Wax play can create colorful and beautiful patterns on the subject

Wax play is a form of sensual play involving warm or hot wax usually dripped from candles or ladled onto a person's naked skin. Wax play may be combined with other BDSM or sexual activity. Download high resolution version (1000x664, 95 KB)This picture was taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel digital camera on September 25, 2004, using an EF 35-80mm f/4-5. ... Download high resolution version (1000x664, 95 KB)This picture was taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel digital camera on September 25, 2004, using an EF 35-80mm f/4-5. ... A collar is a common symbol of BDSM. BDSM is a term which describes a number of related patterns of human sexual behaviour. ... Sexual behavior is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse) and/or to the enjoyment of activity involving sexual gratification. ...

Pure paraffin wax melts at around 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit (54 to 57 degrees Celsius). Adding stearine makes the wax harder and melt at a higher temperature. Adding mineral oil makes the wax softer and melt at a lower temperature. Paraffin is a common name for a group of high molecular weight alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20, discovered by Carl Reichenbach. ... Stearine is a glyceryl ester of stearic acid, derived from animal fats and used as tallow in the manufacture of candles and soap. ...

Soft candles in glass jars usually have mineral oil in their blend and burn cooler at around 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius), Pillar candles are mostly paraffin and burn warmer at around 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius).

Taper candles have lots of stearine and burn hotter still at around 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius). Beeswax candles burn about 10 Fahrenheit degrees (5 Celsius degrees) hotter than equivalent paraffin candles. Although there are many web sites that repeat the same advice that color additives make candles burn hotter, actual experiments performed by two different researchers show that this is usually not the case. Increasing the distance the wax falls by 1 meter will drop the temperature about 5 degrees at the risk of splatter. Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds including: hydrocarbons 14%, monoesters 35%, diesters 14%, triesters 3%, hydroxy monoesters 4%, Hydroxy polyesters 8%, acid esters 1%, acid polyesters 2%, free acids 12%, free alcohols 1%, unidentified 6% [1]. Beeswax is secreted by honeybees in the form...

If ordinary candles are too hot, a special wax blend with a high concentration of mineral oil can be heated to lower temperatures in a crock pot or double boiler.

Safety notes

Different types of candles and different crock pot temperatures produce different temperatures of wax that can range from warm and soothing to dangerously hot. There is significant difference between individuals' tolerance for heat, which can vary depending on exactly where the wax is applied.

Wax can splatter into the eyes. Avoid starting a fire. Wax which is too hot can cause serious burns. Crock pots and wax therapy spas almost always have heat controls, not temperature controls; temperature will vary over time. Wax may be difficult to remove, particularly from areas with hair. A flea comb or a sharp knife may be necessary for wax removal; use of a knife for this purpose requires special skills, though an expired credit card can work as well. Applying mineral oil or lotion before play can make wax removal easier. Credit cards A credit card system is a type of retail transaction settlement and credit system, named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. ...

Wax may pool and concentrate heat. Temperatures listed above only apply when wax is in equilibrium. Wax heated in any sort of pot must be stirred vigorously or there can be dangerous temperature variations. Some people may be allergic to perfumes and dyes. Whatever is above a burning candle can get very hot, even at distances that may be surprising. Candles may break and set fire to objects underneath or nearby. Do not leave candles burning unattended, particularly when you go to sleep. Wax is difficult to wash out of clothes and bed linens. People with certain diseases, skin conditions, or taking certain medications may require additional precautions. The page on waxing for hair removal has additional safety considerations. Waxing is a temporary method of hair removal which removes the hair at the root. ...

Further reading

• Spectrum, The Toybag Guide to Hot Wax and Temperature Play. Greenery Press, 2004. ISBN 1890159573.