9 Types of Candles In The Philippines & Where To Buy Them Online

Candles in the Philippines

Candles can help us achieve peace of mind. It’s no wonder why we use them for various purposes, whether to fill up our room with comforting scents or to help us meditate or focus on our prayers. But with a variety of uses also come different types of candles in varying sizes, shapes, and lengths.

So to help you find the candles that work best for your space, we break down 9 types of candles in the Philippines below and recommend shops where you can buy them online.

Table of Contents

Candles in the Philippines

1. Scented candles – for adding fragrance to rooms

Mindoro Coast
Image credit: @saansaanph

Simply put, scented candles emit scents. This happens when a candle’s flame heats up the chemicals in the wax bearing the fragrances. Usually encased in glass containers, scented candles are made up of natural substances such as essential oils or synthetic substances such as synthetic aroma chemicals.

You can use them to fill up your room with a soothing scent. Get them from Saan Saan, known for its handmade soy candles inspired by places in the Philippines. Take a look at Mindoro Coast (P950, ~USD19.56, currently restocking), for example – a blend of coconut, orange, and vanilla that evokes the scents of summer evenings in the coastal towns of Mindoro. As they are made up of soy, they burn slower than those made up of regular paraffin.

Image credit: @happyislandcandles

To remind yourself of summer holiday memories, Happy Island Candles sells soy candles in tropical, fruity scents. Fragrances vary from the scent of Piña Colada (P599, ~USD12.33), a blend of vanilla bean, light musk, and mandarin that might remind you of your tanning lotion, to Melon Cucumber (P599, ~USD12.33), a mix of cucumber, melon, light musk, and light wood notes.

Get them at Saan Saan and Happy Island Candles.

2. Pillar candles – thick, sturdy candles that can stand by themselves

Rose Gold N Black
Image credit: @brightideasmanila

Pillar candles are thick, sturdy candles that can stand by themselves. They can be 8 or more inches high, carved in round shapes or square columns. With thicker wax compared to other types of candles, they burn for longer as well.

Solihiya in Apricot
Image credit: Bright Ideas Manila

Consider a pillar if you want to add accents to your dining table, for events such as weddings, or when you’re visiting a departed loved one at a cemetery. Check them out at Bright Ideas Manila, which has pillar candles in various designs and sizes.

You can start with their Metallic Accent candles, such as the Rose Gold N Black (from P279.75 each, ~USD5.76) that’s layered with rose gold and black metallic colors and comes in three sizes. For a more local design, there are pillar candles – such as the Solihiya in Apricot (from P649.75 each, ~USD13.38) – covered with solihiya patterns and available in three sizes as well.

Get them at Bright Ideas Manila.

3. Tealight candles – small candles in cylindrical tins

Image credit: @soycandles.ph

Named after their traditional use as teapot warmers, tealight candles are small candles in cylindrical metal or plastic containers. Because of their miniscule size, they are often burned together with other tealights, often in short religious ceremonies or as decorations, such as having them float on water.

Image credit: @soycandles.ph

You can find 100g tealight candles (P160 each, ~USD3.29) made up of soy and essential oils on Soyphisticated Collection. They make great Christmas stocking gifts, as they feature cozy scents of lavender, bergamot, and green tea, among others.

Get them at Soyphisticated Collection.

4. Votive candles – candles in small glass containers

Mitsa Co.’s Always Summer Collection
Image credit: @mitsa.co

Votive candles are candles in small glass containers often used in religious practice. Slightly taller than tealight candles, they usually burn for 10 to 18 hours. You can find these candles at Mitsa Co., which specializes in soy candles.

Begin with their Always Summer Collection, a set of votive candles that has fruity notes. Sunset Breeze (starts at P250, ~USD5.15), for example, is a mix of scents from oranges, cranberries, and peaches, while Tropical Daze (starts at P250, ~USD5.15) includes banana, coconut, mango, and vanilla.

Image credit: @mitsa.co

For religious events such as christenings, you can ask Mitsa Co. to create labels for your votive candles too.

Get them at Mitsa Co.

