If you are a fan of scented candles, you may marvel at all the scents available out there these days. It seems there is a scent that can bring back every great memory of your past and also just brighten your day.

If you burn soy candles, you are even luckier because soy candles are more open to the idea of being scented and often have a much richer aroma than other candles made of other materials.

So, have you ever wondered just how they get all those scents into your candles? In order to get to the bottom of this question, you have to understand a little more about how soy candles are made in the first place.

You may know the basics – soy candles are made from soybeans. You’re right. Once the beans have been picked they are heated in a machine where they can be crushed and pressed flat during the heating process. The pressing pushes any oil that is inside the beans right out and into a waiting vat. All that soy oil is then cooled and becomes a substance that is called soy wax.

While the soy wax is still in a liquid state scenting will be introduced into the mix. Drops of essential oils or scents are added to the wax until the concentration of scent to wax is the right amount to give off the scent that is desired.

If you have purchased regular candles in the past, you may have noticed that some of those candles have light to no scent, even when they are supposed to. That’s because paraffin and other waxes are not as friendly to scenting and take much more scent to make any smell come from the candles. This is not the case with soy wax. It seems to like the partnership with great scents. This leads to better smelling candles.

From this point the candles are poured into molds to create the candles you will purchase and bring into your home.

Getting the Scent

When you burn soy candles, the scents that have been trapped in the soy wax will be released, filling the air of your home. Soy candles are much better at this job than other candles. Since the soy wax was receptive to the scents, it doesn’t take too much burning to get the smell to come out.

Longer Lasting Scent

Another benefit of scented soy candles is that they burn slower than other candles do. This means that while it is easy to get scent from the candles as they burn, you will also have up to 50% more burn time with these candles. It’s almost like getting an extra half of a candle for free because of the slower burn time!

Safe For the Air

The best part about scented soy candles is that while they do give off great scents, they don’t give off things that will be damaging to your body. While paraffin candles will give off black soot, which can be a carcinogen, scented soy candles are all natural and will only give off a white soot, which is safe to breathe.

What do you think about when you go candle shopping? Do you think about the shape of the candles that will be best for your plans? What about the color of the candles? Maybe you think about what type of scents have been added to the soy candles you are considering? All of these are common questions that people ask when they are going candle shopping. But, what about how healthy are those candles for your family? If you don’t ask that question, you should.

While you may think candles are just beautiful and decorative accents to your home, the kind of candles you have in your home could be lending themselves to risk the health of you and your family.

Dirty Air

Most of the economy candles on the market are made of paraffin. Paraffin is a petroleum product. This means that as soon as you light those candles and they start to burn you are not just getting a flame, but also soot.

Black soot that is released as paraffin candles burn has been found to be a carcinogen. That means it could contribute to the formation of cancer in the body.

While you may think that just lighting one candle now and again is not a big problem, you have to understand how black soot works. Once you have lit the candle and the soot makes it’s way into the air, it doesn’t go away. Soot is actually a sticky substance that will start attaching to everything in your home – walls, ceiling, tables, furniture, drapes and anything else around.

The black soot will essentially pile up in your home and be constantly in the air, being breathed in by you and members of your family.

Remember, coal is a petroleum product. Would you burn that in your house? Do you really want to take a risk of putting hazardous materials into the air of your home?

One more thing to keep in mind with paraffin candles is not only that it is a petroleum based product, but also that there are a number of other chemicals that are used in the making of paraffin candles that also may be released into the air as you burn them.

You may be wondering what your option is. Do you have to give up candles altogether? No. The better option is to use soy candles.

Soy candles are completely natural. This means when you light soy candles you are not going to be releasing carcinogenic black soot into the air of your home. Everything that is coming off of the candles is natural and safe to release into your home and the environment.

This is not to say there is no soot from soy candles, there is. It is just a different kind of soot. It is called white soot and is not known to be the negative health threat that the soot from paraffin candles can be. Additionally, there is much less of the white soot released in the burning of soy candles than there is of black soot from paraffin candles.

Across the board, soy candles are the safer option for your family and the environment.

Once upon a time candles were a necessity. If the sun went down and you wanted to be able to see, you better have a stack of candles sitting around and ready to go.

These days, candles are more of something to appreciate than a necessity. This has led to candles not being just one, uniform style, to create a particular function, but instead to their being created in a variety of styles, colours, designs and scents to fit any mood or theme. As you consider the right kinds of candles to bring into your home, start by looking at the shape:

Pillar Soy Candles

In days of old when candles were being used as a way to light a path at night, generally these types of candles were put to work. They are medium to tall in height and thick enough to give off a long burn, lighting the way through a long night.

In today’s world, these are often the centrepiece candles for a candle arrangement as they can stand up above flowers or other decorations.

Votive Soy Candles

If you have a little candle holder or decorative candle bowl that you want to make shine, you may want to pick up a few votive soy candles. These are shorter than pillars and usually about 1 ½ – 2 inches wide.

Jar Soy Candles

By far the most popular of candle designs are jar soy candles. The reason for this is that not only do these candles give off a beautiful glow, but they also come in their own decorative container, as they are moulded directly in a jar.

These are also thought of as the safest of candle designs by many since they are self-contained and you can put a lid back on top after you have used them, avoiding any smouldering or hot wax issues.

