Since many of us probably spend most of our time at home, what better way to create an energizing and uplifting ambiance than with a scented candle. But here’s the thing: many candles are made with harmful toxins that can pollute the air and our bodies.
Before you burn the candle at both ends, we’re going to let you know why soy wax candles are a better option than paraffin wax – plus the best clean-burning candles to help keep your space safe, healthy, and feeling like home.
What Is Soy Wax?
Whether it was a £3 candle from the local bargain bin or a votive from a high-end boutique, chances are you smelled a paraffin candle, it passed the sniff test, and the votive made its merrily little way home with you. Since paraffin wax seems to dominate the tiny torch scene, you may not have known there are clean alternatives to paraffin.
When we talk about clean-burning candles, we’re talking about soy wax candles. Soy wax is made from the vegetable soybeans. After the beans are harvested, they are then cleaned, cracked, de-hulled and rolled into flakes. Hydrogenated soybean oil is extracted from the flakes with the leftover flakes being used for food sources like animal feed.
We all love a scented candle with a divine aroma that fills the room. But it’s important to understand not all candles are created equal, and it all comes down to how they’re made. While there are a few ingredients we despise, paraffin may be the worst (and most common) offender.
Paraffin is one of the most popular candle waxes due to its cheap production costs. Paraffin is a petroleum by-product that’s used to make candle wax. Before it undergoes an intense refinement process, it’s known to contain a vast array of harmful toxins, like toluene and benzene.
But even after paraffin is heavily processed, some experts have expressed that toxins may still linger, ready to flood your living space the second you use it! To blow the lid off more, paraffin isn’t biodegradable, and therefore isn’t a sustainable material. The only thing paraffin is good for is that it’s cheap; and when it comes to your home, “cheap & dubious” isn’t what you deserve.
When it comes to soy wax, there are plenty of “green” and natural advantages. Soy wax is a 100% natural wax derived from environmentally friendly, renewable resources, whereas paraffin wax is made from petroleum and is non-renewable. Soy wax also burns slower than paraffin wax, meaning you get a candle that lasts longer and is able to reach its wax-imum capacity.
Candles made from soy wax burn cleaner and result in less soot. Another reason to choose soy wax when it comes to candles is the fact that soy wax is an excellent fragrance carrier that does not require chemical amplifiers. The result is a well-balanced true to scent candle. Now that just makes scents!