The Beauty of Candles and What They’re Made Of
There’s something enchanting about candles. They instantly warm up a space, bringing the energy of fire and adding warmth, ambiance and vitality to anything from a festive celebration to a simple dinner.
Scent has a powerful connection to memory, emotion and atmosphere: fresh coastal air, warm spice, soft florals. But a candle is also something we burn, so it helps to know what is actually in it. The wax, fragrance, dyes and wick can all affect how a candle burns and what it releases.
This guide brings together candle brands with simpler ingredients and better disclosure, along with what to look for so you can choose the one that fits your space, scent preferences and budget.
Some links on this page may earn Aalign a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Our Top Picks
Best for candlelight with no added scent
Fontana Pure Unscented Jar Candle | Best | $
Two ingredients: beeswax and coconut oil, with an untreated wooden wick. No added fragrance.
Best for a fresh plant scent without fragrance oils
Slow North Hello Sunshine Signature Candle | Best | $$
Soy wax with grapefruit, geranium and lime essential oils and a cotton wick.
Best for citrus scented beeswax
Natural Sloth Citrus Beeswax Candle | Best | $$
Beeswax, organic coconut oil, a wood wick and a fully disclosed blend of citrus, geranium and cedarwood essential oils.
Best lower priced essential oil candle
Meaningful Mantras You Are Well Lavender Eucalyptus Candle | Best | $
Coconut wax, an unbleached cotton wick and lavender and eucalyptus essential oils.
Price guide: $ lower priced | $$ midrange | $$$ higher priced
Find What You Need
I want candlelight with no added scent: Fontana or Hyoola tapers
I want beeswax scented with essential oils: Blue Corn, Natural Sloth, Primally Pure, Aire Candle Co. or Rowe Casa Organics
I want a soy or coconut wax candle scented with essential oils: Slow North or Meaningful Mantras
I want candles for a dinner table: Hyoola or Blue Corn tapers
I want a refillable candle: Siblings
I want something beautiful enough to leave out: Grow Fragrance, Brooklyn Candle Studio, LOHN or PF Candle Co.
I am buying a gift: Birthdate Candles
I want to support a small or independent maker: Blue Corn, Aire Candle Co. or Slow North
I want to understand the ingredients first: Understanding Candle Fragrance and Wax and Wick Explained
I am concerned about smoke or soot: Simple Ways to Burn Candles Better
I want scent or glow without a candle flame: Beyond Candles
The Candle Brands That Stand Out
These brands stood out for ingredient simplicity, fragrance disclosure, thoughtful design or a particular reason you might choose them.
The rating applies to the specific candle reviewed, not automatically to every product a brand makes.
Best | The simplest formulas we reviewed, usually with fully disclosed essential oil scent or no added fragrance and a clearly identified wick.
Better | Strong wax and wick choices with a broader but relatively well disclosed fragrance blend.
Good | Good wax and wick choices, but the fragrance formula is broader or less completely disclosed.
Fontana Candle Company | Best | $
Fontana makes some of the simplest candles you can buy. The Pure Unscented Jar Candle has just beeswax and coconut oil, with a wooden wick that gives it that cozy little crackle without adding fragrance.
Product reviewed: Pure Unscented Jar Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Beeswax and coconut oil, untreated wooden wick, no added scent.
What stands out: Fontana says it was the first candle brand to earn MADE SAFE certification. MADE SAFE independently screens ingredients against known and suspected human health and environmental hazards, which gives this candle something most brands in the category do not have: third party ingredient review. Fontana’s unscented candle is currently MADE SAFE certified and burns for approximately 35 to 40 hours. Fontana Candle Co
Best for: Someone who loves candlelight but would rather skip added scent completely.
Blue Corn Candles | Best | $$
These are the kind of beeswax candles that make the candle itself part of the table or room. Blue Corn has been hand pouring beeswax candles in Colorado since 1991, with everything from jars to pillars and classic tapers.
Product reviewed: Beeswax Botanica Scented Candle in Blown Glass
Wax, wick and scent: Beeswax scented with essential oils in a reusable glass vessel.
What stands out: Beautiful beeswax, traditional candle shapes and vessels you will actually want to reuse. Their tapers are especially lovely for dinners and gatherings.
Slow North | Best | $$
Slow North candles smell more like plants than perfume. The Hello Sunshine blend of grapefruit, geranium and lime is fresh and bright without becoming overly sweet.
Product reviewed: Hello Sunshine Signature Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Soy wax, cotton wick and grapefruit, geranium and lime essential oils.
What stands out: The brand publishes the botanical ingredients and states that it does not use artificial fragrance oils. Slow North is also an independent, woman owned maker based in Austin.
