 Many coconut shell candles available in store or online contain paraffin wax, which is a petroleum-based wax that, when burned, can release toxins and chemicals like soot, toluene, or benzene into the air, which have been found to be harmful to our health when inhaled. These candles are also often scented with artificial fragrances containing chemicals like phthalates, which help to prolong the life of the scent. Researchers, however, have found that the long-term health implications of phthalates alone include asthma, ADHD, breast cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioural issues, autism, cancer and male fertility issues. By making your own candles at home, you can ensure the wax you're using is clean, fragrance-free and non-GMO. Please note that while soy wax is a step up from paraffin wax, it too can be a problem if not sourced mindfully. This is because vendors may add a little paraffin wax to the soy wax blend to help with burning, and the vast majority of anything made with soy is made using genetically modified soybeans that have been treated with pesticides, herbicides and so on. This means that it will take some research on your part to ensure that the wax you're buying is completely clean and made from organic, non-GMO soybeans that were not treated with any chemicals. I share a list of criteria to keep in mind when sourcing soy wax for candle making on my website, which I've linked in the description below. Beeswax is a much easier wax to source clean from trusted suppliers and can also help to purify the air inside your home as it burns. So this can be another alternative if you can outsource a clean coconut wax or soy wax to use for your candles. Because coconut wax has a low melting point, it is recommended to blend this wax with one with a higher melting point, which is why coconut wax is often mixed with soy wax. Coconut wax is a colourless, odourless wax made from cold pressed coconut meat or coconut oil mixed with either soy wax, paraffin wax, palm wax or beeswax. In high temperatures, the coconut oil and coconut wax will often melt, which creates an issue when being shipped. So to help prevent this from occurring, the coconut wax is blended with another natural wax to prevent it from melting before it's ready. When sourcing your coconut wax, ensure you buy it from a trusted supplier and opt for a blend of either beeswax or soy wax. I like to add in a blend of coconut wax and either beeswax or soy wax when making my own coconut wax candles, as the low melting point of coconut wax means the candle burns at a much faster rate. So by adding a mix of both coconut wax and soy wax, this helps to slow down the burn rate of the candle, allowing it to last a little longer. When it comes to incorporating scents into the candle wax, I use around 100-200 drops of essential oil for every half a cup of wax to achieve a noticeable scent. I like to keep to this ratio when making wax melts or candles of any size or shape, but you can feel free to adjust the ratio of essential oils you'll be using as you see fit, depending on how strong you want the scent of your candles to be. To make this coconut shell candle, begin by measuring out the exact amount of wax needed to fill each coconut shell you'll be using to make these coconut candles with. Take your coconut shell half and fill it up with wax to around the ¾ mark, then from there, double that amount of wax and that is how much candle wax you'll need for each coconut shell you'll be using. I used about 1 cup of shredded coconut wax and 2 cups of soy wax flakes for the shell I was using. Once you have the correct amount of candle wax measured out, pour the coconut wax and soy wax into a middle picture or large glass jar and place the container in a large pot of water, filled just enough to cover the outside of the container without spilling over, then bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium heat and stir the wax occasionally until completely melted, making sure no water spills into the container. Once melted, remove the wax from heat and allow it to cool slightly before adding in about 100-200 drops of the essential oil you'll be using. Then stir to combine. Next, dip the metallic end of your candle wick into the melted wax and using the hot wax to stick the wick in place, stick the wooden wick to the center of your coconut shell. After 5 minutes or so, the wax will have hardened and the wick should stay relatively steady without you needing to hold it. Before you pour your wax, let it cool down slightly. Use a thermometer to test the temperature of the wax and once it reaches 62 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit, it's ready to start pouring. Pour around 75% of the candle wax into the coconut shell, making sure to hold the candle wick in place as you pour the wax to keep it steady and prevent it from falling over. As the wax begins to harden, the top of your coconut shell candle may have a few cracks or marks on the waxy top. To help fix this, pour the remaining wax over the top and allow it to set. To avoid any blemishes from appearing in future, pour the wax slowly to avoid creating any air bubbles, which can make the surface of the finished candle look uneven. The wax will begin hardening right away, so do not move or adjust your candle until it has completely set. Let the candle cool at room temperature for at least 24 hours before burning. Soy candles will harden to room temperature in about 4 hours and completely cure in 3-4 days. I find it best to trim the wick 5-6 hours after making to avoid the wick disturbing the top of the candle. Trim the wick using sharp scissors to about 1-1.5 cm above the level of the wax. It's recommended to leave homemade candles to cure for a minimum of 3 days to develop a stronger scent when burning. You can leave it for longer if you like, with a cure time of up to 1-2 weeks, which will give your candle an incredibly strong scent. And that is how you make a coconut shell candle at home. I hope you enjoyed the video. Please let me know if you make this recipe yourself and how it goes for you. I'd love to know. I wish you a wonderful day and I'll see you soon again.