Soy Scented Candles are The Very Best

Did you know that there are several different waxes used when making Scented Candles?

Many of us want to live a healthier lifestyle through organic foods, all natural skin and body products, etc but we may not be aware of the harmful effects of burning traditional paraffin wax candles in our homes. Fortunately, soy-based candles can help with virtually soot-free burning with the additional benefit of cool burning and hence better fragrance release.

Paraffin wax come from oil. It is a derivative of kerosene and as such it is a sort of "bottom of the barrel" scraping. It is not surprising then that paraffin wax candles release soot into the air when burned and this soot can settle on your walls and surfaces and even be breathed in by you and your family and friends.

Paraffin wax also contains 11 dangerous compounds as classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency, some of which have been labeled as carcinogenic. One of these compounds is carbon tetrachloride. Chronic exposure to elevated levels of this can cause liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. The EPA has classified carbon tetrachloride as a “Group B2” compound, a human carcinogen. As a result, the American Lung Association has issued warnings regarding the burning of paraffin candles as a common, unrecognized cause of poor indoor air quality.

In contrast, soy-based wax candles are derived from all-natural soya beans that are grown all around the world. It is made by hydrogenating the oil of soya beans, which are a renewable resource limited only to how many soya beans are grown. Therefore, they support the farmer and help to relieve some of our dependency on oil. Because it is made of natural products, it is also biodegradable and not as harmful to our planet’s health.

One of the best testimonials I’ve read regarding the benefits of soy candles came from someone who is a self-proclaimed “candle-holic”. She said that she burned paraffin candles every evening in her family room and was starting to experience some symptoms of asthma. She purchased a small room air-cleaning system from a popular electronic store to try to ease her symptoms. She noticed that every time she cleaned the filter after burning candles, the filter was covered in the same black soot that she often found on her white upholstery. When she converted to using only natural soy candles, she not only found that her filter remained soot-free, but that her asthma symptoms also abated.

Anyone who has tried to get paraffin wax out of a tablecloth will be glad to hear that soy wax is easily removed from linens with soap and water. So, rather than using a hot iron and blotting the item with a cloth for hours in an effort to save a family heirloom, a simple dab with soapy water will restore the linens to be used again. Furthermore, this simple cleaning strategy allows us to wash soy candle containers and use them again.

An additional benefit of soy candles is the lower temperature at which they burn. While many people have been burned when candle wax spilled on their skin, I heard of a soy candle maker who accidentally spilled an entire shelf of liquefied soy wax candles on his leg. While his wife looked on in horror, he calmly wiped his leg with a nearby towel and didn’t have any redness or blistering. Since soy candles are burning at a lower temperature, it’s not hard to realise that they will therefore last longer (up to 10 hours per ounce) and continue to throw their room-warming fragrance for many hours after a traditional candle has burned out.

So, while many people buy their first soy candles as a “healthier” alternative to the traditional paraffin candle, most continue to purchase them for so many more reasons! Soy is most definitely BEST!

They are a bit more expensive than paraffin wax Scented Candles but as they burn more slowly and release much more fragrance they often work out to be better value for money.

Archipelago candles are excellent soy wax scented candles and so why not try them at Fragrance Heaven:

Archipelago Scented Candles