Best for: Someone who wants a noticeable botanical scent without conventional fragrance oil.
Meaningful Mantras | Best | $
Meaningful Mantras gives us something this list needs: a lower priced candle with a genuinely simple, clearly disclosed formula.
Product reviewed: You Are Well Lavender Eucalyptus Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Coconut wax, unbleached cotton wick, lavender and eucalyptus essential oils.
What stands out: The lavender and eucalyptus feel fresh rather than perfumey, and the brand states that it uses no synthetic fragrance. The name and message also make it an easy little gift without feeling like generic gift shop candle copy.
Natural Sloth | Best | $$
Natural Sloth keeps the recipe short and fully disclosed. Its Citrus Beeswax Candle blends orange, grapefruit and tangerine with geranium and cedarwood, so the scent feels bright but still warm.
Product reviewed: Citrus Beeswax Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Yellow beeswax, organic coconut oil, wood wick and essential oils of orange, grapefruit, geranium, tangerine and cedarwood.
What stands out: A strong choice if you want both beeswax and a real essential oil scent rather than choosing one or the other. The brand states that it adds no artificial fragrance, parabens or phthalates.
Primally Pure | Best | $$$
Primally Pure is better known for skincare, but its candle collection is surprisingly strong. The Warm Citrus Spice Candle has the polished look of a premium home fragrance candle with a much simpler formula.
Product reviewed: Warm Citrus Spice Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Beeswax and coconut oil with a disclosed blend of essential oils including citrus and spice notes.
What stands out: If someone wants a candle that looks elevated enough to give as a gift or leave on a beautiful counter, this is one of the more design conscious options on the list while still using beeswax, coconut oil and essential oils.
Aire Candle Co. | Best | $$
Aire feels like the small candle company you are happy you found. Its candles are hand poured in small batches in coastal Massachusetts using beeswax, essential oils and cotton wicks.
Product reviewed: Wildflowers Beeswax Candle
Wax, wick and scent: 100% American beeswax, cotton wick and essential oils of geranium, ylang ylang, lavender and clary sage.
What stands out: Aire is unusually straightforward. No paraffin, synthetic fragrance, dyes or wax fillers. Wildflowers has a stronger floral scent than many essential oil candles, which can be useful for someone who likes fragrance but does not want a conventional fragrance oil candle.
Rowe Casa Organics | Best | $$
Rowe Casa’s Lavender + Vanilla candle is softer and sweeter than many of the brighter citrus and herbal options in this guide.
Product reviewed: Lavender + Vanilla Beeswax Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Organic beeswax, organic fractionated coconut oil, lavender and vanilla essential oils, with an organic hemp wick.
What stands out: The hemp wick makes it different from most of the candles here, and the lavender vanilla scent is a nice option if you want something softer and more familiar. The brand lists a burn time of about 35 hours or more.
Hyoola | Best | $
Hyoola earns its place for one specific reason: tapers.
Their pure beeswax tapers give you a beautiful warm glow without added fragrance, making them an easy choice for dinner tables, Shabbat, holidays or any occasion where the candle itself is part of the setting.
Product reviewed: 9 Inch Pure Beeswax Taper Candles
Wax, wick and scent: 100% beeswax, cotton wick, no added scent.
Good to know: Hyoola also makes candles from other waxes, including paraffin. This rating applies specifically to the pure beeswax tapers.
Siblings | Better | $$
Siblings gives you a candle without another glass jar to throw away. You keep the vessel and replace the wax, which makes it one of the more useful ideas in the entire category.
Product reviewed: No. 07 Grapefruit Candle Refill
Wax, wick and scent: Coconut and soy wax, cotton wick, fragrance blend and essential oils.
What stands out: The refill format reduces repeated packaging and lets you reuse a vessel you already like. It earns Better because the scent uses a broader fragrance blend rather than essential oils alone.
Grow Fragrance | Better | $$
Grow does something unusual for a fragrance candle: it actually tells you what is in the fragrance.
Product reviewed: Blondewood 3 Wick Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Soy wax, lead free wicks and a plant based fragrance formula with the individual fragrance ingredients disclosed.
What stands out: If you like the stronger scent experience of a traditional fragrance candle but still want to know what you are buying, Grow gives you far more information than most brands in this category.
Brooklyn Candle Studio | Good | $$$
Brooklyn Candle Studio is for the person who wants the candle to look as good as it smells. The matte vessels and place inspired scents make these feel more like part of the decor than something you tuck away after burning.
Product reviewed: Palo Santo XL 3 Wick Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Soy wax, cotton wicks and fragrance oils blended with eucalyptus, peppermint and cedarwood essential oils.
