From Candles To Scented Candles: A History
When candles first became a mainstay in peoples’ homes, they were not scented. In fact, they did not smell very good at all, as scented candles are a much more recent invention. A quick look at history shows exactly how these candles came into existence.
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.
Then in the colonial times the early settlers in America found that by boiling bayberry berries they could get a wax from them. This made for a pleasant scent in the candle along with it burning well. But the process for making this wax was an extremely tiresome and tedious process. However, besides the beeswax candles, the bayberry ones were the only other pleasant-smelling scented candles at that time.
The 18th century brought about even more changes, due to the whaling industry. Whale oil was plentiful at this time and it could be used instead of animal fat. While whale oil did not smell particularly good, it held its shape much better, as it was a harder wax.
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.
Around this time, people began including a braided wick with their candles. Previously, twists of cotton or hemp were used, but these did not burn adequately and needed constant attention. Braiding the strands ensured that the wick would burn longer, which helped out a lot.
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 post was penned by Romina Evans, she writes for an online decorating publication. She has been crafting candles as a hobby for 23 years. She can create 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!