THE GOOD AND THE BAD

The Bad - Paraffin Wax

The candle has long been a thing of peacefulness and relaxation, capable of filling a room with both soft, appealing lighting and a chosen aroma.

What is not known, however, is that most store bought production line made candles fill the room with something else as well - toxic, carcinogenic smoke and soot, In fact if you burn paraffin candles, you might as well be inhaling diesel fumes.

The process of making paraffin wax begins at the bottom of the oil barrel, the worst 5% or so rejected by the gasoline industry. This by-product of crude oil refinement is then mixed with another less-than-enticing substance – industrial bleach. This is what gives wax its familiar pleasant whiteness. Now add stearic acid and a few other
minor ingredients, and you have the very wax burning in your home.

Paraffin wax is known to contain 11 compounds classified as dangerous by the EPA. (Environmental Protection Agency), some of which are carcinogenic, (cancer causing), in nature. To allow the wick to be centred it is laden with lead which with chronic exposure there may be damage to the liver, kidneys and the central nervous system.

When paraffin candles are burned, they emit trace amounts of chemicals, including acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acrolein and naphthalene.

Black soot is the product of the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels. Complete combustion would result in a blue flame, and would product negligible amounts of soot and carbon monoxide. Frequent candle burning will produce black soot primarily composed of elemental carbon, phthalates, lead, and volatiles such as benzene and toluene.

Most candle wax paraffin's are saturated hydrocarbons that are solid at room temperature. Therefore, wax that has more fragrances in the produce more soot.

In other words, candles labeled ‘triple scented’ and those that are soft and/or waxy to the touch are more likely to generate soot.

But lucky for us fragrance enthusiasts there are safer alternatives.

The Good - Soy Wax

Soy wax is derived from the oil of soybeans. This vegetable wax provides an environmentally safe and very affordable alternative with which to illuminate your world.

My soy wax products burn longer, cleaner and release more fragrance than any paraffin or store bought candle. They contain no toxic chemicals and they do NOT put your health at risk or add to indoor pollution.

Anyone who has burned one has probably already noticed this in one way – the absence of black soot on the inside of the candle holder. The clean glass of true soy wax as it burns is truly comforting.

It should be noted of the buying of ‘true’ soy wax candles. This is because many soy waxes are not what they seem to be. The law only mandates a small percentage of the wax to be soy-based in order to be called ‘soy’. Therefore many soy wax products are still made mostly with paraffin.

Be wary of any company that does not specify what percentage of the wax is soy-based. Soy candles should be made from 100% all natural waxes, which can include palm and coconut wax as well as soy. A company can claim to a soy candle when in fact they have only a small amount of soy and are blended with paraffin additives. This does not have to be disclosed to you. So, unless if states 100% soy, palm or vegetable wax – it probably isn’t.

The wax I use in all my soy based products is called ecosoya and is 85% soy. The remaining 15% is entirely composed of natural vegetable oils and is added to make a smoother more attractive fragranced product.

Some advantages of Soy Wax are –

• Stronger scent throw
• Clean burn
• Totally biodegradable
• Burns at a much cooler and safer temperature
• No soot or smoke
• Does not expend fossil fuels or chemicals
• Non-toxic and safe to burn around children and pets
• Cleans up easily with hot soapy water
• The only wax that if spilt will NOT burn your skin

The Good - Palm Wax

The nature of palm wax is much harder and has a higher melting point. With this kind of advantage, the candle will stay hard and dry even in tropical temperatures. Palm wax also melts slower, thus giving a longer burning time.

The palm wax that use has a very high level of purity. The wicks I use in all my products are pure cotton and free of metal content. This ensures a smokeless and free of black flame and soot burn. The colours I use are vegetable based and do not contain any toxic materials.

My textured palm candle is the nature of the material and also the technique I use to make candles. Palm wax is a totally unique type of wax in itself as it ‘feathers’ or ‘crystallizes’ when it cools a beautiful effect only known to palm wax. Other waxes have to add harmful chemicals to achieve this effect, but palm wax looks like this naturally.

As they burn they give a ‘tunneling effect’ at first but burning to leave a thin shell. This shell is beautiful, turning your fragrant candle into a beautiful luminary that glows wonderfully and will quickly become the topic of any conversation and are an eye catching attraction and match any décor in your home. They also make the most amazing centre pieces.

What makes my candles different is the purity of the material that I use and the blending techniques. The aroma will be kept longer because palm candles have the ability to absorb fragrance or essential oil in high concentration levels and also have the ability to mix perfectly with fragrance.

My palm wax candles are scented throughout the entire candle with essential oils and premium fragrances.

Some of the advantages of Palm Wax are –

• Environmentally friendly and free of petrochemical content
• Hard, smooth and dry
• Longer burning time and more steady burning
• Palm Wax is a renewable resource
• Smokeless & clean burning
• Perfect for tropical and hot climates, will not sweat or melt
• Able to absorb high concentration of fragrance
• Fragrances throughout the 'entire' candle
• Keeps the aroma longer
• Has a 'dry' feel. Is not waxy or slippery

 

SAVE OUR ENVIRONMENT - SAY NO TO CHEMICALS