Why are candle prices increasing?

Why do I suddenly have to pay significantly more for a few candles than I did a year ago?

This question is certainly on the minds of some of us, because not only electricity and gas are becoming more expensive. The price of many everyday necessities is also rising.

Commercial candles consist of a very high percentage by weight of paraffin, which is usually mixed with stearic acid (palm stearin or also called candle stearin) in a proportion of about 20 %. The stearin makes the candles whiter and less translucent. Paraffin waxes are refined products of crude oil and it is therefore completely logical that the prices for this type of wax are rising sharply, as crude oil prices have also risen very sharply in recent weeks and months. In addition, there is the limited capacity of the refineries in Europe, as well as the concern that no more Russian oil or Russian paraffin waxes may be imported.

Stearic acids are products that come directly from fat and oil production. Stearins can be obtained from animal fats, but also from vegetable oils such as palm oil, rapeseed oil or olive oils. Animal fats are popular for the production of candles in Scandinavia, but not welcome in Germany. Therefore, the source of raw materials here is exclusively vegetable oils. These have risen extremely in recent weeks - even more than crude oil. Palm oil, the most important source of oil, has more than doubled in price in the last 12 months - over three years, the price has tripled or quadrupled.

In summary, the raw material market for candle production has become extremely expensive, so that candle producers nowadays have to calculate with certainly doubled raw material costs.

In addition, imports from Asia have become much more expensive, as freight rates - especially for heavy containers - have risen sharply. Many large candle producers are located in Asia and can no longer ship their finished candles to Europe as cheaply as they could a few months ago. In addition, shipping costs within Europe are now much higher due to high diesel prices and increased tolls as well as a shortage of drivers on the transport market.

Closing to say, these developments will certainly bring our Christmas decoration candles to twice the price level this year as they were in 2020 or 2021.