Benefits of Soy Wax Candles
Soy candles are made with soy wax, a refined form of soybean oil. Because this wax has a lower melting point than traditional waxes, they are usually container candles. However, certain additives are mixed into the soy wax that can also be made into pillar candles. There are different opinions and feelings among candle makers about the relative merits of soy and paraffin wax.
The supporters of soy wax will argue that soy candles are inexpensive compared to their only real natural wax rival – beeswax. Soy wax is a new alternative to paraffin that is both cost-effective and renewable.
Soy wax is all-natural (apart from the additives, of course, which may or may not be natural). New wax is popular among environmentally conscious people because it is not derived from petroleum, as paraffin candles. The combustion of soy candles does not affect the atmospheric carbon dioxide level.
There are claims that soy candles can last up to 50% longer than paraffin candles. That has never been properly tested, and as there are so many variables, it remains debatable. Most candle makers will know that the speed at which a candle burns down can depend very much on the size and type of wick used – larger wicks give a fiercer and more quickly burning candle.
Wax spills are easier to clean. It is tough to remove paraffin wax from furniture or textiles because it can easily clean soy wax spills with hot soapy water. This ease of cleaning up is also a definite advantage from the candle maker’s point of view.
It is argued by some advocates of soy wax that soy candles produce less soot and that what soot is produced is less harmful than white soot. That is still debatable, and there is no definitive answer to the truth of black and white soot.
Scented soy candles disperse fragrance more effectively because soybean oil lowers the melting point of the candle, resulting in cooler, faster-burning candles with better scent dispersion. Because this type of wax has a lower melting point, the liquid wax pool around the candlewick is larger. It is from this liquid wax pool that essential oils evaporate into the atmosphere. This argument is logical, so there may be some truth in it.
There is, however, no arguing that soy container candles are easy to make, and if you are happy with a container candle, rather than, such as a pillar candle, then soy wax is one of the easiest waxes to work.
