All products sold on this site are made from glycerin or soy-based products.
Why Soy??
There are many rumors about soy candles that aren't true. But there are some facts floating around about them as well. So here's some information to help you see why Soy Wax is better - and why it isn't.
FALSE: SOY HAS LESS SOOT
Not really. Soy actually creates "white" smoke instead of "black" smoke, so it's not as visible. But it actually produces about the same amount of soot. One good way to reduce the soot output of ANY candle, is to cap it instead of blowing it out. For the jar candles sold here, simply screw the lid back onto the jar, loosely. You'll see the flame go out, and the soot from the wick burning out will fall back into the wax - not float away in the air. But every candle will still release soot into the air as it burns.
TRUE: SOY WAX CANDLES LAST LONGER
This one is actually true. But the reason may confuse some people. When candles burn, they produce a little pool of melted wax. This is called the "melt pool" and it actually PREVENTS the wick from burning down as fast. Soy wax melts at a lower temperature, creating a quicker and larger melt pool. The bigger the melt pool, the longer it will take the wick to burn down - thus the wick in a soy candle will burn slower.
TRUE: SOY WAX IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
I see lots of arguments on both sides for this. Soy itself is a renewable resource, yes. Paraffin wax is not because it is based on fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels are CURRENTLY used to plant, harvest, and process soy beans into the wax we use for candles. The gas for that tractor used in harvesting? It's petroleum based. So naysayers like to claim that it's not actually better for the environment. That is true at this time. But soy wax is a renewable resource in and of itself. And perhaps later as we learn to turn other renewable resources into fuel for the processing, it actually will become better for the environment overall.
TRUE: SOY WAX IS MORE ECONOMICAL
This one is actually true, based on the fact that the candles last longer. The actual wax itself is not cheaper - soy wax is often slightly more expensive than paraffin wax. But the benefits to the end user make it economical for those who burn them.
SEMI-TRUE: SOY WAX HAS STRONGER FRAGRANCE
This actually depends on the candle maker. Soy wax CAN hold more fragrance oil overall - about 1.5 ounces per pound of wax. While paraffin wax can only hold about 1 ounce of fragrance per pound of wax. The difference is in whether or not the candle maker takes advantage of that ability to hold more. Some fragrances that I sell are incredibly strong, and I stick to the old 1 ounce per pound rule. Others are more subtle and I need to increase the amount to 1.5 ounces per pound to make the scent stronger. Coconut is one of the more subtle fragrances that I may use 1.5oz per pound of wax to make. Lemon Drop is definitely one of the stronger ones, and I very rarely go over 1 ounce per pound when making it.
Hopefully this helps you decide whether or not to purchase a soy wax candle over a normal paraffin wax candles. I do believe my candles are better buys than some of the more popular companies such as Yankee Candle or Bath and Body Works, because of the slower burning, and the stronger fragrances that I can use if needed.
FALSE: SOY HAS LESS SOOT
Not really. Soy actually creates "white" smoke instead of "black" smoke, so it's not as visible. But it actually produces about the same amount of soot. One good way to reduce the soot output of ANY candle, is to cap it instead of blowing it out. For the jar candles sold here, simply screw the lid back onto the jar, loosely. You'll see the flame go out, and the soot from the wick burning out will fall back into the wax - not float away in the air. But every candle will still release soot into the air as it burns.
TRUE: SOY WAX CANDLES LAST LONGER
This one is actually true. But the reason may confuse some people. When candles burn, they produce a little pool of melted wax. This is called the "melt pool" and it actually PREVENTS the wick from burning down as fast. Soy wax melts at a lower temperature, creating a quicker and larger melt pool. The bigger the melt pool, the longer it will take the wick to burn down - thus the wick in a soy candle will burn slower.
TRUE: SOY WAX IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
I see lots of arguments on both sides for this. Soy itself is a renewable resource, yes. Paraffin wax is not because it is based on fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels are CURRENTLY used to plant, harvest, and process soy beans into the wax we use for candles. The gas for that tractor used in harvesting? It's petroleum based. So naysayers like to claim that it's not actually better for the environment. That is true at this time. But soy wax is a renewable resource in and of itself. And perhaps later as we learn to turn other renewable resources into fuel for the processing, it actually will become better for the environment overall.
TRUE: SOY WAX IS MORE ECONOMICAL
This one is actually true, based on the fact that the candles last longer. The actual wax itself is not cheaper - soy wax is often slightly more expensive than paraffin wax. But the benefits to the end user make it economical for those who burn them.
SEMI-TRUE: SOY WAX HAS STRONGER FRAGRANCE
This actually depends on the candle maker. Soy wax CAN hold more fragrance oil overall - about 1.5 ounces per pound of wax. While paraffin wax can only hold about 1 ounce of fragrance per pound of wax. The difference is in whether or not the candle maker takes advantage of that ability to hold more. Some fragrances that I sell are incredibly strong, and I stick to the old 1 ounce per pound rule. Others are more subtle and I need to increase the amount to 1.5 ounces per pound to make the scent stronger. Coconut is one of the more subtle fragrances that I may use 1.5oz per pound of wax to make. Lemon Drop is definitely one of the stronger ones, and I very rarely go over 1 ounce per pound when making it.
Hopefully this helps you decide whether or not to purchase a soy wax candle over a normal paraffin wax candles. I do believe my candles are better buys than some of the more popular companies such as Yankee Candle or Bath and Body Works, because of the slower burning, and the stronger fragrances that I can use if needed.