Soy Candles: How to Make Good-for-the-Earth, Long-Lasting Candles

By Glenda Short

Everything you need to know to make eco-friendly, long-lasting, and beautiful soy candles.

Step-by-step instructions show you every stage of the process: safely melting soybean wax flakes, selecting containers, preparing wicks, adding scent and color, and storing finished candles.

Includes design and display ideas for a dozen candles for everyday and every season plus gifts and décor for holidays and special occasions

Soy candles are produced from sustainable agricultural products and have a low burning point, which makes them last longer and burn cleaner than traditional wax candles

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stackpole Books
• Release date: Jun 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781461751700

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author

Introduction

I have a passion—one that calms the mind, nurtures creativity, appeals to my sense of smell, is addictive in a positive way, and enables me to change my home environment, create gifts, run a business, and help others do the same.

For a number of years I have been pouring soy wax candles and loving every minute of it. Stay with me and I’ll show you how, whether it be to make candles for your own home, as gifts for family and friends, or to inspire you to start your own business making and selling candles.

CANDLE PARTY—A WHAT PARTY?

Lighting a candle wasn’t really my thing; the days of a candle in a Mateus rosé bottle with wax dripped down the sides of the glass had long gone. I found pillar candles soon became contorted, not to mention all the black smoke they emitted that plumed upward to my walls and vents and blackened my candle container. It wasn’t long before I only had candles in the house in case of a power failure.

So I responded to being invited to a candle party with some reluctance, but hey, I was happy to support a friend’s interest and it was an afternoon out. A candle party—gosh, there are parties for everything these days! A friend and I took up the invitation.

Walking into the hostess’s home was an unforgettable experience for me. My senses were assaulted with the colors, aroma, and visual impact of the scene before us. I was bowled over and wanted to explore more. There were candles everywhere, colorful containers, wax in every hue, even in tealights. Only a few were lit, yet the perfume was amazing. I was smitten, though in those days soy wax candles were practically unknown.

PARAFFIN WAX CANDLES

Most of the candles that you see for sale are predominantly made using paraffin wax, which is nonrenewable and a petroleum-based substance. Paraffin literally comes from the bottom of the oil barrel, or rather, the waste that results from processing petroleum is actually where the process starts. Other ingredients are added and the color is changed, with the end result being paraffin wax.

When a paraffin candle burns, it releases soot, which contains toxins that leave a residue around the inside and on the edge of the candle container, on your walls and ceilings, and in the ventilation system of your home. The vents can be cleaned out, the walls washed down or repainted, but your lungs can’t. In a nutshell, paraffin candles emit toxins that pollute the air you breathe and are harmful to you, your family, and your pets.

A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE

Thankfully there are healthier alternatives to burning paraffin, including soy wax, beeswax, and palm wax, which are all environmentally friendly. They have a pure burn (meaning they don’t produce harmful fumes), are biodegradable, and come from renewable resources. Soy wax is vegetable based and 100 percent nontoxic; it burns cleaner and cooler than parafin wax and is therefore safer. It also burns longer and releases its fragrance naturally. Spills on fabric are easy to clean up with soap and warm water.

Soy wax candles are more expensive than standard candles, but in my opinion it’s a price worth paying. Being a vegetable-based product, soy wax takes more processing and man hours to produce than paraffin wax, though the resulting product lasts twice