting range of paraffin makes it amenable to different candle types (from tea lights to pillars).
It can be colorless or pale yellow depending on the refining process. Fully-refined paraffin wax is great for candles since it’s colorless, thereby avoiding any interference with dyes.

Consistent, reliable quality

Our global manufacturing practices are rigorously controlled to ensure consistent quality of every grade produced. This enables dependable candle formulations, eliminating batch-to-batch variability.
ExxonMobil’s fully refined and select semi-refined waxes comply with the FDA’s quality and good manufacturing requirements for non-food contact substances.²
Our fully-refined waxes are also biodegradable under composting conditions.³

Production

With a global refining footprint, ExxonMobil Waxes are produced and distributed locally, thus meeting domestic candle manufacturing needs.
The ExxonMobil Brand and Product Integrity Management System governs product quality such that every shipment of wax is certified to meet our sales specifications.

As you can see, we have extensive experience in areas ranging from product safety to performance testing of our waxes. To learn more about our product portfolio of waxes and their applications, visit https://www.exxonmobil.com/en/wax/wax-applications.

¹“Elements of a candle: Wax,” National Candle Association, https://candles.org/elements-of-a-candle/wax/ (accessed Jun. 2, 2023)

²FDA 21 CFR 178.3710 for indirect food grade; Select ExxonMobil semi-refined waxes comply with requirements of RAL-GZ 041 for candle manufacturing.

³According to ASTM D5339-11.

For more information, download the Why Paraffin Wax infographic.

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