Why Soy Wax?
I wanted to talk a bit about soy wax today. Why do we use soy wax? What are the benefits and unique characteristics of soy wax? These are just a few of the questions that I have received as a Curious Candle maker. Therefore, I would like to share this information here as it will be helpful when making a decision on what candle to purchase. Also, there are a few unique properties of soy wax which are good to know (and good for the environment).
What different wax types are there?
There are three main types of wax: paraffin, soy and beeswax. There are also others, such as coconut wax and wax blends. The latter are mixtures of different wax types. However, I want to focus on the three main types in this article [paraffin | soy | beeswax].
Paraffin
Paraffin is the most popular and frequently used type of wax. My general rule is: if a candle doesn’t say otherwise, it is made with paraffin wax. Petroleum-based paraffin wax is derived from crude oil. While it is known to have the best scent throw of all waxes, there are some health concerns regarding the release of unwanted chemicals.* These concerns might be debatable but the fact that it is made from non-renewable resources is not. The non eco-friendly aspect coupled with my sensitive lungs drove my decision against it for our Curious Candles.
Beeswax
Beeswax is not vegan (if this is important to you) and it is difficult to add fragrance as it already has a strong scent by itself. However, I have to admit that I love the scent of beeswax. There is no need to add any scent but this is a personal preference. For our Curious Candles, I wanted to add fragrance and I also wanted to make a vegan candle. Therefore, beeswax was also not an option for us.
Soy wax
Soy wax is vegetable based and is derived from soybeans. It is scentless which makes it ideal to add fragrance. It’s worth noting that many candle makers state that soy has less of a scent throw compared to paraffin wax. However, if you prefer a lighter and cleaner scent then you might love soy candles. Soy wax also has a longer burn time than paraffin which is an added benefit. These are some of the reasons why I chose soy wax for our candles.
Facts you should know about soy wax
Soy wax has a few unique properties (apart from what I already mentioned above) that are worth knowing. As soy wax is a natural wax, there are a few ‘imperfections’ that can occur. Soy wax is known for “frosting” (see image). These are the small craters on the surface that build when the wax is cooling. It is a natural wax and therefore does not cool as evenly and smoothly as paraffin. Soy wax lovers accept this aspect as the beauty of nature.
Extreme temperature changes can cause jar adherence problems (see image) that can appear as a visual imperfection to candle users. This is when the wax pulls away from the jar during cooling and you can see that the wax is not touching the jar. This is common, especially during summer when we ship candles from hot temperatures (we’re located in Austin, Texas) to cooler storage rooms. However, it is worth noting that this imperfection does not impact the performance or quality of the candle.
You might also notice that soy candles have a lighter scent as mentioned above. If you are accustomed to paraffin candles then it might take a bit of time to adjust to the fainter scent. I adjusted quickly (along with my lungs) and I enjoy it much more. We believe that our soy candles can still fill any room with their fragrance albeit a little lighter but with a much cleaner scent.
I hope this information helped you understand soy wax a bit better and we hope you will fall in love with soy candles as much as we did.
See you next time!
#LightLearnLove from Curious Candles!
*Frequent use of certain candles produces unwanted chemicals. (2009, August 24). Retrieved June 4th, 2020, from https://www.scsu.edu/news_article.aspx?news_id=832