How Much is Beeswax? Price per Pound Plus Shipping.

While preparing my next order of beeswax for candlemaking, I decided to compare the major suppliers and see which company can had the best deal!

The average price of one pound of beeswax online is $22.37 with shipping included. The lowest price for one pound of beeswax with shipping was $15 and the highest price per pound was $38.12. Some companies had bulk prices as low as $6.54 with shipping included.

I decided to create a helpful graph to show the different companies that had beeswax for sale. Some of my calculations included cosmetic grade beeswax while other data was for general grade, candlemaking beeswax.

Choosing a beeswax supplier is a personal preference and there are a lot of variable that go along with it. Variables such as proximity to your business, origin of beeswax, sustainability and company morals, and the grade of beeswax all depend on which supplier you go with.

The lowest price per pound, with shipping included was from Sleeping Bears Farm. This company offers up to 3 pounds of beeswax for $7.00 a pound to be shipped with a flat rate of $8 USPS shipping. Sleeping Bears Farms are one of 3 from Michigan to Florida.

The lowest bulk price I found online was with Candle Wic for a 55 pound bag of beeswax for $298. The website gave me 2 shipping quotes: Fedex ground- $61.70 and UPS ground- $120.47. For my location, this would be the best deal at $6.54 per pound.

Why is Beeswax so Expensive?

Beeswax has the lowest amount of processing in comparison to the other wax choices. However, since it is a natural byproduct of honey making it is a rare commodity.

Professionals and scientists have not concluded how much honey is used to make beeswax. But it is known that female bees, 12-16 days old, are the producers of beeswax. The bees consume honey and their wax glands produce beeswax to encapsulate the honey in the comb.

Beekeepers carefully harvest the beeswax, and honey, to keep a balance for their bees to be most productive.

How Many Candles Does 1 Pound of Beeswax Make?

Believe it or not, this is a very common question! What is the difference between a ounce in volume and an ounce in solid form? Which one should be used in candles? I have the answers as I have tested this in my candle making experience! In theory, 1 pound of beeswax can make a 16 ounce candle, but that is not necessarily true!

1 pound of wax can make just shy of 16 ounces worth of candles. Candles are measured in a solid ounce, since they are a solid product. An 8 ounce container can really only hold about 6 ounces of wax. The residue remaining in the pour pot is sometimes significant.

An 8 ounce jelly jar is actually a measurement of the volume a jelly jar can hold. The wick is mass which takes away from the volume within the jar. Also, it is not necessary, and possibly dangerous, to fill the container completely to the rim. So, for this test, I filled my 8 ounce jelly jars to the first ring, or 6 ounces.

Since beeswax has such a high melt temp, and should be poured as a reletively low temperature, it is quite common for the was to begin to harden inside of the pour pot. This could possibly be avoided by pouring at a higher temp, however, the risk of sink holes would increase. In that case I was only able to get a 2.8 ounces jar of wax for the last beeswax candle.

How Many Cups is 1 Pound of Beeswax.

You can easily imagine a pound of butter to compare a 1 pound brick of beeswax. But what about the little beeds, or pastilles? I thought it would be a good idea to measure for your while you are shopping.

One pound of beeswax pastilles yeilds approximately 3 1/2 cups before melted. Be sure to have a container larger than 4 cups while melting to allow room for stirring!

Does Walmart Sell Beeswax?

Walmart.com does have beeswax for sale, however, I couldn’t confirm the country of origin or any other pertinant informaion. So I went to my local Walmart to scour their shelves in search for beeswax for candle making.

I could not find beeswax at my local Walmart Supercenter. I searched the craft area without finding beeswax. An employee suggested to look in the candle department, I could not find beeswax in that department either.

It appears craft stores would be the easiest way to find beeswax pastilles for a quick purchase per pound. You could avoid shipping by purchasing from a local retailer.

Conclusion

I suggest to write down your non-negotiable list of beeswax qualities. Do you need a grade A beeswax for cosmetics? Do you prefer to find a local beekeeper?

Find a supplier that will please your morals and business model. Sometimes a lower price doesn’t always reflect what a crafter or business demands in a product. Use my research and list as a guide to create your preferred suppliers list!