What is wax play?

Wax play is a form of temperature play used in BDSM and if done right with the right wax, can be safe and extremely fun! Many beginners and newbies look at the wax pouring on to skin during BDSM play and immediately think of skin burns and extreme pain however with a knowledgeable and experienced top with the right equipment, this shouldn’t be the case.

What candles are suitable for wax play?

The best candles or wax to use for wax play in our opinion would be soy and paraffin due to their lower melting points. We would strongly suggest avoiding anything containing beeswax, microcrystalline and stearin due to their very high melting points. What does it mean to have a low and high melting points for candles? This basically means that you need a particular temperature to actually make the wax melt, meaning that wax will hit the skin either at, or close to, that melting temperature. The temperature the wax is when it hits the skin depends on the distance between the candle and the body. Holding a candle further away from the skin allows the wax drip to cool while dropping through the air, which be handy when you are playing with someone with a low pain thresholds. Some types of wax having a melting point as low as 46 C, which makes the sensation feel more like a warm thick liquid being dripped on to the skin.
If you are looking to buy candles for temperature play, we would strongly suggest that you only buy candles that have a listing melting point and which are particularly made for BDSM use. We have heard of so many horror stories of people using table candles or decorative candles for play only to leave someone with extreme blistering and burns. Decorative candles in particular may have colour additives, scents or a surface gloss lacquer that can create a higher melting point and in some cases we have seen candles contain coloured plastics, metallic particles and glitter which when melted and dripped on skin could severely injure someone.

Wax Play Safety

It is also very responsible of the top/dominant to drip wax on the underside of their own forearm before playing with a new candle, to check the temperature of the wax and gauge how it might feel on the person you are playing with. With that sin mind, one should always be aware that different people have different sensitivities to different temperatures so what may be “warm” to some will be “extremely hot” to someone else. It’s important to check in with your play partner and see how their sensitivities are with the wax you are using – a good gauge can be using a 1-10 pain scale to determine if the level being received is what you are intending. Always ensure to avoid eyes and other sensitive areas. We would also advise against dripping directly bodily orifices.

Our Recommended Wax Play Candles

Eagle Leather is proud to support many small local and international artisan producers in our wide range of curated products.
Nightmare In Wax are based in NSW and make boutique handmade wax products for use in Wax Play.

Here is what K has to say about her candles:

"I started making candles for waxplay over 10 years ago as I had been burnt by the ""LOW TEMP"" candles we had purchased from a sex shop. I really enjoyed the sensation of wax but did not like dealing with blisters after a play session, so I went and researched how to make safe temperature candles for not only us but also our friends in the BDSM community. There just wasn't anything out there to buy except soy and I wanted paraffin as it was easier to clean off. Soy is wonderful on the skin but it is a bit like lipstick and tends to soak into the skin. This meant I needed to have a shower after we played with wax as Blood Red all over the furniture etc wasn't ideal.

I found companies that could supply me with different temperature melt points and started with 52C. This was the perfect mix of sting for me without getting to the point of calling red.
The high temp (Wasabi) came about as a beautiful lady called Satomi (one of the great Shibari riggers in the world) used my candles and said she would like it a bit hotter so 58C was created. The scald point of water is 60C so I will not go any higher than the 58C for safety reasons.

This is really more of a hobby business for me, I just want to be able to supply a safe product for people to use and enjoy."

These are by far our favourite candles for wax play that we have found and come highly recommended by us for BDSM use in particular! You can check out our range below.

We are very grateful that you are taking the time to research and learn all of the tips and safety aspects that surround BDSM. BDSM play can be dangerous and things can go wrong even with the most experienced practitioners. Eagle Leather does not take any responsibility for any mishaps you may have. Please be aware of any risks associated with each type of play you may be interested in when it comes to BDSM play and remember you never stop learning. Get the right advice, skills, practice and look after each other out there!

Check out our range of Candles here.