Luxury Beeswax Candles - The Very Best on your Tabletop & in your Home
When we receive questions from our customers regarding what candles they should purchase for their home, we never fail to mention Apis Cera, an all-natural beeswax candle company, located in Provence, France. Operated by French-Dutch beeswax specialist, Charles van Valkenburg, all their candles are handmade from 100% pure organic beeswax in his atelier. While several quality beeswax brands are available, Apis Cera has never failed to rank amongst the best when evaluated for cleanness, ambiance (brightness), and burn time. And we would be remiss if we did not mention their beautiful packaging making them gorgeous for gifting.
One thing to note - it’s always important when you’re buying beeswax candles to make sure they say ‘100% pure beeswax’ as sometimes candles are marketed as beeswax but in fact only contain around 5%, the rest made up of paraffin. Apis Cera are 100% pure beeswax, plain and simple.
Many Ask, "What’s the Difference between Beeswax & Honey"?
Bees, and more specifically, honeybees secrete a wax from wax glands in their abdomen. This wax is used to make their honeycomb. The processed form of this wax is used in producing various items, including beeswax candles. Honey, on the other hand, is a viscous, sweet fluid produced from plant nectar by bees. Every year, as beekeepers extract honey, they end up with wax that is used to make candles, and of course the honey which is used for everything from sweet tea to baked goods to luxury candles.
Apis Cera, "Ravissant" Organic French Honey and Lavender Beeswax Lip Balm
L’abeille Occitane, Pure French Provence Flowers Honey
Apis Cera, Ambroise Deluxe Box of 2, French Hand-Rolled Beeswax
Charles van Valkenburg, Apis Cera Founder with his dog, Muscat
Why Should You Switch to Beeswax Candles?
There are so many reasons why beeswax candles are so much better than paraffin-based candles, so we asked our staff to summarize the reasons why you should choose beeswax candles when having a special dinner or gathering. Here’s what they had to say:
Reason 1 – Beeswax Candles are 100% Natural, Pure, Renewable
Since beeswax is one of the densest waxes with a a high melting point, it doesn’t require any hardeners, additives, or chemical treatments to make a quality product. It is naturally chemical and paraffin free. Meanwhile paraffin candles often contain toxic chemicals such as synthetic fragrances and artificial dyes. By choosing beeswax candles, you are limiting your exposure to toxic compounds.
Reason 2 - Beeswax Candles are Environmentally Pure & Good
Beeswax Candles are believed to release negative ions into the air that purifies by causing airborne particles such as dust, toxins and even odors to fall to the ground via static electricity. This appears to be the reason why asthma or allergy sufferers find beeswax candles non-irritating.
Reason 3 - Beeswax Candles are Virtually Soot Free
When burned properly (keeping wick trimmed and away from drafty areas) beeswax candles burn clean with hardly any soot or black smoke emission. Less or no soot is due to the fact that beeswax burns hotter than paraffin wax and therefore has less soot emissions. Customers love the fact when they use beeswax candles on their tabletop during formal or special dinners, they need not worry about black soot collecting on their ceilings or walls when candles are used in sconces. We all know from experience this black soot is very difficult to remove.
Reason 4 – Beeswax Candles have a Beautiful Ambiance & Candle Glow
Because beeswax has a higher melting point than other waxes, beeswax candles emit a bright, warm-toned flame. Anyone who has ever burned a beeswax candle knows this familiar, soft natural light glow. This helps create the perfect relaxing atmosphere for dining or for a quiet moment of meditation, reading or while you’re in the bath. Self-care never felt so good.
Reason 5 – Beeswax Candles have a Beautiful, Natural Soothing Fragrance
All beeswax candles have a subtle and pleasing, honey-like scent. They get their scent “naturally” - from the nectar and honey that was originally stored in the honeycomb. Sometimes the actual scents vary slightly depending on what the bees were pollinating, be it wildflowers, lavender, citrus, herbs, or wild berries.
Reason 6 – Beeswax Candles have a Long Burn Time & are Virtually Drip FreeBeeswax candles as a rule have a longer burn time than most other candles. Because it is so dense (0.958), it burns slower and drips less, and many consider beeswax candles to be drip free. For instance, Apis Cera Lucienne, 10.5” candlesticks have a 5 hour burn time each.
Reason 7 - Sustainable Resource - Good for the Environment
Beeswax is a natural, renewable byproduct of the beekeeping industry that actually helps the environment. Bees play a pivotal role in our lives by pollinating the crops we eat and plants in the wild. Beeswax is just another miracle that comes from these amazing insects.
Don’t Let Cost Stop You
The only drawback to beeswax candles is they are more expensive than paraffin candles. Paraffin candles are inexpensive to make because they can be mass produced. Beeswax is only made by honeybees and so the supply can be limited. On top of that, it takes a huge amount of energy for a bee to produce beeswax. For every 7-8 pounds of the honey bees produce, they will secrete just 1 pound of wax and they will do a lot of flying just to produce that honey! The beekeeper can only obtain a small amount of beeswax from each hive and so it is a valuable product. So yes, beeswax candles will be pricier than others but given what’s been discussed above it is well worth looking at the value as well as the cost.
Visit Au Bon Gout Boutique as we have the Apis Cera, Lucienne 10.5” taper candlesticks with the honeycomb texture, in the natural honey color, plus, during holiday season, in red and hunter green. All are beautifully gift wrapped and gift boxed in sets of 9. If looking for a pillar candle, we have the Apis Cera Ambroise 5” pillar. These pillar candles are sold in sets of 2 and equally have the honeycomb texture. Apis Cera now has the Ambroise brass “bee” pin available for placing onto the pillar candle giving it a charming look.