What stands out: Design and scent variety. It sits in Good because the fragrance formula is broader than the essential oil only candles above.
LOHN | Good | $$
LOHN candles are hand poured in Toronto and have the layered, more sophisticated scent profiles you would expect from perfume.
Product reviewed: FEU Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Coconut and soy wax, cotton wick and a phthalate free fragrance blend.
What stands out: A strong choice if you care about a more complex scent and a beautiful reusable vessel rather than a simple single note botanical candle.
PF Candle Co. | Good | $$
PF Candle Co. has that recognizable California feel: amber jars, simple labels and warm scents that are easy to live with.
Product reviewed: Golden Coast Large Concentrated Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Soy wax, cotton core wick and fragrance oils.
What stands out: Broad scent selection and a casual design that works almost anywhere. The brand states that its fragrance oils are phthalate free.
Birthdate Candles | Good | $$
Birthdate Candles are less about buying another scented candle and more about giving someone something personal.
Each candle is built around a date of birth, with scent, astrology, numerology and tarot woven into the experience.
Product reviewed: Personalized Birthdate Candle
Wax, wick and scent: Soy and coconut wax blend, cotton wick and custom fragrance oils.
What stands out: One of the best gifting ideas here. The fragrance formula is not as fully disclosed as our Best picks, but the personalization is what earns it a place in this guide.
Why Small Batch Makers Are Worth Looking At
Some of the most beautiful candles come from small, independent makers.
Smaller brands often pour in smaller batches and may pay closer attention to the wax, scent, sourcing, vessel and craftsmanship. Some also use refillable or reusable containers, local ingredients or lower waste packaging.
Siblings’ refill system, Blue Corn’s reusable vessels and Aire’s small batch beeswax candles are good examples.
Being small does not automatically make a candle a better choice. But when thoughtful craftsmanship comes together with a strong ingredient list, those makers are worth knowing about.
Understanding Candle Fragrance
The scent is often the part of a candle that tells you the least on the label.
1. Essential Oils
These are concentrated aromatic oils obtained from plants through methods such as distillation or pressing.
Look for the actual oils to be named, such as lavender, cedarwood, grapefruit or bergamot.
2. Disclosed Fragrance Blends
These may combine plant derived ingredients with other aroma molecules to create a stronger or more complex scent.
The important distinction is disclosure. Grow Fragrance, for example, publishes the individual ingredients used in its fragrance formula.
3. Fragrance Oils
These are formulated scent blends that can contain many individual aroma ingredients. A candle label may simply say “fragrance,” which gives you very little information about the complete blend.
Some fragrance formulas use phthalates as solvents or scent fixatives. Certain phthalates are endocrine disrupting chemicals, but that does not mean every fragrance oil contains them. “Phthalate free” is useful information, but a full fragrance ingredient list tells you more. PubMed
And if a label says “natural fragrance,” do not automatically assume that means pure essential oils. Look for an explanation of what the fragrance is actually made from.
Scents People Reach For
People have used aromatic plant oils for thousands of years, including in ancient Egypt and Greece. Today, certain scents still create very different feelings in a space.
Lavender is the classic evening scent, soft and calming.
Citrus, including grapefruit, orange and lemon, feels bright and fresh.
Eucalyptus and peppermint feel crisp and clear.
Cedarwood, sandalwood and palo santo feel warm and woody.
No health promise required. Sometimes the way a scent changes the atmosphere is reason enough to enjoy it.
Wax and Wick Explained
The wax affects how a candle burns, how long it lasts and what material you are actually burning.
Beeswax
Made by bees, naturally firm and slow burning, with its own very soft honey aroma.
Soy Wax
Made from soybean oil and widely used in scented candles. Look for 100% soy or a clearly named blend because “soy candle” does not necessarily mean the entire wax is soy.
Coconut Wax
Made from coconut oil and usually blended with another wax to improve its structure and burn.
Rapeseed Wax
A plant based wax made from rapeseed oil. It is less common in the U.S. but gives shoppers another option beyond petroleum derived waxes.
Paraffin Wax
Paraffin is a hydrocarbon wax generally derived from petroleum. CDX
Burning candles can release fine particles and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and research shows that the amount depends on the wax, fragrance, wick and how steadily the candle burns. Studies have detected substances including benzene, formaldehyde and particulate matter from candle combustion, although measured concentrations in typical use have often remained below indoor guidance levels. PubMed
But paraffin is petroleum derived, and good alternatives already exist. When the rest of the formula is strong, Aalign prefers beeswax, soy, coconut or rapeseed wax instead. It moves the candle away from a petroleum based material without asking anyone to give up candles altogether.
For a deeper comparison of eight wax types, see Aalign’s guide to candle wax types.
