Why Soy Candles? What's Wrong with Paraffin?

Soy candles are a great scent addition to any home. Along with soy being a renewable resource and not made from petroleum, there are several other reasons to choose soy over other candle waxes.

· Soy candles last 50% longer than paraffin candles, which means you get to enjoy that aroma for 50% longer.
· Another great reason to use soy candles is the clean-up, if you get soy wax on wood, ceramic or just about any surface it is easy to clean up with soap and water. Trust me, I’ve had several soy clean-ups from
making these candles and I can attest that clean-up is a snap.
· Soy candles also produce 90% less soot than Paraffin candles. Soot is unhealthy and can eventually coat walls and furniture.
· Soy candles are melting at a lower melting point than other candles, which means it is a cooler burning candle vs. Paraffin, this helps the scent disperse faster, but also helps to get a more potent scent. So to sum it up, Soy burns cooler and longer!

 Paraffin candle wax is made from the residue leftover from refining, in other words it is the gray/black sludge that remains after refining a barrel of crude oil. Here are some reasons you should avoid Paraffin candles:

· Paraffin has been documented to contain 11 harmful carcinogens, 2 of which are toxic.
· The soot from Paraffin candles has been shown to be as harmful as 2nd hand smoke from tobacco.
· Paraffin pollutes indoor air quality.
· Many paraffin candles still contain lead wicks. A candle with a lead-core wick releases five times the amount of lead considered hazardous for children and exceeds EPA pollution standards for outdoor air. Exposure to these levels of lead has been linked to hormone disruption, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and numerous health problems.
· The American Lung Association notes on its website that if paraffin candles are used frequently enough it can create fine
particle pollution.
· Paraffin candles tend to burn hotter than soy candles, and can therefore pose a greater risk of fire.
· The fumes of the burning paraffin contained trace amounts of formaldehyde.

Make sure you know what you are burning in your home around your family and children! Take care of them and avoid adding additional toxins in your home by using Paraffin candles. Soy candles or even Beeswax candles are the natural, safe alternative. To reduce soot, no matter what kind of wicks are in your candles, trim wicks to 1¼ inch, and do not burn candles near a draft.

Live Love Dew hand makes safe and natural soy candles and tarts locally in Ohio just for you!  What are your favorite candle scents?