The 11 Best Scented Candles (2025)

An in-depth candle explainer is in the works, but in the meantime, here’s some helpful information. Candle materials: There are a few popular materials for candles, including soy wax, paraffin wax, vegetable wax, coconut wax, and some others. Paraffin holds a scent well; soy wax lasts for a long time; palm wax has a high melting point. Sometimes candles are made with a blend of wax types. However, you should beware of one ingredient being marketed as more sustainable than others. Palm products contribute to deforestation, but soy isn’t necessarily sustainable if the plants are grown on single-crop swaths of land. Ultimately, it’s hard to discern whether a candle is truly made sustainably. Focusing on a vessel you’ll reuse, minimal packaging, or brands that donate proceeds toward environmental efforts can help. Candle tips: The first time you burn a candle, you set the wax “memory.” If you allow it to burn for only a little while, and the entire top surface of the candle doesn’t melt, ... Read full article.