Spill the Wax: Why Are Some Candles £30 and Others £5?
If you’ve ever stood in a shop or browsed online and wondered why some candles cost £4-£5 while others are £25 to £30, you’re definitely not alone.
It’s one of the most common questions people ask when they first discover handmade candles.
At first glance, a candle can look very simple. Just wax in a jar with a wick. So it can be confusing to see such a big difference between a cheap store-bought candle and a handmade luxury candle.
But the truth is that what sits behind the price can be completely different.
The ingredients used, the quality of the fragrance oils, the type of wax, the hours of testing, and even the ethics behind the brand can all play a role in the final cost.
In this guide we’ll break down:
• the difference between cheap candles and handmade candles
• why some candles cost £5 while others cost £30
• what makes luxury candles different from regular store candles
• and what you are actually paying for when you choose a small handmade brand
Because once you understand what goes into a well made candle, it becomes clear that it’s rarely just wax in a jar.
The Wax: Paraffin vs Soy
Many cheaper candles use paraffin wax or paraffin blends, which are derived from petroleum.
When burned, paraffin wax can release higher levels of soot and fine particles into the air. It can also emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) such as formaldehyde, benzene and toluene, which have been linked to poor indoor air quality.
Soy wax, on the other hand, is a plant based alternative made from soybean oil.
Soy wax candles are often chosen because they are:
✓ plant based and vegan
✓ biodegradable and renewable
✓ known to burn longer and cleaner
✓ often considered a better choice for both your home and the environment
If you burn candles regularly, the wax you choose can make a noticeable difference.
The Quality of Fragrance Oils
Fragrance is one of the most important, and often most expensive, components of a candle.
Cheaper candles often use lower quality fragrance oils and additives designed to make the candle smell very strong straight away.
The issue is that some of these additives can include plasticisers, phthalates and other chemicals that you end up breathing in. For some people these ingredients can trigger headaches, irritation or sensitivity to fragrance.
At The Scented Essence Candle Co., fragrance safety is something I take very seriously.
I personally screen all fragrance oils for:
• CMR substances
• phthalates
• acrylates
• parabens
• PEGs
• silicones
• unnecessary additives & hormone disruptors
This is something that matters deeply to me because I have asthma and chemical sensitivities that mean I simply cannot work with many of the chemicals used in mass produced fragrance.
I also carefully test scent throw so that the fragrance fills a space in a balanced way with a beautiful true to life scent without becoming overwhelming. Some people prefer subtle scents, while others enjoy stronger fragrances, so I aim to create a range that suits different preferences.
The Candle You Don’t See: Testing and Safety
One of the biggest differences between handmade candles and mass produced candles is testing.
A properly developed candle goes through many hours of testing before it ever reaches a customer.
For every finished jar that makes it onto the shelf, there are often several test candles that never leave the studio.
Testing typically includes checking:
• flame height and stability
• jar temperature at different stages of the burn
• soot levels
• uneven burn behaviour or tunnelling
• scent throw performance
Each test takes time and additional materials, but it ensures that when you light the wick you get a safe, even and beautiful burn.
Many mass market candles rely on large scale formulas rather than small batch testing. With handmade candles, this testing is done by a real person who wants the candle to perform properly in your home.
What you are often paying for is peace of mind.
Burn Time and Value
Another factor that affects value is how well a candle actually burns.
A well made soy candle may burn for 40 hours or more, creating a full melt pool with minimal wasted wax.
A £4 to £5 candle, on the other hand, may:
• burn too hot and too fast
• tunnel down the middle
• leave a lot of unused wax stuck to the jar by the end of the burn
So even though the initial price may be lower, the candle may burn out much faster or waste a large amount of wax.
In many cases, a well made candle provides more burn time and better overall value.
Design Choices and Ethics
When you buy from a small business, you are also often supporting the values behind that brand.
For my own business, The Scented Essence Candle Co., the same values I hold in my personal life are carried into the way I run my company.
For example:
• Tree planting. This is something I have been passionate about for many years, even before launching my candle business, and I am really glad I can carry that value through my work.
• Plastic free packaging. I have always cared deeply about reducing waste and have taken part in beach and ocean clean ups in the past. Creating packaging choices that avoid unnecessary plastic is very important to me.
Design choices matter too. I want the candles to feel beautiful and special in your home.
For example, our Signature collection features unique pastel jars designed to look beautiful on your shelf long after the candle has finished burning.
The Real Reason Handmade Candles Cost More
When everything is considered together, the difference in price often reflects:
• higher quality wax
• carefully screened fragrance oils
• extensive safety testing
• better materials and packaging
• ethical and environmental choices
• small batch production rather than factory manufacturing
Small businesses also do not benefit from the huge economies of scale that large retailers have, and we are not using machines that pour thousands of candles an hour.
So while it can sometimes look like handmade candles have large margins, the reality is that once ingredients, packaging, testing, labour and overheads are included, that is often not the case.
Candles can be a small everyday luxury that brings warmth, comfort and atmosphere into a home.
If you burn candles regularly, have sensitivities, care about indoor air quality, enjoy supporting small businesses, or simply appreciate beautifully made products, it is worth understanding what goes into the candle you choose.
Because once you see the work, ingredients and care behind a well made candle, it becomes clear that it is about much more than wax in a jar.
