Re: what are crayons made of? and how are they made?

Dear Niki,

I am a scientist that works for (and makes) Crayola crayons. The two main ingredients in any crayon are colored pigment and paraffin wax. Typically between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit the wax melts. The pigments are inorganic and do not melt in this temperature range. To make a crayon, the wax is melted and stirred as the dry pigment powders are added. After thoroughly mixing the pigment into the molten wax, the colored wax is poured into a mold (in the shape of a crayon) and quickly cooled. The crayon solidifies and is removed from the mold. A paper wrapper is then rolled around the crayon stick and it is inserted into a box containing all the other crayon colors.