5. Taper candles – long, slender candles placed on holders

12” Ivory Taper Candles
Image credit: Crate and Barrel

Often placed on holders, taper candles are long, slender candles that are commonly used for a variety of purposes, often seen accentuating tables at homes, churches, or events. Their length generally varies from 6 to 24 inches.

Emmett Bronze Taper Candle Holder
Image credit: Crate and Barrel

Look for them online at Crate and Barrel Philippines, which sells various housewares and home accessories such as taper candles. The 12” Ivory Taper Candles (P484, ~USD9.95) is a set of six in creamy ivory, and you can place them on the classy Emmett Bronze Taper Candle Holder (P922.30, ~USD18.95)

Get them at Crate and Barrel Philippines.

6. Candle tarts – candles that don’t evaporate & release fragrances

Image adapted from: @life_with_l

Candle tarts, carved in the shape of tarts, are wickless candles designed to melt on tart warmers or burners so they can release fragrances. As they are flameless, they are best for people who love filling up their spaces with aroma but don’t have much space to spare.

Fortunately, these types of candles are not difficult to find – you can look for them on Lazada and Shopee Philippines. Yankee Candles Philippines carries candle tarts on their online catalog, ranging from tarts with lilac blossom scents to the ones with water jasmine scents. They are affordable at P153 (~USD3.15) each.

Image credit: Lazada

Ceramic candle tart warmers in ceramics require tealight candles to melt the tarts and release their fragrance. But there are also flameless warmers powered by electricity such as this electric warmer from Lazada (P1,190, ~USD24.50), adorned with 3D lights and a light bulb.

When warming tarts, do make sure you read both the instructions from your warmer and candles to avoid overheating.

Get them at Lazada and Shopee Philippines.

7. Decorative candles – candles embellished with accessories

Image credit: @cosmicandles.ph

Aside from their practical use, candles also make great decorations. Embellished with accessories, decorative candles are made to accentuate your spaces as well as give them light and fill them with scents.

Cosmic Candles and 23rd Street Candle Co., for example, have wax adorned with crystals, perfect for spiritual titas who love designing their spaces.

Image credit: @23rdstreetcandleco

Following a zodiac theme, Cosmic Candles decorates scented soy candles (starts at P450, ~USD9.27) with dried blooms and healing crystals selected according to your horoscope. 23rd Street Candle Co. also crafts scented soy candles (starts at P300, ~USD6.18) with Reiki healing crystals and dried flowers and leaves.

Image credit: @cosmicandles.ph

You’ll notice that these decorative candles have wooden wicks instead of cotton ones – and for a good reason. Wooden wicks are considered as the more eco-friendly alternative since they are made up of natural wood.

Get them at Cosmic Candles and 23rd Street Candle Co.

8. Flameless candles – safer and look the same as regular candles

Image credit: Lazada

Flameless candles look exactly like typical candles, but without the hassles of messy wax or the dangers of fire. Made up of genuine wax or plastic, they have LED lights that resemble the shape of a flame. You can reuse them for as well as they are powered by batteries or are rechargeable.

Image credit: Lazada

There are a ton of flameless candles that you can shop online. This flameless, battery-operated candle set from Lazada (P320.90, ~USD6.61) is a set of 3 candles in 3 sizes that will complement any space.

Get them at Lazada and Shopee Philippines.

9. Sculpted candles – candles in unique shapes

Image credit: @shopelautia

Sculpted candles are candles carved in unique shapes. Usually, these types of candles are made up of different colors of waxes intricately layered on top of one another. But they can also come in the form of the human body and geometrical shapes, such as these soy candles from Elautia. They have candles sculpted to resemble the female and male torso (prices upon inquiry), taking cues from the sculptures you usually see in museums.

Image credit: @shopelautia

Candles in interlocking, geometrical patterns (P250 each, ~USD5.15) are available in brown and white and make great table centerpieces.

Get them at Elautia.

Different types of candles in the Philippines

There are many kinds of personalised and artistic candles to pick from online sellers these days – and more than simply lighting up a space, they also make great gifts for any season and help us relax after a long day with their aromatic scents.

Also check out:

Cover image adapted from: @cosmicandles.ph, @shopelautia