Why Would I Buy a $31 Candle When I Can Get a $5 Candle at Walmart?

Why Would I Buy a $31 Candle When I Can Get a $5 Candle at Walmart?

It’s a fair question. And honestly, if all candles were the same, I’d be asking it too. After all, they both have wax. They both have a wick. They both make your house smell nice. So why spend more?

Candles are a lot like food. You can buy a $1 frozen burger, or you can buy a grass-fed burger made from carefully sourced ingredients. Both are technically burgers, but most people understand they aren’t the same thing. Candles work much the same way.

When people look at a candle, they see a jar. What they don’t see is the formulation. And formulation is where everything happens.

A well-made candle is carefully balanced. The wax, the wick, the vessel, the fragrance (or essential oil in our case) load, and the pour and burn temperature all have to work together. When manufacturers are trying to hit extremely low price points, compromises often have to be made somewhere. That doesn’t automatically make a candle unsafe, but it does mean there is often less room for premium ingredients, extensive testing, and small-batch attention to detail.

One thing many people don’t realize is that candle making is far more complex than simply pouring wax into a jar. Every component affects how a candle burns. Change the wax and you may need a different wick. Change the scent and the candle may burn hotter or cooler. Change the vessel and the heat distribution changes. Even a candle that performs beautifully in one formula can behave completely differently with another.

Have you ever seen photos online of candle jars cracking or shattering? While these incidents are uncommon, they do happen. Most often, they’re caused by a combination of factors such as improper fragrance load or formulation, burning a candle too long, failing to trim the wick, damaged glass, drafts, improper use, or excessive heat buildup. This is exactly why testing matters so much.

When I formulate a candle, I’m not just asking whether it smells good. I’m asking whether the wick performs safely, whether the vessel remains within acceptable temperatures, whether the wax pool develops properly, whether the candle burns well, and whether the wick remains stable while being trimmed after multiple burns. Every new scent requires testing because every formula behaves differently.

Then there’s the wax itself.

Our candles are made with 100% pure beeswax. Beeswax is one of the most expensive candle waxes available, and for good reason. It isn’t manufactured in a refinery. It comes from honeybees. In fact, bees consume approximately six to eight pounds of honey to produce a single pound of beeswax. That means the raw material itself is naturally more costly before a candle maker ever begins crafting a candle.

The scenting materials matter too. Many mass-produced candles rely on fragrance oils because they provide strong scent throw at a lower cost. We choose essential oils and botanical extracts instead. That isn’t the cheaper route. In many cases, essential oils cost dramatically more than synthetic fragrance ingredients. We choose them because they are natural and far better for your environment. Ingredient transparency matters to us, and we want our customers to know exactly what they’re bringing into their homes.

The wick matters as well. A wick may seem like a small detail, but it plays a major role in how a candle burns. We use organic hemp wicks coated in beeswax because hemp burns clean, and being organic aligns with our commitment to natural ingredients and quality (including air quality). 

And then there’s the human side of it.

Our candles aren’t coming off an assembly line by the thousands. They’re wicked, poured, inspected, labeled, packed, and shipped by our family right here in Virginia. Every vessel is inspected before it’s filled. Every batch is carefully made. Every order is packed by real people who genuinely care about what arrives at your doorstep.

When you purchase from a small business, you’re supporting more than a product. You’re supporting a homeschool family, local suppliers, American small business, and a commitment to ingredient transparency and craftsmanship. You’re helping us continue educating people about candles, ingredients, and making informed choices for their homes.

So, why buy a $31 candle when you can buy a $5 candle?

Because you’re not just buying wax in a jar.

You’re buying carefully sourced ingredients. You’re buying extensive testing. You’re buying craftsmanship. You’re buying transparency. You’re buying a product made intentionally, not simply manufactured as cheaply as possible.

Could you buy a $5 candle? Absolutely. Many people do, and there’s nothing wrong with making an informed choice in any matter.

But if you’re looking for a non-toxic candle crafted from pure beeswax, scented with essential oils and botanical extracts, carefully tested, and handmade by a family who genuinely cares about every ingredient that goes into it, then you’re shopping for something entirely different.

And that’s why some candles cost $5.

And some candles cost $31.

At Soli Deo Gloria Candle Company, we’re honored every time someone chooses the latter. 🕯️ Shop our candles here.