Coconut-based products have a lot to offer to those interested in being eco-friendly. Unlike palm or soy wax, coconut wax does not have to be replanted, making coconut wax candles a renewable resource. Our coconut wax is biodegradable, non-GMO (has no pesticides), all-natural, and free of paraffin.

What is coconut wax?

The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the palm tree family (Arecaceae) and the only known living species of the genus Cocos. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which botanically is a drupe, not a nut.

The term is derived from the 16th-century Portuguese and Spanish word coco, meaning 'head' or 'skull' after the three indentations on the coconut shell that resembles facial features. 

How is it made?

Our pure coconut wax is made from cold-pressed coconut meat, the same way coconut oil is extracted. If you have ever used coconut oil at home, you know it liquefies on a hot day. You may have also noticed its faint 'coconut' odor. A common question I get is, "does coconut wax smell like coconuts"?

The answer is no. It's all about how the oil is converted to wax form. Since coconut oil tends to melt at room temperatures, it does not qualify as a wax.

Our coconut wax uses refined coconut oil and goes through a hydrogenation process, where coconut oil is transformed into a creamy white wax. This removes the coconut scent during the refining process, while the hydrogenation process increases the melting point from ~75 ºF to ~100 ºF. Now, we have our 'high-melt' coconut oil, and we're one step closer to a wax form. The coconut oil at this stage still needs to be blended with other natural vegetable waxes to further increase the melting point to avoid any 'liquefying' issues. 

In short, coconut wax is high melt-point coconut oil blended with other natural waxes to achieve a solid wax at room temperature. Having our wax based on coconut oil leads to a wax that burns very evenly compared to others and, from our own tests, even more slowly, which means you get to enjoy your candle longer than a pure soy candle and cleaner than paraffin.

So what's in our wax?

UPDATE: As of May 2023, our candles will be made of a proprietary blend of coconut, apricot and soy wax (previously coconut and soy wax) We are still looking for alternatives to soy and sourcing certified organic and sustainable. Our wax is 100% plant-based, vegan and contains no paraffins! While there is always room for improvement, we will continue to test and research for the best improvements we can make in sourcing.

Our coconut oil supply currently comes from the Philippines. The coconut business makes up ¼ of the Filipino population. It's an industry with intense government scrutiny about its practices. As with other cash crops like bananas and coffee, farmers are concerned about the wages. When we started researching coconut wax suppliers, we found one that stood out that shares our ethics for fair-trade and environmental practices. Most notably, they established the Sustainable Certified Coconut Oil (SCNO) supply chain, a socially responsible, environmentally sound, and economically viable supply chain that works for everyone. Music to our ears!

Learn more about pros and cons of different waxes →