The Wick
Cotton, paper, hemp and untreated wood are straightforward wick materials to look for.
Lead core candle wicks have been banned from manufacture and sale in the U.S. since 2003 because they could release lead into the air while burning. Some metal core wicks use other metals such as zinc, but when we have the choice, we prefer a wick whose composition is simple and clearly stated. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
What We Look For Before Choosing a Candle
Petroleum Derived Paraffin
Paraffin is inexpensive and performs well, which is why it is so common. It is also petroleum derived.
Rather than treating every paraffin candle as dangerous, we choose non petroleum waxes when a good alternative is available.
Undisclosed Fragrance
Scented candles can release fragrance compounds into the air both before and during burning. The actual emissions vary considerably between products. PubMed
Look for individually named essential oils or a brand that actually discloses the fragrance formula. “Phthalate free” is helpful, but it is not the same thing as knowing the whole blend.
Lead or Unclear Metal Wick Cores
Lead core wicks are already banned in the U.S., so there is no reason to make readers think lead is hiding in every candle they buy today.
We simply favor cotton, paper, hemp or untreated wood because the wick material is easier to understand.
Soot and Fine Particles
Every flame can produce particles, and an unstable or flickering candle can produce more soot. Candle research shows that wax and wick composition and the way a candle burns all influence particulate emissions. PubMed
Trim the wick, keep the candle away from drafts and give the space some ventilation.
For more about particles, VOCs and indoor air, see Aalign’s indoor air quality guide.
Dyes and Additives
A dye or additive is not automatically harmful simply because it exists.
But every extra ingredient is another part of the formula. If color is not important to you, an undyed candle with a short ingredient list is the simplest place to start.
What Candle Labels Actually Tell You
MADE SAFE
A useful third party check.
MADE SAFE screens ingredients against authoritative lists of chemicals associated with human health and environmental harm and also looks at concerns such as persistence and bioaccumulation. MADEWORKS Index
Fontana says it was the first candle brand to earn the certification, which helps explain why it remains one of our strongest picks. Fontana Candle Co
Phthalate Free
Helpful, but specific.
It means the brand says the formula does not contain added phthalates. It does not tell you every other ingredient used to create the fragrance.
100% Soy or 100% Beeswax
This is more useful than simply seeing “soy candle” or “beeswax blend.”
The percentage tells you whether you are actually buying that wax or a mixture that may include something else.
Vegan and Cruelty Free
Worth knowing if those values are important to you, but these labels tell you about animal ingredients and testing practices. They do not tell you what the fragrance formula contains.
Simple Ways to Burn Candles Better
These habits help almost any candle burn more evenly, last longer and make less visible soot.
- Trim the wick to about 1/4 inch before lighting.
- Let the wax melt close to the edge of the jar on the first burn to help prevent tunneling.
- Keep the candle away from fans, vents and drafts so the flame stays steady.
- Follow the brand’s recommended burn time. Many recommend around three to four hours at a time.
- Give the space some ventilation, especially when burning several candles or using them in a small room.
- Never leave a burning candle unattended and keep flames away from children, pets and anything flammable.
Beyond Candles
Sometimes you want the scent, the atmosphere or the glow without another burning flame.
Candle Warmer Lamps
A warmer lamp heats the wax from above instead of lighting the wick, so there is no combustion smoke or wick soot.
The fragrance still enters the air, so I would use the same fragrance standards you would for a burning candle.
Beeswax Melts
Aire makes Wildflowers Beeswax Wax Melts with the same stripped down approach as its candles: beeswax and essential oils. They are a very natural addition to this article because Aire is already one of our candle picks.
Essential Oil Diffuser
If you want scent without burning wax, an ultrasonic diffuser is another option.
Use a pure oil rather than automatically buying a bottle labeled only “fragrance oil,” and start with less rather than filling the room with scent.
For brands and what to look for, see Aalign’s Essential Oil Brands guide.
Simmer Pots
Orange or lemon slices, cinnamon, cloves, rosemary or other herbs simmered in water can make a space smell wonderful without a manufactured fragrance blend.
Keep adding water and never leave the stove unattended.
Warm Evening Lighting
Sometimes what you actually want from the candle is the glow.
A small table lamp, dimmer or warm layered lighting can give a room that same softer evening atmosphere without scent at all.
Related Aalign Guides
Point of Alignment
Choosing a better candle does not mean enjoying candles less.
Fire brings a warmth to a space that very little else can recreate. A beautiful scent can make a dinner feel warmer, remind you of a place you love or completely change the atmosphere of an ordinary evening.
Knowing what is in the candle simply helps you choose one that gives you more of what you love and less of what you do not need.
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