Candle Wax

Do you know what is in the candles you burn?
Do you know what kind of candle wax your candle is made with?
Is it a natural wax or paraffin?
Do you know what paraffin is made from?
Is the fragrances in your candle safe or does it release harmful toxin into the air?
Do you know what's in the wick of your candle?

Let’s look at the wax used in candles.
Are your candles made with paraffin or a natural wax like soy?

Do you know why you should choose candles made from a natural candle wax like soy instead of paraffin? Take a look at the following facts about paraffin and see what you think.

Paraffin Candle Wax Facts

Paraffin supports the foreign oil industry but that’s not the main reason you should not burn paraffin candles. Paraffin is made from petroleum (literally the sludge at the bottom of the barrel that is left after all other products (jet fuel, gasoline, diesel and road tar) are made then this sludge is treated with bleach and Stearic Acid). It must be blended with other chemicals to be able to release the fragrance. It produces carcinogens and toxins when burned that are released into the air you breathe which can trigger allergies. Paraffin burns hot which can be dangerous and is not water-soluble which means it is very hard to clean off surfaces. It produces petrol-carbon soot which blackens your homes walls, ceilings, furniture and contaminates the ductwork in your home (one type of paraffin candle can give off 100 times more soot than another). Paraffin can contain up to 11 carcinogenic compounds. Not all paraffin is created equal, some are better than others and some are worse, but they are all just labeled as paraffin, how do you know what your candle is made of.

Why should you choose natural soy candle wax?
Soy candles offer many benefits over traditional paraffin candles!

Soy Candles Wax Facts

Find a soy made from American grown soybeans, supporting the U.S. economy. Soybeans are all natural, biodegradable, renewable resource. Soy wax releases fragrance naturally, faster and last a long time. It does not release toxic carcinogens and pollutants into the air you breathe so they are less likely to trigger allergies. It produces little to no soot and has no petro soot emissions. It has a low melting point so it burns cooler, longer, and safer, lasting a long time and burning completely leaving very little wax in the bottom of the container. Soy wax is water-soluble so it cleans up with soap and water. With all these benefits over paraffin you can see why it is better to choose an environmentally friendly natural soy wax candle. Go Green With Your Candles!

Besides candles made out of soy wax you can also choose other types of natural wax candles for example - bees wax or palm wax. They all have many benefits over candles made with paraffin.

Now let’s look at the wicks in candles

Have you considered what is in the wick you light on your candles?

Find candles that have only 100% cotton wicks and that are coated with natural wax, [most candle wicks are coated with paraffin and 60% of wicks (even those claiming to be all natural cotton) have a zinc core or some other harmful metal core in the center of the wick].

What about the fragrances that make your candle
smell so wonderful?

As you already learned paraffin has chemicals added to it to allow the wax to release the fragrance when the candles are burned. But you also have to consider what is used for the scent of that candle as it is burned along with the candle wax. A lot of candles use synthetic fragrances that are petroleum based and emit toxins into the air as they burn. These fragrances are cheaper, so they can make the candles cheaper.

So look for candles made with synthetic fragrances that contain no toxin emitting substances and no petroleum based fragrance oils or are made with essential oils.

As you can see choosing healthy candles to burn involves carefully considering what is in the candle wax, the wick and the fragrance.

Choosing healthy natural wax candles is a healthy way to illuminate your life and is simply better for you, your family, and your environment.

Here is a little information about soy beans you might find of interest.

Processing of Soybean Wax

A 60 pound bushel is the traditional farm measure. When soybeans are processed they are crushed and pressed to separate the soybean meal form the soybean oil. In each 60 pound bushel, around 49 pounds of soymeal and 11 pounds of soybean oil are produced.

The 49 pounds of soymeal is where the protein content of the soybean is, so soymeal is processed into animal feeds and foods for human consumption such as soy milk, tofu and texturized soy protein (a meat substitute such as "veggie" burgers).

The Soybean Oil is the main Content of Soy Wax

The majority percentage of all soy wax products is soybean oil. A small minority of other vegetable oils are added to achieve better performance, characteristics for a smooth and even wax surface, strong fragrance throw, longer shelf life, color blend and in the case of pillar wax, ease of mold release.

It is more important to have the very best wax performance for a candle than 100% soy content. They should be Natural Vegetable Soy Wax Candles that are 100% vegetable with no chemicals, animal fat or petroleum additives - for a healthy candle that burns well.

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