I purchased four types of beeswax crayons for my kids. I have all the crayons out of their respective packages and in the same "crayon bucket" so my kids can choose freely among them. They have a clear favorite and I have a different favorite.
Their least favorite are the Filana Crayons.
Filana Organic Beeswax Stick Crayons, Set of 12 in a Carton
They consciously avoid these crayons and my 2 year-old throws fits if he has to use one of these because someone else has the color he wants (from the other brands). They also get annoyed with these because the round shape allows them to easily roll away, or off the table. The pigment saturation on these is "translucent" in comparison to the others and they are harder/not as soft. I was attracted to these crayons because of the Organic claims, however after receiving them, examining the packaging and checking their website, this appears to be a deceptively false claim. In the USA, a company cannot legally use the word "Organic" on its packaging unless it is Certified Organic by the FDA or other licensed FDA Certifier and contains at least 90% minimum Certified Organic content. (We belong to the Organic Consumer Association and we are a passionately organic family. We are not experts, but we are reasonably informed about organic things.) Firstly, there is no Certified Organic Seal displayed on this packaging so it appears to be yet another fake "organic" product from an unknown company capitalizing on Amazon's weak seller filters. I checked their website which claims the crayons are a "blend of natural petroleum-free waxes" and contain "20% certified organic beeswax" and another page on their site claims "25% organic beeswax". Nowhere (at the time of this review) is a full disclosure of ingredients (or any mention of other ingredients for that matter). First of all, if it is only 20% beeswax, it is NOT A "BEESWAX" CRAYON. Second of all, if this measly 20% is the only organic thing in it (which I doubt even this is true), then IT IS NOT ORGANIC. Since they don't mention what the other "natural petroleum-free waxes" actually are, my guess is they are mostly soy or palm wax, which in the case of soy, (if it is not certified organic) is entirely GMO and loaded with PESTICIDE and HERBICIDE TOXINS. There is a "Notice, this product contains soy." warning on the Filana package. In sum, my kids don't like these crayons and the company is making bogus claims and illegally exploiting the Organic label. On to the next...
My kids like these Faber Castell Beeswax crayons.
Faber Castell FC129124 Jumbo Triangular Beeswax Crayon, Assorted Color, 1.75" Height, 4.38" Width, 9.75" Length (Pack of 24)
There are no claims on the packaging or website about the beeswax ratios or types of waxes or other ingredients, but these crayons are smooth and rich in color and my kids like the triangular shape that doesn't roll away. This is an established art supplies brand that has been around for generations. If I am able to track down the full ingredient list, I will post it.
Lastly, their favorites are these International Arrivals Natural Beeswax Crayons
International Arrivals Natural Beeswax Crayons, Set of 24 (133-50)
They are also triangular in shape, but the clincher is the richest, smoothest color. My kids love them. I am not familiar with this brand, but a quick look at their website provides honest full disclosure of the ingredients of these crayons. While I very much appreciate the disclosure, I am not too thrilled about the ingredients... "Crayon Wax Contains: Paraffin and Hydrocarbon waxes, stearic acid (pure), Talc (Mg3H2(SiO3)4), Hydrogenated Palm Oil, benzenamine (oxidized), Petrolatum, beeswax, Distillates (petroleum), hydrotreated light paraffinic, synthetic coloring." The first listed ingredients are "Parrafin and Hydrocarbon waxes". These crayons are mostly petroleum. Though there is a reference to a bee on the package, they are not called "beeswax crayons", nor are there any deceptive claims to "natural or organic". This company has more integrity than the first two.
My favorites are the Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons
Honeysticks 100% Pure Beeswax Crayons (12 Pack) Natural, Non Toxic, Safe for Babies, Toddlers and Kids, Handmade in New Zealand, For 1 Year Plus
These are my favorites because they are 100% beeswax and some pigments. They smell sweet just like our beeswax candles. They are slightly sticky like real beeswax and thus, they are the most natural and least toxic of the lot. They are not as smooth, nor as rich as the others, but my priority is safe and non-toxic art fun so these are the clear winners to me. As far as my kids go, they like the chunky shape that is different from the others, but these leave small wax crumbs on the paper and the color isn't as rich or as smooth as the others.
In summary, it doesn't look like much actual beeswax is in any of the first three, however, none of them have the heavy noxious petroleum smell of typical crayons so there is improvement in that regard. I am aware that art supplies (pigments and their various mediums) are notoriously toxic so this is an area where I am especially careful with my kids. I am glad I found the Honey Sticks. If I took away all the other crayons, my kids would be happy with the honeysticks. They aren't "artist quality", but they are lovely 100% beeswax crayons with no fake claims. Just what I was looking for!
Thanks for reading, I hope this review is helpful!
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