Why We Chose Coconut Wax
Most candles are made of soy wax because it's cheap and easy. Ours aren't.
MODERATO candles are made with a proprietary blend of coconut wax and coconut-apricot wax. The blend was developed and refined across more than a year of testing. We chose coconut over soy for one reason: the way it burns.
Coconut wax versus soy wax
Soy wax tends to melt the entire top surface of the candle out to the edge within the first hour or two of a burn. You get a full liquid pool, edge to edge. It's fine. It's also exactly what we didn't want.
Coconut wax melts differently. It burns gradually from the wick outward, leaving a thin, even layer of wax clinging to the glass as it works its way down the vessel. You see the flame at work. You see the level drop slowly, session by session. The burn feels unhurried, because it is.
Soy gives you a pool. Coconut gives you a slow reveal.
Why the specific blend matters
We don't just use coconut wax — we use a proprietary blend that includes apricot. The apricot adds structural characteristics that help the candle hold its shape, resist temperature shifts, and maintain a consistent scent throw over the life of the burn.
Every ratio of our wax blend was tested against every wick option and every fragrance percentage we were considering. The winning ratio wasn't the one that performed best on any single measure. It was the one that performed consistently across all of them.
That's the version that's in every MODERATO candle you can buy today.
What this means for you
• A longer, more gradual burn — approximately 50 hours per 8.5 oz candle.
• A cleaner burn, with less soot and no yellowing of the wax over the candle's life.
• A more graceful visual experience — the candle reveals itself as it burns, rather than flattening into a pool.
• A more consistent scent throw from first burn to final burn.
This is also why our candles are priced where they are. Coconut wax costs more than soy. We think the difference is worth it. We built a brand around that belief.
KEEP READING
• → The Year We Almost Gave Up
• → The Wick Nobody Talks About
• → A Fragrance That Doesn't Overpower