If you haven’t had the chance to try burning soy wax instead of the mainstream traditional paraffin, you could be missing out on a host of benefits. In fact, burning soy wax in a wax melt or candle form is a much better option than traditional paraffin for many reasons but we picked our top 5.
- Environmentally Friendly Renewable Resource
Soy wax is a 100% natural wax derived from the vegetable soybeans. Soybeans are one of the major agriculture crops grown in the United States, behind only corn. After the beans are harvested, they are then cleaned, cracked, de-hulled and rolled into flakes. Soybean oil is extracted from the flakes and the leftover flakes are used for animal feed. That soybean oil when solidified, makes the wax we use in our candles that you enjoy!
- Non-Toxic
While the green advantages speak for themselves, soy wax has many other advantages. Many mainstream candle brands you may know make their candles with paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum (a non-renewable resource). It has been claimed that when burned, paraffin wax can release harmful substances. In 2009, a study by South Carolina State University found that burning paraffin wax candles give off benzene. The American Cancer Society classifies benzene as a carcinogen, a substance that promotes the growth of cancer. In the same 2009 study performed by South Carolina State University, they found that soy wax did not give off benzene, unlike paraffin wax.
- Clean Burning
Because soy wax is made of all natural materials, it delivers a cleaner burn than petroleum derived paraffin wax. While all candles emit some black soot while burning, candles made from soy wax burns cleaner and results in less soot. It’s common to hear people complain of headaches when paraffin candles burn, but in general, this isn’t due to the scent of the wax but rather the chemicals it releases into the air.
- Longer Burn Times
Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin wax and because of this, soy candles will burn slower or longer than paraffin candles. Generally soy wax based candles will burn 30-50% longer.
-Easy To Clean Up
Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin, so the wax turns softer at lower temperatures. If you find yourself with a soy wax spill, it can be cleaned up with soap and hot water rather than harsh chemicals. For us candle makers, this is also a handy feature since our equipment can be cleaned in the sink under hot running water, or even in the dishwasher.
The History Of Soy Wax
Soy wax was invented by a group of college students in 1996 at Purdue University. The students had to develop a birthday candle using a renewable resource. They chose to use soybean oil. The students figured out how to solidify soy bean oil and won first place in a competition, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Development Council and Purdue's Department of Agronomy.