Are Soy Pillar Candles Made With 100% Pure Soy Wax?
The short answer to that question is a resounding NO. Many companies say that they use pure soy wax in their soy pillar candles. This can be confusing, since technically this is true. Pure soy is used in the soy blend that is used to create soy pillar candles; however, the soy blend is not 100% pure soy wax. Despite popular belief, it is not currently possible for a soy pillar candle to hold its shape if it is made with 100% pure soy bean oil. If a company advertises that their soy pillar candles are made with 100% pure soy, they likely are not aware that the wax they’re using is actually a blend.
That being said, many soy blends are made from 100% vegetable based products. EcoSoya claims that their blend is a majority of pure soy wax accompanied by a blend of botanical oils that help the soy pillar candle keep its shape without having to use a jar. The fact that soy pillar candles are not completely pure is not necessarily a negative thing.
Botanical oils, by definition, are oils that are derived from plant sources. The word botanical is derived from the word botany which involves the scientific study of plant life. The most common botanical oil in the United States is soy bean oil. However, soy bean oil is too viscous to completely hold its shape when it is made into soy wax, so other, less viscous botanical oils have to be added to the soy bean oil to help it hold its shape. EcoSoya will not disclose the other botanical oils that they use in their soy pillar blend because it is a trade secret, but it’s likely that one of the main botanical oils used to harden the soy wax is palm oil. Unlike pure soy wax, pure palm wax is capable of holding its shape when in the form of a pillar candle.
It is important to be sure that paraffin is not added to the soy blend since paraffin is a petroleum by-product and will interfere with clean burning properties of soy wax. It used to be a common practice for paraffin and soy wax to be combined, but over the last few years this practice has declined due to a more health conscious populace. All natural candles have become quite fashionable over recent years because people have become more aware of the things to which they subject their body. People are not only watching what they eat, but they’re watching what they breathe.
When you light a soy pillar candle, you are not breathing in the carcinogens that are produced by paraffin candles. However, some people will take it one step further and claim that it may also be harmful to breathe in artificial fragrances. This is still speculation, but more and more scientific studies are showing that this may be the case. If you are worried about harmful fragrances, an alternative would be to use essential oils in your soy pillar candles or you could simply use unscented soy candles.
Author Bio: Essential oil aromatherapy soy candles are becoming more popular with each passing year. To get the full story, please visit www.prometheancandle.com where you can find many candle products including soy, paraffin and palm wax candles for regular use and as well as use in aromatherapy.
Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: essential oil candles,aromatherapy soy candles,soy candles,aromatherapy candles