The History and Art of Candle Making
The History of Candle Making
The first candles were made by the Romans in about 500 B.C.. They were dipped candles made from rendered beef and lamb fat (called tallow) with wicks made from strips of burning cloth or reeds. The Chinese first made candles from whale fat during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). Indians made candle wax from boiling cinnamon. In more recent centuries candles were made from spermaceti, purified animal fats, and paraffin.
In the mid-19th century, the technology of candle production was revolutionized with the invention of the machine that could mass-produce candles at scale, cranking out ~1,500 candles per hour. This new machine helped lower the price of candles and made them accessible to the masses.
With the invention of the light bulb and superior methods of lighting with kerosene, candles shifted from being a necessity to more of a decorative item.
Although consumer interest waned during this time, in recent years interest in candles has grown as more people begin to appreciate the home décor and aromatherapy potential of candles.
Today’s modern candle is made from either paraffin, soy wax, beeswax or some combination of the three. Paraffin was first created in 1830 when the chemist Karl von Reichenbach was exploring ways to separate and refine the waxy substances naturally occurring in petroleum. Although it is the most affordable and most common type of candle wax, it also produces poor air quality, generating toxic fumes. This is why soy wax and beeswax are most often favored by modern consumers, and why WAVE only uses 100% all-natural soy wax that is safe and clean to burn.
Our Process
At WAVE our mission is to bring creativity, artisanship, and design thinking together by infusing art forms with clean ingredients and modern technology. We want to create healthy products that delight your life and space, all with stories to tell.
For our candles’ raw materials we use 100% all-natural soy wax and lead-free cotton wicks that produce the cleanest and smoothest-burning base to cleanly showcase our fragrance.
The fragrance is the star of the show. We don’t follow trends, instead, we follow our hearts by going through a user-centric design process. Each fragrance goes through many rounds of user testing and product validation. Not only does the fragrance need to be appreciated for its aroma, but it must also be appreciated for what it represents and how it makes one feel. Fragrance can also be a powerful tool for aromatherapy-like relaxation and stress reduction, and we take these aspects into account. We place sincere emphasis on developing the highest-quality, and enjoyable perfume possible.
Our perfume candle is housed in a whiskey glass which we recommend being reused. We want you to give the vessel a new life and use it artfully after it’s been used.
Every WAVE candle's wax is carefully tested & hand-poured so that the candle burns even and clean. We inspect our candles one by one to ensure the wick is straight and centered. Once the candle has been completely cooled, the wicks are trimmed to a length of a ¼-⅛ inch. Every candle receives one last inspection and is cleaned by hand before being packaged and shipped.
With proper care, WAVE’s candles burn for an average of 50 to 60 hours.
We are always refining our process in order to create candles that our customers truly love. If you have any thoughts, concerns or requests, we would love to hear what’s on your mind, Give us a WAVE anytime!