Candle Waxes: Scented Candles
Candle Waxes for Scented Candles
There are numerous types of scented candle available on the market today. The most common is a paraffin scented candle such as Yankee Candles or Price’s Candles. These use paraffin as their fuel and are made from a fast depleting resource, crude oil. Paraffin is a hydrocarbon similar to petrol, diesel and other crude oil derivatives and burns very well (as you would expect). In burning, paraffin releases all manner of toxic substances such as benzene and carbon monoxide. Not good from a health and environmental stand point. More on this later.
There are however alternative candles that are made from greener fuel materials. The most common of these is soy wax. This is a natural plant extract made from soy beans. In making this wax, soy beans are crushed and the resulting oil extract is hydrogenated to form a solid mass (at room temperature). The remaining crushed matter is not wasted and is fed to cattle that in turn redistribute the organic matter as nature intended. The process of making soy wax is similar to that used in making margarine in that hydrogen, an abundant element in our atmosphere, is used to solidify (or hydrogenate) a liquid substance. The resulting wax is creamy in texture, burns very well and provides a clean non toxic fuel for your favourite scented candle. The emissions from soy candles have been tested and found to be non toxic.
Other vegetable extract waxes are available such as palm wax which is a variation on the theme of soy waxes. The resulting waxes are similar but less ideally suited to scented candle manufacture as many have an intrinsic scent that must be overcome or must be combined with other waxes to improve their burn quality or their stability at room temperature. Natural Beeswax is also a viable alternative. This however has a couple of disadvantages over soy wax. Firstly it is expensive in comparison and also it has an intrinsic scent. This again is not ideal in manufacturing scented candles.
Crude Oil Derived Waxes
Hydrocarbons such as paraffin of course burn very well and produce a strong flame. This is hardly surprising given their origins. They are however unsustainable and produce toxins and carcinogens when burning. It is generally recommended that paraffin waxes are not burnt regularly and that if used indoors, the room should be well ventilated. Surely this defeats the purpose of the scented candle.
The reason that paraffin is used today as a fuel for scented candles is primarily its cost. It is far cheaper to manufacture a paraffin candle than one made from soy. The raw paraffin wax is approximately one third the cost of soy wax. Hey presto, large commercial organisations steer toward this as they can significantly increase profits on each unit manufactured.
UK national newspapers recently published articles that tested various types of scented candle made using an assortment of waxes. The findings of these scientific studies indicated both toxic and carcinogenic emissions from paraffin wax candles whilst soy wax candles were given a clean bill of health. This is a very clear reason to promote soy wax candles and discontinue the use of paraffin scented candles.
Waxes From Soy Beans
The most appropriate wax for use in scented candle wax manufacture is in the author’s view, soy wax. This sustainable and natural product is environmentally sound and is carbon neutral. The analogy is similar to the use of wood to heat our homes. Plant to wax to candles as tree to wood to heat. Aside from the environmental aspect, soy wax is a soft and creamy product offering fabulous burn characteristics, great scent throw properties and is very pleasant and safe to handle in manufacturing scented candles.
Other Waxes
Other waxes such as palm wax and beeswax suffer some problems. The stability of the wax at normal room temperature and the intrinsic scent of the wax can be overcome by costly additives. When these factors are combined with the elevated cost of these waxes and the lack of consistent quality, it no longer becomes viable to consider these waxes in scented candle manufacture.
Authors Ending Note
The environmental credentials, burn characteristics and the safety aspects of burning soy wax scented candles clearly indicate that this material is superior to other waxes for this purpose. Scented candles must be safe to use and it is this that largely influences this conclusion. They must also be affordable and from a sustainable resource. It is the authors opinion that the case has been well made for the use of soy wax in scented candle manufacture.
Learn More
The background information upon which this review is based is available on the Author’s web site.
The Author is the owner of Busy Bee Candles, a premium handmade fragranced candle manufacturer. He has extensive experience and expertise in the manufacture of fragranced candles, wholesale distribution and retail sales. Go to Busy Bee Candles or go to the On line Shop. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.
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