Speciality Soy Candles

While the above candles are traditional designs, some people want more than traditional designs. For these people there are a number of speciality soy candles out there. From candles that look like teddy bears to those that take on the shape of a famous sculpture, there are plenty of speciality soy candles on the market that are as much decoration by their shape as for being a candle.

Scented or Unscented

Once you have selected a shape for your soy candles, there is still another consideration to make. Do you want them to be scented or unscented candles?

Scented

One of the things many people love most about candles is the scents that come from them. The use of essential oils will allow candles to give off scents as they burn. There are a number of scents on the market these days from floral bouquets that can make you thing spring has sprung to apple, gingerbread and cinnamon that make you feel like you have been whisked back to your childhood holiday gatherings.

Unscented

If you are using your soy candles as merely display pieces to complete a centrepiece on a table or to light up a bowl, vase or other arrangement, you may not want the candles to give off scents. In this case you may choose unscented candles.

Making a Selection

Selecting candles is a very personal thing for most people. Take your time. The candles aren’t going anywhere. Enjoy the process of looking through all the colours, shapes and scents until you find the combination that is best for you.

Many people are doing more and more in their lives to be a little more environmentally friendly. From recycling to looking for ways to use less fuel by combining errands into one trip, there are plenty of things you can do to try and lessen your environmental impact. Believe it or not, the candles you purchase and light in your home can be a part of this as well.

When you make a candle purchase you have two options – regular candles (paraffin) or soy candles. If you want to be more green and eco-friendly, you need to look for the ’soy’ labels. Here’s a look at the reasons why.

Candle Materials

Do you know what those paraffin candles are made out of? Paraffin is a petroleum product and as you know there is a limited amount of petroleum available on the planet. That’s why gas prices keep going so high. On the other side of the coin are soy candles, which are made from soy beans that are a completely renewable crop. They can be picked one season and a whole new crop is ready to be harvested the next.

Transport

If you purchase paraffin candles, the petroleum for those candles has likely come from another country and travelled all over the world to get here, using even more resources to run those ships, trains and transport trucks. Meanwhile, the US is filled with soy fields, meaning there were fewer resources used to get the materials to the factory as the factories were nearby.

Waste

Another thing to think about is the waste from the candles. Eventually, you have to throw away what is left of the candles, right? Well if you are throwing out part of a paraffin candle, you are adding a petroleum product to the landfill. Petroleum products do not break down like soy candles do meaning they will spend many more years in the landfill, instead of degrading and going back into the soil.

Smoke

When you light a paraffin candle, black soot is let off during the burning process. This black soot is carcinogenic and you are releasing it into the air in your home and into the environment. Soy candles, on the other hand, are clean burning candles. While they do give off white soot, it is not a sticky or dangerous material as is released from petroleum candles.

Duration of Burn

Soy candles burn more slowly than paraffin candles. This means a few things for you. First, this means you are getting up to 50% more candle for your purchase price when you are using soy candles. Secondly, this means you are not using as much initial candle material to get the same candle burn. You are saving resources.

Once you have taken a look at the differences between the two candles, it is not hard to decide which would be best for you, your family, and the environment. So, buy your soy candles with confidence knowing you are making the best choice for all involved.

Soy candles are sweeping the country as a natural, environmental alternative to petroleum paraffin products as they are non toxic, water soluble and biodegradable. Soy candles are made of soybeans, most of which are grown in various counties year after year, making soybean wax a renewable and sustainable resource and supporting local economies.

Soy candles are also preferred to beeswax candles because they can be created in any colour or fragrance desired. Soy candles have become the preferred choice for aromatherapy and are also becoming the preferred candle of choice for health-minded candle-lovers who are tired of paraffin candles. This is because the essential oils in the candle are not corrupted by soot or by smoke which allows more of the essential oils to make it into the air. In addition, never purchase an aromatherapy candle that does not contain essential oils.

Soy candles burn cleaner and longer and are robustly fragranced evenly throughout the candle. The burn time for soy candles range from approximately 20 hours (for the 4 oz size) to 45 hours (for the 8 oz size).

Soy candles are nontoxic and non-carcinogenic because they burn clean and are Soot FREE.

Paraffin candles.

Paraffin candles are petroleum based and give off black soot that sticks to your carpet, walls and furniture. Paraffin candles are the most common and usually the least expensive, but they have more bad points associated with them than soy candles.

Paraffin candles are a by-product of petroleum, a fossil fuel and pollutant. Some candles may also contain waste products from animal fats, and for those keen to avoid releasing potentially harmful chemicals and soot into the air should consider using something other than a paraffin candle.

Paraffin candles are the lowest price candles but also of lower quality while beeswax candles are more expensive and of higher quality. Soy candles provide a very attractive compromise between price and quality. Paraffin candles are a huge cause of indoor air pollution and studies have shown that lighting a paraffin candle is like starting a diesel engine in your home. As we stated before, paraffin candles are made from petroleum, which is toxic, unlike soy candles which you can actually eat, although trust me, they only smells nice enough to eat but may not taste the best.

Paraffin candles are derived from petroleum and is a non-renewable resource making us dependent on oil. Paraffin candles are also subject to the same price hikes as gasoline and oil products. Petroleum, the majority of which is imported from Middle Eastern countries, is constantly becoming more expensive.

So as you can see the use of soy candles have many benefits to them and you should consider them as a more advantageous alternative to the regular paraffin candle.