You might have noticed more and more candles on the market being made with soy wax. You might have even noticed the word “soy” in the descriptions of  Jewel Within candles! It’s not just a trendy new product; soy wax makes for a better, longer-lasting, environmentally-friendly candle than paraffin wax!

What’s Wrong With Paraffin Wax?

Most conventional candles are still being made with paraffin wax. Paraffin wax is derived from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource that comes loaded with many toxins our body is not used to. When paraffin is burned, these toxins are released into the air, hurting your indoor air quality and sometimes triggering asthmatic and allergic reactions.

Paraffin candles also create a significant amount of black soot. You’ll notice this soot collecting on the jar of these candles, but it can get on more surfaces, too, making it important to cut them out. You don’t want sooty candles staining the paint on your walls!

Soy Candles Are Cleaner?

Soy is a current alternative to paraffin wax that is soon to overtake this petroleum byproduct in popularity. The biggest benefit is that soy is a natural product – it does not need to be super processed to become wax. This means it burns much cleaner than paraffin wax because it’s a non-toxic substance. As soy wax burns, it won’t release any toxins into the air and compared to paraffin wax, it releases only a very little amount of soot – almost 90% less soot than a conventional candle.

Soy wax is also much greener than petroleum-based paraffin because it’s biodegradable! It’s unsafe to burn wax all the way to the bottom of a glass, so if you need to toss out unused wax or melted drippings, you won’t have to worry about what it will do to the environment.

Soy Candles Last Longer

It’s true: soy candles will last longer than candles made of paraffin wax. The reason behind this is that soybean-based wax has a slower burning time and cooler burning temperature than other waxes. The temperature also makes the candles safer, because they don’t give off as much heat. These types of candles might cost more upfront, but a longer-lasting soy candle means you won’t have to buy new ones nearly as often.

The added benefit of this slow burn is that the scent is released more gradually! You won’t be overcome with a strong, almost immediate scent, but rather a more subtle aroma will fill the room slowly. This is great for when you’re eating because the scent coming off the soy wax won’t overwhelm your food.

All of our Jewel Within candles are made with clean wax and many with a special blend of soy and wax, which allows them to burn cleaner, safer, and longer. No matter what the occasion, a candle made from soy is a perfect choice!