Southern Candle | Safety Features Part 1 : Soy Wax

Safety Features Incorporated into Every Southern Candle And Why.

Part 1 : Soy Wax

At Southern Candle,we use only Soy Wax. Soy wax is a 100% vegetable by-product. It is not a petroleum by-product. As a result, our candles burn much cleaner, producing about 90% less soot, and burn slower than regular paraffin wax candles resulting in a longer lasting candle. Soy candles also distribute scent better, and with the incorporation of soybean oil lowers the melting point of the candle, which translates into cooler burning candles and faster scent dispersion. The lower melting point of soy wax results in a larger size of the liquid wax pool around the candle wick. It is from this liquid wax pool that the scented oils evaporate into the air.

Why We Don't Use Paraffin and Why You Shouldn't Either!

A recent study claims that people who suffer from mysterious allergies may actually be suffering from overexposure to the pollutants in their paraffin candles.Paraffin is obtained from petroleum during the refining process. In fact, it is the very last thing that is extracted during the refining process. Asphalt is the second-to-last byproduct removed and you wouldn’t want a burning pile of that in your house. The soot released during a romantic candle-burning is the same as emissions released by diesel-burning vehicles. Contaminants may include: toluene, benzene, methylethylketone, naphthalene. Benzene and toluene are considered carcinogens by the EPA. According to a new study put out by American Chemical Society, burning candles is a common and long unrecognized source of indoor pollution. Paraffin candles can release human carcinogens and are extremely hazardous in poorly ventilated areas such as the bathroom. Concerns about these candles are not new. The American Lung Association voiced concerns years ago.Paraffin is the predominant wax used in the candle industry. Paraffin is basically the "bottom of the barrel" even after asphalt is extracted. Paraffin is the final byproduct in the petroleum refining chain.

The state of California, under its Proposition 65 Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, has identified at least seven major toxins in paraffin wax including the carcinogen benzene. Dr. Andrew Well has made statements on his web page about paraffin fumes causing tumors in the kidneys and livers of lab animals. He does not, however, cite his sources.

The Bottom Line

Soy Wax	Paraffin Wax
Comes from soy bean oil. A natural resource grown by American Farmers.	Petroleum by-product and is the most common type of wax used in the U.S. due to its low cost for the manufacturer.
Soy wax burns cleaner and longer. It is non-toxic, with no petrol-carbon soot.	Paraffin wax releases thick black soot when burned, as well as 11 documented toxins, 2 are carcinogenic - toulene and benzene. The American Lung Association has warned consumers of unhealthy indoor air quality from burning paraffin candles.
Environmentally Friendly - a renewable source.	Contributes to the dependency on crude oil.
Easily cleans up with soap and water. If you've ever spilled paraffin wax, you'll appreciate this. Soy wax can be easily extracted from glass, tin, and other material for recycling.	Not easily removable from clothing, carpet, or other material.