Bought some beeswax candles at the candle store on Paseo de Peralta (DeVargas Mall) this afternoon. Found they have a web site and this is what they say:
Candle manufacturing was further enhanced during the first half of the 20th century through the growth of U.S. oil and meatpacking industries. With the increase of crude oil and meat production, also came an increase in the by-products that are the basic ingredients of contemporary candles — paraffin and stearic acid.

That doesn’t sound very nice….here is another quote:
Pure beeswax candles burn brighter, hotter, cleaner, and longer than any other.  As they burn, they produce negative ions that actually clean your air of odors, pollens, smoke, dust, dust mites, and other allergens and hazards.