Review: Bluecorn Beeswax Candles

There's something magical about a flickering candle. While lead wicks have been thankfully banned in 2003, carcinogens and phthalates in the common paraffin candle soon made a lighted candle a rarity in my household. I was thus excited to hear about beeswax candles and Bluecorn Natural that generously gave me beeswax tea candles, their essential oil-scented Tranquility candle, and their beeswax lotion bar to review.

Beeswax candles are the cleanest burning candles out there and because they're made from the wax bees use to build their hive, it's truly natural. Beeswax have the highest melting point than other common candle waxes, including the widely-sold and toxic paraffin and increasingly popular soy candles (clean soot, longer burn time than paraffin, but shorter than beeswax) that Bluecorn also carries and as a result, as the company attests, "provides ridiculously long burn times."

Let me give you a short primer on the two types of beeswax used for manufactured beeswax candles--filtered and unfiltered. As the Bluecorn website explains, filtered beeswax candles filter out the pollen and honey from candles that make the candles smell heavenly but unfortunately, cause a lot of soot. Conversely, unfiltered candles retain the natural fragrances of beeswax, but can have issues with clogged wicks and excessive smoking. However, Bluecorn, while also carrying highly filtered candles, remedies the soot issues in their raw candles by lightly filtering out the impurities so we can have the best in both worlds--a clean no-nonsense burn and a wonderful honey fragrance.

I tried their beeswax tea lights and were impressed by their long burn times (I had one burning for almost two hours and it still had a lot of life yet.) and its clean natural honey aroma. I just sat around the candle and deeply breathed in its honey goodness. They offer highly filtered ivory and lightly filtered raw candles. Go with the raw. Why lose the honey?

The aromatherapy Tranquility candle scented with pure essential oils of lemongrass, cinnamon and rosemary is a special treat. When I first took a whiff of it, unlighted and in the tin, I thought it would be too strong. But upon lighting, I was pleasantly surprised at how the dominant lemon and cinnamon scents could be mild and soothing, thus living out its name. These naturally scented candles seem to have a less potent fragrance than commercial candles and are sans phthalates. Consider buying this for a stressed out mama.

Finally, let me rave a little about their original scented beeswax lotion bar. At first, I was puzzled on how to use this round slab solid. The instructions stated that the body heat would melt the solid to a silky lotion and so I rubbed it on my hands like soap and it felt waxy. But then when I applied it on my feet in a back and forth motion (think pumice stone) it glided and I became addicted. It did a deep moisturizing job on my cracked heels and hardened blisters and calluses. It didn't cure my foot ills out right, but it did alleviate a lot of discomfort. My children watched me with big eyes and wanted to have a try at it, but I promptly stole this goody for myself. I love this bar and if even for a night, I forget to apply it in the chaos of getting my own children to bed, I have to give an audible sigh. It's really that good. And made of organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, avocado oil, cappings beeswax, vitamin E and a proprietary (that means "secret") blend of pure essential oils, it smells wonderful, too. I made several ofl my friends take a whiff at it, and we detect coconut, vanilla, and something citrus. I wouldn't mind if my children associated that smell with me.

I didn't have a chance to actually sample this product, but their Bee Yummy Skin Food looks like it's worth trying out. What can I say? I love beeswax.