Soy wax
While paraffin remains the most widely used wax for candle-making, soy wax is catching on. This is because it is an all-natural, renewable, bio-degradable, and environmentally-friendly alternative.Soy wax is made from soya beans. Although first introduced into the market in 1995 by Body Shop, Michael Richards, the accredited inventor of soy wax, actually began working on it since 1991. He developed a wax made from coconut oil, palm oil, and hydrogenated soybean oil. He also experiment with a mix of soy and beeswax.
To produce oil from soybeans, they are first cracked and flaked. After this, a certain solvent is used to extract the oil. Hydrogenating this oil transforms it into a solid, which, however, is not as sturdy as paraffin. For this reason, soy wax is often used for container candles.
You will need to mix soy wax with paraffin or stearic acid if you want to make votive or pillar candles with them. This mixture is sturdy enough to be shaped into upright forms without containers.
Apart from being environmentally-friendly, soy wax burns longer than paraffin candles by as much as 50%. Soot is at a minimum so it doesn"t blacken walls or ceilings. Its fragrance throw is also more dispersed. As they come in flakes, it is easy to work with them. Clean-up is also simple as it can be done with only soap and water.
The world is changing. We"ve all be so dependent on synthetic and petroleum-based products but it seems that this is wreaking havoc on the planet. Thanks in part to Al Gore"s An Inconvenient Truth plenty of people are going natural ò€“even in their use of candles.
While paraffin remains the most widely used wax for candle-making, soy wax is catching on. This is because it is an all-natural, renewable, bio-degradable, and environmentally-friendly alternative.
Soy wax is made from soya beans. Although first introduced into the market in 1995 by Body Shop, Michael Richards, the accredited inventor of soy wax, actually began working on it since 1991. He developed a wax made from coconut oil, palm oil, and hydrogenated soybean oil. He also experiment with a mix of soy and beeswax.
To produce oil from soybeans, they are first cracked and flaked. After this, a certain solvent is used to extract the oil. Hydrogenating this oil transforms it into a solid, which, however, is not as sturdy as paraffin. For this reason, soy wax is often used for container candles.
You will need to mix soy wax with paraffin or stearic acid if you want to make votive or pillar candles with them. This mixture is sturdy enough to be shaped into upright forms without containers.
Apart from being environmentally-friendly, soy wax burns longer than paraffin candles by as much as 50%. Soot is at a minimum so it doesn"t blacken walls or ceilings. Its fragrance throw is also more dispersed. As they come in flakes, it is easy to work with them. Clean-up is also simple as it can be done with only soap and water.