Cargill NATUREWAX® C-3 is a 100% plant-based, soy-based wax developed primarily for scented container candles.

One of Cargill's best-known NatureWax® formulations, C-3 is valued for its neutral base odour, good glass adhesion, smooth finish and excellent fragrance throw both when the candle is cold and while burning.

Natural soy wax can display crystallisation known as frosting or bloom. Its appearance may therefore vary when fragrances, dyes or different cooling conditions are used. This does not necessarily indicate a quality defect.

Key Features

• primarily designed for container candles;
• 100% plant-based;
• soy-based;
• paraffin-free;
• contains no ingredients of animal or mineral/petroleum origin;
• neutral base odour;
• excellent hot and cold fragrance throw;
• good adhesion to glass;
• good tolerance to crystallisation bloom;
• creamy white appearance;
• supplied as flakes.

Cargill also lists NATUREWAX® C-3 for tealights, votives and wax melts/tarts, although its principal application is scented container candles.

Technical Information

How to Work with NATUREWAX® C-3

1. Melt the Wax

As a starting point, Cargill recommends heating NatureWax soy flakes to approximately 71 °C.

Use a thermometer and avoid unnecessary prolonged exposure to high temperatures.

2. Add Fragrance Oil

Cargill's current guidance for NATUREWAX® C-3 recommends approximately 6–9% fragrance oil.

The appropriate amount depends on:

• the specific fragrance oil;
• wick;
• container diameter;
• dyes;
• desired fragrance performance.

Blend the fragrance thoroughly and evenly into the wax.

Adding more fragrance does not automatically improve scent throw and can affect both burn performance and surface appearance.

3. Prepare the Containers

Containers should be:

• clean;
• dry;
• at room temperature or slightly warmer.

Slightly warming the containers may help reduce cracking and pull-away from the glass during cooling.

4. Match Pour Temperature to Your Environment

NATUREWAX® C-3 does not have one universal pouring temperature.

At an ambient room temperature of approximately 21–27 °C, Cargill gives an indicative pouring range of around 68–77 °C.

In:

• cooler rooms, a slightly higher pouring temperature may work better;
• warmer rooms, a slightly lower pouring temperature may be appropriate.

Candle size, container, fragrance, dye and humidity can all affect the optimum result.

Adjust temperature in small increments and test each formulation independently.

Cooling

Soy wax is sensitive to cooling conditions.

Uneven or excessively fast cooling may contribute to:

• surface cracking;
• pull-away from the container;
• uneven tops;
• crystallisation or frosting.

Allow candles to cool at a stable room temperature and keep them away from draughts, cold surfaces and direct heat sources.

Leave enough space between containers for even cooling.

How Long Should the Candle Cure?

Cargill states that candles generally require at least 12 hours for their initial cure.

For fragrance evaluation, however, it can be useful to compare candles after:

• 48 hours;
• several days;
• a longer cure period.

The most important point is to use consistent curing conditions when comparing test candles.

Wick Selection

NATUREWAX® C-3 can be tested with several wick families, including:

• TB-series wicks;
• cotton and linen wicks;
• cotton and hemp wicks;
• wooden wicks.

The correct wick depends on much more than container diameter.

Fragrance type and concentration, dyes, container geometry and wick construction all affect burn performance.

Every finished candle formulation requires a full burn test.

Should the Entire Surface Melt on the First Burn?

Not necessarily.

A full melt pool reaching the container wall during the first burn is not automatically a sign of correct wicking.

An oversized wick can produce excessive flame height, an overly deep melt pool and excessive container temperatures.

Assess the candle over several complete burn cycles.

Using Two Wicks

Very wide containers may require two wicks, but diameter alone is not sufficient to determine this.

The decision should be based on burn testing with the exact wax, fragrance, container and wick combination.

Storage

Store unopened NATUREWAX® C-3:

• in a dry place;
• away from direct sunlight;
• preferably at approximately 10–20 °C.

Avoid prolonged storage:

• above approximately 30 °C;
• below 5 °C.

The manufacturer's stated shelf life is 18 months from the date of pack when stored unopened under appropriate conditions.

GMO Information

For professional claims, the GMO status of NATUREWAX® C-3 should be assessed using the current documentation for the specific batch supplied.

Older C-3 documentation states that non-identity-preserved soybean oil, which may include GM soybean sources, can be used in manufacture, while genetic material was not detectable in the finished wax using PCR testing.

For this reason, we do not recommend making an absolute “GMO-free” claim unless it is supported by the current batch documentation.

Packaging

Original manufacturer's carton – approximately 22.68 kg (50 lb).

Smaller quantities are repacked according to the weight ordered.

Approximately 113 kg corresponds to around five original cartons.

No separate wholesale pricing is offered for this product.

Manufacturer

Cargill, Incorporated