NatureWax C-3

Made by Cargill. Sold by Candle Shack, Supplies For Candles (UK). Checked November 8, 2026.

Makers call it Cargill C-3, C-3, C3, Nature Wax C3, Cargill NatureWax C-3.

At a glance

Cargill's 100 percent soy jar wax with a higher melt point than many soy waxes, but touchy about pour temperature and frosting.

Find your wick size

Best for: Soy-only jar candles at about 6 to 8 percent fragrance when you can control pour temperature.8 4
Watch out: Pour temperature and frosting. Craters, cracks and frosting rise when the pour is off or fragrance goes above 8 percent. No wick sizes from makers were found.8 10 See problems Read the notes

Melt point124-130°F1
Add fragrance at149-158°F5 6
Pour at140-158°F7 8 5
Max fragrance6-10%2 4 8basis not stated by the source
Typical fragrance6-8%8basis not stated by the source
Cure time2-7 days5 8

Every wick size for NatureWax C-3

From supplier charts and makers' own tests.

4 lines.

NatureWax C-3 wick sizes by jar width
Jar width	Wick	Fragrance	Supplier starting point	What makers found
3 in / 76 mm	Cotton CD	Not given	None	CD 12, 14 or 16 (also CDN 12-16, CSN 14) One maker's report What they saw One maker says wicks that work in 3 in wide containers now run from CD 12 to 16 (also CDN 12 to 16 and CSN 14); this maker began years ago with CDN 10 and the wax later needed a bigger wick. ECO did not work well for this maker.11 Only one maker has reported this. Test it before you trust it.
2.64 in / 67 mm	Cotton ECO	7%	None	ECO 2, 6, 8 and 10 (all gave a burnt smell) One maker's report What they saw One maker in a 2.64 in wide vessel with 7% fragrance, cured a week, tried ECO 2, 6, 8 and 10 and got a burnt-wick smell from all of them, so ordered CD (Stabilo) wicks to try.12 Only one maker has reported this. Test it before you trust it.
Not stated	Cotton ECO	Not given	None	ECO 8 One maker's report What they saw One maker in 9 oz straight-sided jars (width not given) found ECO 8 best in a no-fragrance test; with a CandleScience fragrance it reached a full melt pool on the 4th burn with some residue on the sides, and the maker asked whether to size up.13 Only one maker has reported this. Test it before you trust it. ECO (size not given) One maker's report What they saw One maker who works with C-3 in several container sizes names ECO as the wick of choice (sizes and jars not given).14 Only one maker has reported this. Test it before you trust it.
3.07 in / 78 mm	Cotton TCR	8%	TCR 30/185 6 Candle Shack recipes 'Spiced Orange in C3 for 3.07 in jars at 8% fragrance 30cl Lotti glass jar, 78 mm wide Chart wording Candle Shack recipes 'Spiced Orange in C3, 30cl' and 'Effete in C3, 30cl' (a supplier recipe, not a chart; 8 percent is of total weight, about 8.7 percent of wax)	None yet

Problems makers report

Frosting grows with fragrance load and dye
What makers do: One supplier's tests saw almost none at 70 C pour, side frosting above 8 percent fragrance, and more with big dye amounts and dark colors. A maker blog says frosting cannot be avoided in soy but can be lessened. Candle Shack says light frosting with dye is normal.8 10 4
Read the fix: Frosting and Wet Spots in Candles: Causes and Fixes
Very sensitive to pour temperature: craters, cracks, poor adhesion
What makers do: Pour near 70 C (158 F). The supplier test saw poor adhesion below 65 C or above 79 C and some higher-load candles cracked or cratered. Warm the jars in cool rooms. A heat gun fixes most tops, but loads above 8 percent frosted when heat-gunned.8 10 5
Read the fix: Why Does My Candle Have Sinkholes or Cracks After It Sets?
Batch-to-batch differences change the wicking
What makers do: A maker blog reports variation in moisture and quality between batches that affects wicking, so re-test when you open a new lot.10
More fragrance is not a stronger throw
What makers do: One supplier's tests found 12 percent no stronger than 6 percent, with a big sinkhole, side frosting and sweating by 24 hours; 6 to 8 percent was best for hot throw. A maker blog (the author calls it anecdotal) says C-3 needs more wick power than paraffin or palm for the same throw.10 8
Wide jars need more wick
What makers do: The supplier test says jars wider than 8 cm (about 3.1 in) need two wicks for a full pool and hot throw. Bomar's sheet says candles over 3.5 cm wide may need a thicker wick.8 2
Air pockets and sinkholes that look like tunneling
What makers do: One experienced maker says C-3 that cools too fast or unevenly forms air cavities that look like tunneling: poke holes with a skewer, open them up and do a second pour. Another maker blamed sinkholes for a bad test batch.15 16
Read the fix: Why Is My Candle Tunneling and Can I Fix It?
Wicks need a re-check as the wax cures and over the years
What makers do: One maker says to wait a week, better two, before judging a wick, because Cargill soy waxes harden a lot over time and that can change the wick you need by a size or more. This maker also says C-3 needed bigger wicks than in the early days.11 15

Notes from the sources

Cargill's data sheet gives a Mettler dropping point of 124 to 130 F and an iodine value of 50 to 56. It gives no pour, fragrance or wick data. Bomar's lot sheet shows a 53.83 C melt point (spec 51 to 55 C).1 2
Fragrance limits conflict: Bomar's sheet says 6 percent maximum (7 to 10 percent only with additives); Candle Shack lists 8 to 10 percent and 7 to 8 percent in most blends; Supplies For Candles lists 8 to 10 percent in its table but a 7 to 8 percent maximum in its product text; the Fragrances For Candles tests say up to 10 percent with 6 to 8 ideal.2 4 7 8
Temperatures: Candle Shack heats to 65 to 70 C (149 to 158 F), adds fragrance then and pours at 65 C (149 F). Supplies For Candles' table says melt to 80 to 90 C (176 to 194 F) and pour at 60 to 70 C (140 to 158 F); its product text says pour at 50 to 65 C (122 to 149 F). Bomar says melt at 160 to 200 F and pour at 120 to 180 F.5 6 7 2
Candle Shack's own 30cl recipe pairs it with TCR 30/18 in a jar 78 mm (3.07 in) wide at 8 percent of total weight (17.6 g fragrance in 202.4 g wax). This is one supplier recipe, not a chart. Supplies For Candles names TCR, Eco and Stabilo as the wick series but gives no sizes.5 6 7
CandleScience stopped selling C-3 in 2020 because of sourcing concerns about Cargill, and its C-3 wick chart and lab notes are no longer on its site. Its wick guide has no C-3 section.3 9
Wood wicks: no C-3 wood wick chart or maker report was found.3

Sources

Every number on this page comes from one of these. Checked November 8, 2026.

At a glance

Find your wick for NatureWax C-3

Every wick size for NatureWax C-3

Problems makers report

Frosting grows with fragrance load and dye

Very sensitive to pour temperature: craters, cracks, poor adhesion

Batch-to-batch differences change the wicking

More fragrance is not a stronger throw

Wide jars need more wick

Air pockets and sinkholes that look like tunneling

Wicks need a re-check as the wax cures and over the years

Notes from the sources

Related guides

Sources