White frost crystals on soy candles
Frosting is the natural recrystallisation of soy wax. It is a quality indicator (proof the wax is pure soy) but customers often read it as a fault. Mitigate, not eliminate.
Why this happens
Soy wax is a natural fat that recrystallises when its temperature swings. The white crystals are the wax reverting to a more stable polymorph. It is proof of purity, not contamination, but customers read it as mould.
Likely causes
- Pure soy wax with no added paraffin.
- Temperature swings during cure or storage.
- Excessive fragrance load forcing wax to re-set unevenly.
How to diagnose
- Confirm wax is 100% soy (not a parasoy blend).
- Check storage temperature stability.
Change sheet · next batch
Fill in what you know. The change sheet below re-orders so the delta most likely to help your specific batch floats to the top.
Cooler pour reduces crystal growth on the surface.
Avoid direct sun and temperature swings during cure.
Softens the crystal structure so frosting stays subtle.
Take action
- Fragrance load and IFRA: why your max load varies
IFRA category 12 caps candle fragrance load. Here's what the standard says, and why exceeding wax max backfires.