In the history of candles the scented candles are the most recent development. Candles did not start out smelling good, quite the opposite to be truthful. Let’s explore the candle’s history to find out more.
Candles were originally invented because people needed light within their homes. These candles were made from animal fat, which was called tallow, and their origins go back as far as the tenth century BC. The original candles smelled horrid and created a great deal of soot. This was definitely not an ideal situation for those using these candles, so the scent had to be improved.
The Romans are actually credited with creating the candle we know now. They melted the animal fat down to a liquid state and then used with hemp, cotton, or flax fibers to pour it over. These fibers were the wicks of the candles and were used for people to see their way home. Candles like these were also used in many religious ceremonies back then.
During the Middle Ages, candles became even more common in religious ceremonies. It was during this time that beeswax started being used to make the candles, as it was much cleaner to burn than animal fat. At the same time, however, it was also much more expensive because it was very rare. This meant that only those in the upper class could afford beeswax, while the rest of society continued to use tallow.
Early settlers in the Americas introduced a new way to make candles during colonial times, as they boiled down bayberry berries and turn them into wax. This also created a great smell as it was being burned, so it was popular. The only drawback was that it was a long process that some people would avoid. Since these new candles smelled so great, however, there was a definite market for them.
During the 18th century is when the whaling industry was going strong. Whale oil proved to be quite useful and luckily was plentiful. A spermaceti wax made from this oil started being used instead of tallow, bayberry wax, or beeswax. It was not pleasant smelling though but it was a harder wax and held its shape even during hot weather.
Now in the 19th century candle making got certain improvements that changed the course of its history. Machines for candle making were invented. This invention allowed the masses to afford candles more easily. It was also found that the animal fats contained stearine or stearic acid and a process was patented for the candle making using a crude form of stearic. The quality of the candle majorly improved.
About this same time the braided wick was invented too. The wicks before this were just twists of cotton and did not burn good needing constant attention. Then the braiding of the strands of cotton was found to make the wicks burn better and more completely.
In today’s society, both scented and unscented candles can be found anywhere. For those who love scents, there are a number of them available, as well as different colors. These candles are made from many different substances as well, as soy wax, paraffin, and gel have been added to the existing beeswax candles to create more choice than any other time in history.
This article was written by Romina Evans, a writer for an online decorating publication. She has been making candles as a hobby for 23 years. She is capable of making different sorts of candles made from paraffin, beeswax, soy etc. Among her favorites are woodwick candles and glow candles because they are able to create a soothing atmosphere once lit. Read more about candles, visit our site!