What is the white powder which sometimes appears on a beeswax candle?
This is called bloom. It is a white powdery dust which usually appears when the wax is cold and exposed to air. Its exact cause is still unclear but seems to be linked to a chemical change in the structure of the wax molecules on the surface. Bloom is a good indication that the beeswax is pure. It is not harmful and may be removed by buffing the candle with a nylon stocking although this does not work well with hand rolled honeycomb candles.
