Coconut Wax — Frequently Asked Questions

It melts at only 38 to 42 degrees Celsius, the lowest of the common vegetable candle waxes. A free-standing pillar has to support its own weight and survive a warm room, and a wax that soft will slump and lose shape. Coconut wax is therefore a container wax, and where its properties are wanted in a firmer format it is blended with a higher-melting wax such as soy, rapeseed or beeswax.

Its low melting point means a melt pool forms quickly and stays liquid at a lower temperature, so fragrance evaporates steadily from a larger surface for longer. Its composition also holds fragrance oil in solution well rather than letting it separate. The combination gives noticeably better cold and hot throw than soy at the same fragrance load, which is why it commands a premium.

It is hydrogenated coconut oil, CAS 84836-98-6, carrying the INCI name Hydrogenated Coconut Oil. Hydrogenation saturates the fatty acid chains in the oil and converts a liquid into a soft solid. Commercial candle products sold as coconut wax are frequently blends rather than the pure hydrogenated oil, so the composition should be confirmed if a single-ingredient claim is being made.

At around 45 to 50 degrees Celsius, with the wax never heated above 85. Because the melting point is so low, the working window between melting and pouring is narrow, and pouring too hot will cause the wax to shrink excessively and pull away from the glass. Pre-warming containers and cooling slowly in a draught-free area gives the best surface.