This post was originally shared in our email newsletter on May 28, 2024.
If you’ve followed us for a long time, you might have gotten accustomed to hearing us bemoan the challenges of keeping our candles from melting through the hot summer.
The coconut wax we have been using all these years has many strengths, but its achilles’ heel has been its low melt point, and propensity to melt when subject to temperatures above 100F.
In the middle of last summer, we had a big research breakthrough, which has reduced our candles’ melting risk by an order of magnitude. It was an elegant tweak that introduced no new raw materials, and had no effect on the candles’ performance, except for bringing up the viscosity point (the temperature at which the candles start melting)... by a whopping ~30 degrees Fahrenheit!
Since last summer, we have continued to experiment and fine-tune our settings, and have settled on two slightly different formulas: one for winter and for summer. The difference between the two is not noticeable visually or olfactively. But I will tell you the difference: we use a higher ratio of organic beeswax in our summer formula. This adds significantly to our material costs, but it also greatly increases the viscosity point, which creates a better experience for everyone (and indirectly saves us money too).
We have just started pouring candles with our summer formula, which means melts this summer will not occur unless conditions are EXTREME, with outside air temperatures around 140F.
Unfortunately for our Keapers in Arizona and parts of Texas, we have seen conditions occasionally hit these highs in pavement-heavy transport hubs in those places. We will be taking extra precautions as we have in the past to safely get candles to those states.
No matter what, if you ever experience a melted shipment, or any other kind of damage, know that we will always make it right for you. Just email us at thelab@keapbk.com .
Arizonans and Texans (or anyone else this applies to): I’m curious to hear if you have seen a big increase in summer temperatures in your area, and how it’s affecting you. Please send me a short reply if you can!
Have a great week,
— Harry from Keap, Steward-Owner
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