They’re getting more and more attention as celebrities turn to environmentally friendly options in their lives. We’re talking about soy candles.
Soy has come a long way from being just a bean to becoming an ingredient in the creation of a number of items that we use every day. This has expanded to soy candles, which are catching on in a big way.
Soy candles are relatively new to the market. They were invented in 1992 as a search was on for alternative candle materials. A candle maker looking for something less expensive than beeswax, but still natural, noted the popularity of soy products. He was able to create a soy wax from soy oil, and soy candles were born.
For those who appreciated all natural items in their home, soy candles were a godsend. Instead of paying a fortune for each beeswax candle, the only natural candle of the time, they could turn to soy-based candles, which were substantially lower in price.
The variety of soy candles has expanded. Originally, there were only a few styles made. After all, who knew that the soy candle would catch on and become a major seller?
Now you can find soy candles in all sizes from tea lights to soy jar candles. You can also find them in an array of scents and colors.
One of the areas where soy is lacking is in freestanding candles. Unfortunately, soy is a much softer wax than petroleum. Therefore, it doesn’t hold up well for taper or pillar candles, where the wax is responsible for remaining sturdy. Instead soy is best suited for candles that come in their own containers.
If you are dead set on having taper and pillar candles for your home, there are some that are a combination candle - part soy and part vegetable oil. Since vegetable oil will set up as a more solid wax, the combination will allow for more candle styles to be created including those pillars and tapers you can’t live without. The good news is that vegetable oil is just as environmentally friendly as soy.
Using Soy Candles
Once you have purchased your first soy candles, there are some things to keep in mind when using them.
First trim the wick down to ¼ inch. You should not only do this when you first get the candle, but each time you are going to light it.
The first time you burn your soy candles, you need to have time to let them burn. The idea is to teach your candle a burn pattern. The general rule of thumb is measure the candle diameter and burn the candle for an hour for each inch it is wide.
Now make sure the wick is in the center of the candle. Sometimes, they manage to shift a little to the side when old heated wax melts. While your candle will burn whether or not the wick is in the direct center, if you have a scented candle, this may affect how much scent is released. The design of a candle is that a perfect circle is made all the way around the wick in heated wax. As the wax melts into oil, it releases the scent that has been trapped inside, sending an aroma through your home. If the wick is too far to one side, you may burn through one side of the candle sending the melted oil pouring out, and no longer doing it’s job.
When putting out your soy candle, you should dip the wick into the wax, instead of blowing it out. By blowing it out, or even using a snuffer, you are going to cause some soot to build up on the wick. If you dip it into the wax you will put the flame out, without the soot, and have the wick ready to go for the future.
While they are relatively new in the realm of candles, soy candles are taking the world by storm as they now offer all the variety of other candles as well as the longer burn time and more environmentally packaging of soy.