Recently, we stepped into a time-honored
Candle production workshop to explore the manufacturing secrets behind candles, this traditional lighting tool.
The first step in making candles is the preparation of raw materials.
Paraffin Wax and beeswax are commonly used basic materials. Paraffin wax is relatively inexpensive, while beeswax can endow candles with a unique fragrance and natural color. The purchased blocky paraffin wax or beeswax is broken into small pieces for subsequent melting.
Next, the broken wax pieces are put into a heating kettle. As the temperature rises, the wax pieces gradually turn into a liquid state. This process requires strict temperature control, generally between 70 °C and 90 °C, to ensure that the wax liquid is uniform and free of bubbles.
After melting, the wax liquid enters the coloring stage. According to production requirements, different proportions of pigments are added to mix a rich variety of colors, such as festive red, romantic pink and so on.
Then comes the step of adding spices. Natural spices or artificial flavoring essences are slowly poured into the wax liquid and stirred thoroughly so that the candles can emit a pleasant fragrance when burned.
After that, it's the molding process. The colored and scented wax liquid is carefully poured into various molds of different shapes, such as cylindrical, conical ones and so on. The molds are cleaned and lubricated in advance to facilitate demolding after the wax liquid cools and solidifies. After standing at room temperature for a period of time, the wax liquid will slowly solidify into the shape of candles.
The candles after demolding still need to be trimmed and finished. The wicks are cut to an appropriate length to ensure a stable flame when burned. Some candle surfaces will undergo secondary processing, such as carving patterns, attaching decorative stickers and so on, to enhance their aesthetics.
Finally, it's the packaging stage. The finished candles are packaged well with packaging materials like plastic film, paper boxes and so on. Labels are attached, indicating the brand, specifications, fragrance type and other information. Then they can be shipped to the market for sale.
Nowadays, although electric lights have been widely used, candles still occupy a place in fields such as festival celebrations and home decoration due to their unique decorative and atmosphere-creating functions. And their manufacturing techniques are also constantly innovating and developing during inheritance.
