Paraffin / Soy Blend vs 100% Soy Wax
Most of the candles you’ve burned before (all the big name companies) were probably made primarily with paraffin.
Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum, coal, or oil shale, and made by removing the waxy substance from crude oil. That’s right - burning paraffin candles mean you’re burning fossil fuels inside your home! Paraffin has a similar chemical composition as kerosene. That’s why paraffin candles leave that black residue on nearby walls and other surfaces. Yuck! Just think about what it is doing to your lungs!
Unfortunately, since paraffin is industrial runoff from petroleum extraction, it is one of the cheapest waxes available. That’s why it’s what most of the big candlemakers use as their primary candle fuel. It’s also typically the base of any cheap candle you can buy.. and it’s why they’re so cheap!
Furthermore, many paraffin candles require fragrance amplifiers (such as carcinogenic phthalates) in order to mask the fossil fuel smell. If you’ve ever gotten a headache just from walking past a big name candle store, that might be why!
Blocks of paraffin wax.
On the other hand, soy wax is a vegetable-derived wax. After being harvested, soybeans are cleaned, cracked, de-hulled, and rolled into flakes. After that, the oil can be extracted from the flakes and hydrogenated. Hydrogenating the soybean oil makes it solid at room temperature and suitable as a candle fuel. Most of the world’s soybeans are grown and harvested in the USA, so soy wax also helps support American farmers! Bonus!
Soy wax burns cleaner than paraffin and doesn’t leave that black residue on walls. Soy wax is also a neutral smelling oil and an excellent carrier of fragrance, ensuring a well-balanced, true-to-scent candle without any carcinogenic amplifiers. Soy also has a lower melting point than paraffin, meaning you’ll get a candle that lasts longer. More bang for your buck!
The pic above is from our stock of 464 soy wax.
We only use 100% soy wax in our candles! We also only use fragrances and dyes that are non-toxic, phthalate-free, and are CA prop 65 compliant (meaning they don’t include chemical additives that can cause reproductive harm or contain other known carcinogens).
Don’t fall for soy blend! As more people learn how toxic paraffin wax and fragrance additives are, many big name candle companies have started adding an undisclosed percentage of soy wax to their paraffin base to call their candles “soy blend”. As a savvy consumer, don’t confuse “soy blend” with 100% soy wax! You could use 97% petroleum runoff and 3% soy wax, and technically call it a “soy blend” candle.
A little digging into some big name candle companies raises come eyebrows:
As the Bath & Body works customer care site says, “Although soy is an ingredient, our candles are not considered soy candles”.
While we see Yankee Wood Wick candles often described as soy wax, a deeper dive indicates that they’re “a premium blend of soy and paraffin wax”.
Here is the bottom label of an old Goose Creek candle I found lying around my house (yes - I used to burn cheap candles too!!)
“Warning: May cause an allergic skin reaction”
'“Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects”
Contains a bunch of unpronounceable chemical additives, with some cursory internet fact-finding:
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes is an emerging chemical of concern, frequently found to contaminate water and is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic creatures.
Butylphenyl Methylpropional: A common fragrance ingredient that has a nice floral scent and also goes by the name Lilial. It is a known fragrance allergen and as of 1st of March 2022, it has been banned in the EU due to animal studies showing a possible link to infertility.
Cedrol Methyl Ether: Classified in the EU as a potential carcinogen
Eugenol: Inhalation of this compound can lead to bronchial irritation, dizziness, and rapid and shallow breathing. Skin contact may cause an inflammatory reaction on the skin. Prolonged or repeated skin contact may cause allergic dermatitis.
Next time you’re considering buying a candle, don’t just consider the scent: think about what you may actually be releasing into your air and your lungs when you burn it. Paraffin and ‘soy blend’ candles are cheap, but you get what you pay for!
