Why Are Soy Candles Better Than Wax?

Soy candles have risen in popularity over the last 25 years as an alternative to traditional candles made from paraffin wax. If you’re not sure if soy is for you, let’s take a look at what soy candles are and why so many people love to use them in their home.

What Are Soy Candles?

Soy candles are made from soy wax, a vegetable-based wax that’s made from soybeans.  The beans are harvested, cleaned and rolled into flakes to extract oil from the soybeans. The flakes are used to feed animals, and the oil is hydrogenated to make it suitable to be used as a candle.

Soy wax was only discovered in 1996 by students at Purdue University, Indiana. They worked on a way to solidify soybean oil, which made turning it into wax for candles an easy process as the next step by adding a wick to shaped, solidified paraffin wax.

What Are The Benefits of Soy Candles?

Soy wax is naturally-derived, environment friendly and made from renewable sources. It’s biodegradable and much more eco-friendly than paraffin wax candles, which is a by-product of petroleum and isn’t renewable. If you’re looking for simple ways to make your buying habits more sustainable, then swapping to soy candles is a great place to start.

Soy candle wax is vegan, unlike other types of wax, like beeswax. It’s completely plant-based and This means that no animal products or animals were used to create soy candle wax, which is important for many people, particularly those who follow a vegan lifestyle.

Because most of the world’s soy is produced in the US,it can cut down on air miles if soy wax products are made and shipped within the US too. That means less air miles to bring them to you, adding another layer to their environmental friendliness. 

You’ll also find that soy wax burns more slowly, more evenly and much cleaner than paraffin wax. This means that your candle lasts longer and there’s less soot around than with a paraffin wax candle. Soy candles can actually last as much as 50% longer than a paraffin wax candle! This means that they won’t ruin your walls, and reduce indoor pollution.

Soy candles also carry scent extremely well without needing chemical amplifiers to enhance the fragrance. Because it has a lower melting point and a slower burn, this allows the fragrances to be released in the pool of wax around the candle wick. This means that you get a balanced candle that smells true to its fragrance, without the need of artificial enhancers.

Should You Try A Soy Candle?

If you love the look and feel of a candle in your home, but you usually use traditional paraffin wax candles, then a soy candle is the best alternative. It’s a cleaner, safer candle that’s better for the environment and gives long-lasting fragrance to your room.

Our Wavertree Candles are made from soy wax and are available in a range of beautiful, decadent fragrances. They’re hand-poured into unique glass containers for lasting quality and stylish elegance. Add aromatic ambience to your home with a soy candle from Wavertree Candles.