What Is Soy Candle Wax and Where Does It Come From?

As you well know, candles are nothing new. They’re nothing new, but that doesn’t mean they can’t continue to improve. Just to prove that there’s always something new under the sun, there’s a new candle wax on the scene.

For centuries, the main fuel for candles was tallow. While tallow did burn, tallow doesn’t make a good candle. They smoke and they smell badly. For these reasons, paraffin rapidly overtook tallow as a candle material choice once it was developed.

However, paraffin is a residual of the petroleum refining process. That’s why people have been interested and coming up with a “green” alternative to paraffin. Soy candle wax is the best answer to date.

Soy beans contain a high percentage of oil. But because  this oil is liquid at room temperature so won’t work for making candles. But if you change the chemistry of an oil you can change its consistency.

Whether a fat is liquid or solid at room temperature depends on how many hydrogen molecules it contains. Fat molecules contain hydrogen atoms and a fat is “saturated” if it can’t hold any more hydrogen. It’s possible to saturate an unsaturated fat by adding hydrogen. That makes the oil solid at room temperature.

Now that description admittedly simplifies the situation, and the soybean oil is treated in different ways buy different manufactures, but all we need to know is the outcome: soy candle wax.

Pure soy wax is soft. this means it’s great for making container candles but not so great for making pillars that need to stand on their own. You can adjust the rigidity of the soil wax by blending in paraffin and additives. If you do that, the resultant wax can be used for many more types of candles.

But many people want to use 100% soy wax, in which case they will probably get the best results if they stick to container candles. I’m sure you’ve seen and probably even have used container candles. These are candles in which the melted wax is poured into a nonflammable container with the wick positioned in the center. The candles never remove from the container, but rather is burned within it.

Of course there is much more to know about soy wax and how to use it. One the best places I’ve found to get more information is:

Soy Candle Wax

And of course if you’re curious about soy candle wax you’ll probably be interested in how to make a candle with. You can learn about the insiders techniques at: How to Make Soy Candles.

Better yet, I suggest you take a look at the e-book Home Candle Making Made Easy.

That book covers all aspects of candle making from selecting what type of wax to use for specific situations, what additives to use and when, the best way to scent candles, and so much more… Getting the information this book will guarantee your success.

Candle making is a wonderful hobby. Get Home Candle Making Made Easy today and get started.