---
title: "What is a Candle made of?"
description: "Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning. Every component, the material it uses, and the constraint "
url: https://atoneplace.net/made-of/candle/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is a Candle made of?

**What is a Candle made of?: Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.**

The wick does not burn; it wicks. Heat from the flame melts a small pool of wax, capillary action draws liquid wax up the braid, the flame's heat vaporises it and the vapour is what actually burns — which is why you can relight the smoke trail after blowing a candle out. Lead-cored wicks were banned in the US in 2003 and are gone from reputable makers everywhere; zinc and paper cores remain and are used to keep container candle wicks upright. Sooting is almost always a wick that is too long or a draught disturbing the flame, so the standard advice to trim to about 5 mm before each burn is the single most effective thing an owner can do.

## Component by component

*Every material is a choice, and the third column is the constraint that drove it.*

| Part | Material | Why that material |
| --- | --- | --- |
| wax | paraffin from petroleum refining, or soy, coconut, palm or beeswax | The melting point sets the burn: too soft and the pool floods the wick, too hard and the flame cannot melt enough fuel. |
| wick | braided cotton, sometimes with a paper or zinc core | The braid draws liquid wax up by capillary action; the wax burns as vapour, and the wick is only the delivery system. |
| wick curl | an asymmetric braid that bends the tip out of the flame | The exposed tip burns away, so the wick self-trims — which is why modern candles do not need snuffing every ten minutes. |
| hardener | stearic acid | It raises the melting point and opacity of soft waxes, letting a pillar candle stand up in a warm room. |
| fragrance and dye | fragrance oils and oil-soluble dyes | Fragrance load is limited by the wax: too much and the oil separates, floods the wick and the candle soots or will not stay lit. |

## Other around the house objects

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/) — Cotton and linen rag paper, or polymer film — never wood pulp, which is why notes survive the wash.
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/) — ABS plastic moulded to a tolerance of about ten micrometres — the tightness of the fit is the whole product.
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/) — Fats reacted with lye to make fatty acid salts — and most modern "beauty bars" are not soap at all.
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/) — Mostly abrasive and humectant, with a detergent for foam — the active ingredient is about 0.15% fluoride.
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/) — Base-metal alloys chosen for wear and cost — most modern "silver" coins are copper-nickel and most "copper" ones are plated steel or zinc.
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/) — UV filters — mineral, chemical or both — suspended in an emulsion whose job is to hold them in an even film.
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/) — Laminated PVC sheets 0.76 mm thick, carrying a silicon chip in epoxy and a copper antenna coil.
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/) — Castor oil carrying pigment, set into a stick with waxes — the oil is the workhorse, not the colour.
- [Shampoo](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/shampoo/) — Three-quarters water, a primary detergent, a milder secondary one, salt to thicken, and silicone to make hair feel smooth.
- [Balloon](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/balloon/) — Party balloons are dipped natural rubber latex; foil balloons are metallised plastic film and are not rubber at all.
- [Deodorant](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/deodorant/) — Deodorant kills the bacteria that cause the smell; antiperspirant uses aluminium salts to plug the sweat duct. Different products.
- [Toothbrush](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothbrush/) — Nylon filaments stapled into a polypropylene handle with a wire — three plastics that cannot be separated for recycling.

## Common questions

### What is a Candle made of?

Wax that is really a fuel, and a braided cotton wick that acts as a pump rather than as the thing burning.

### What is the wax of a Candle made of?

Paraffin from petroleum refining, or soy, coconut, palm or beeswax. The melting point sets the burn: too soft and the pool floods the wick, too hard and the flame cannot melt enough fuel.

### What is the wick of a Candle made of?

Braided cotton, sometimes with a paper or zinc core. The braid draws liquid wax up by capillary action; the wax burns as vapour, and the wick is only the delivery system.

## Related pages

- [Banknote](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/banknote/)
- [Lego brick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lego-brick/)
- [Soap](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soap/)
- [Toothpaste](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/toothpaste/)
- [Coin](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/coin/)
- [Sunscreen](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/sunscreen/)
- [Credit card](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/credit-card/)
- [Lipstick](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/lipstick/)
- [Pencil](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/pencil/)
- [Tennis ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/tennis-ball/)
- [Golf ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/golf-ball/)
- [Paper](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/paper/)
- [Glass](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/glass/)
- [Soccer ball](https://atoneplace.net/made-of/soccer-ball/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)