Candles liven up a party or transcend you to faraway places. But people are often stuck with a single type of candle wax. You will be amazed to discover an array of scented candles made from different kinds of wax. Paraffin, beeswax, coconut wax and soy wax candles are some of the popular candles. Each candle has its speciality; some are environmentally friendly, while some carry scents better. You may also find candles that are downright dangerous. Amongst these, soy candles are gaining a lot of popularity as they are environmentally friendly and an excellent carrier of fragrance that doesn’t need chemical amplifiers.
Check out soy candles’ benefits to know why they rank higher than paraffin wax candles and why you should consider these for your next purchase.
1. Non-toxic
Paraffin is a petroleum-based wax commonly used in candles. Burning paraffin emits toxic chemicals in the air, which may cause asthma or lung cancer when used for prolonged periods in dining rooms, baths or other places in the house. Even if you’re lighting paraffin candles in a well-ventilated region, you cannot prevent the toxins released into the air from entering your body.
On the other hand, soy wax is vegetable wax and doesn’t release toxins into the air. So, if you’re concerned about the indoor air quality of your home, soy candles are the best choice.
2. Burns clean
Paraffin wax gives off black soot after burning, but soy candles burn cleaner. Since paraffin wax is derived from petroleum, the soot stains carpets, walls and curtains. With soya wax, you have no worries about its harmful by-products. You only get a beautiful scent, the primary purpose of burning the candles.
3. Vegan, renewable and natural
Soy wax comes from hydrogenated soybean oil that becomes solid at room temperature. Plus, you can even make soy wax at home.
Farmers rotate soybean production with corn, and the husks are used as animal fodder. Therefore, soybean production is environmentally efficient and renewable. So, when buying soy wax candles, you make a responsible choice.
4. Doesn’t burn the skin
A scalding burn is enough to remove the aromatherapy and ambience you had created for unwinding after a hectic day. So, when choosing candles from a safety point of view, soy wax is better than paraffin as it has a low melting point. It means there is less risk of burns if you accidentally spill wax on your skin.
Moreover, you can use soy wax’s low melting temperature to hydrate the cuticles. You just need to dip your fingers into the melted wax and rub the wax on the cuticles and wait for the amazing results.
5. Cost-effective
Soy candles may be more expensive than paraffin candles, but they last 50 per cent longer. The slow-burning rates, therefore, adds to the cost-effectiveness. Also, soy candles burn more evenly, so the wax doesn’t cling to the glass, which prevents its wastage.
6. Better scent
The scent of the essential oils in soy wax smells strong and pleasant as it burns cleaner. Also, soy wax burns at a lower heat that creates a large melt pool; hence, the oils evaporate better from an expanded surface area, releasing more scent into the air.
Wax choice is a matter of individual preference and how much you are willing to spend. However, with growing concerns regarding environmental degradation, consumption choices need to be more sustainable and eco-friendlier. But no matter what kind of wax you choose, fragrance grade, wax combination, vessel, and wick are important markers of quality and for a lasting experience.