What ' s all the fuss about candles untrue from soy wax?
With brandnames like Nature Wax, Eco - Soya, and Golden Wax, and when marketed using the terms all natural, clean burning, and renewable, you might get the impression that vegetable based waxes - in particular, soy - based waxes - are far superior and much more environmentally friendly than paraffin based waxes.
Companies monogram their products to wrest a certain image. Wax and candle manufacturers are no diverse. Who could resist Form Romantique, Aroma Naturals, Candle - licious, Perfumed Escapes, or Soy Lucious? ( I think I have floated to pristine beach on a tropical island even now! )
In the United States, annually, more than one billion pounds of wax are used to make candles. By far, paraffin, extracted from petroleum, is the most common type of wax used. Since wax is basically a type of lipid - a fat - there are many sources from which it could be extracted. Prior to the 20th century, animal - derived wax, called tallow, was primarily used. Since the 1990 ' s, there has been an increase in the marketing of vegetable - based waxes.
Are they that much better?
Candles made from soybean wax typically burn longer than candles of the same size made from paraffin.
Soybean wax is more opaque than paraffin wax and so colors tend to appear more vivid.
All candles emit soot, and the emission is mostly a function of the wick. The soot produced by soy candles is whitish, as compared to the dark - colored soot that emanates from paraffin candles.
Are soybeans used to make soybean wax GMO - free ( GMO = Genetically - modified organism )? Probably not. According to the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service ( USDA - NASS ), 91 % of the soybeans planted in 2009 and 93 % of the soybeans planted in 2010 were resistant to herbicides or insects or both through biotechnology. ( Reference: Acreage 6 - 30 - 2010, from http: / / www. nass. usda. gov )
Are soybean waxes GMO - free? Soybean waxes are made from natural oils. There are no genetically modified markers present in the natural oils comprising or used to manufacture soy wax products.
Who owns Michael Richards ' patent? It is well known that the method for the manufacturing of soy wax was patented by Michael Richardson. The intellectual rights of this patent were purchased by Cargill, and that company manufactures soybean wax through the company Elevance. Elevance produces a variety of soywaxes; the main ones are C - 1 and C - 3.
Can I buy pure soy wax? Most soy wax products are actually wax blends made from soybeans and other vegetable sources, such as palm. When intended to be used for container candles, the wax is formulated to cause it to adhere well to the sides of the containers. Other soywax blends are made shrink so that they can be removed from molds
Which wax is natural? Soybean oil is extracted from a plant. 18 - 19 % by weight of a soybean is oil. Soybeans are renewable because new plants can be grown in the same fields. Paraffin comes from crude oil. It is a fossil fuel - naturally occurring in the earth. It is renewable, it just takes millions of years to create.
Does " natural " mean " organic? " No. In fact, soybean pesticide use ( nearly all of which are herbicides ) ranks second only to corn. Pesticides, however, are not usually detected in the oil extracted from the soybean. Reference: Economic Research Service of USDA http: / / www. ers. usda. gov / Briefing / SoybeansOilcrops / background. htm
In conclusion then, soybeans are a viable source of oil that can be made into wax for use in candles. As to whether they are as superior to paraffin candles in all the ways that the marketing implies is debatable. Whether you choose to make or purchase candles made from soybean wax is your decision.
