Soy Facts, What You Need To Know About Soy
Soy candles are made from soy wax, which is hydrogenated soybean oil. Soy wax was invented in 1991 by Michael Richards who was looking for a cheaper alternative to beeswax. As he entered the candle industry he realized there was a growing demand for natural wax candles.
Soy wax is often mixed with fragrances to produce scented soy candles. They are available in supermarkets and specialized stores and can also be bought online.
History Of Soy Wax
Soy wax is quite a recent invention. It was only in 1991, when Michael Richards, when looking for a cheaper alternative for beeswax, that he developed soy wax. There was a big demand for natural wax candles, but beeswax was about 10 times more expensive than paraffin. As he entered the candle industry with beeswax products he realized there was a growing demand....... Read More.
Soy Wax Production
Soy wax is produced from soybean oil but may contain other non-soy ingredients. Soybean oil is separated from the solid components by solvent extraction or by mechanical pressing. This raw oil will be further refined and bleached. About 60 kg of soybeans are required to produce 10 kg of soybean oil. The soy solids, which remain after oil extraction....... Read More.
Candles and Soot Formation
We can find only one scientific study comparing the burning characteristics of soy candles with those of paraffin and beeswax candles. This study - Combustion Characteristics of Candles Made from Hydrogenated Soybean Oil - was carried out by Karamatollah Rezaei and his colleagues and published in....... Read More.
Links, Documents and Other Useful Information
A Material Safety Data Sheet from Science Stuff showing household paraffin wax as releasing toxins. NOTE: "Section 11 Additional Information"....... Read More.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database shows Paraffin Wax fume can cause one of the following, "Irritation eyes, skin, respiratory system; discomfort, nausea"....... Read More.
Environment, Health and Safety Online states, "If the light colored fabrics in your home begin to look rather dingy or gray, if plastic items in the house begin to accumulate a dark film, if your electronic equipment has discolorations especially around vents (ie. computers, disc drives, etc...), if the television or computer monitor screen is covered with a thin dark residue that wipes off with a clean cloth (this film will appear darker than regular household dust on a clean cloth) you could have an IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) problem resulting from candle soot."....... Read More.
MassageTherapy.com has an article about paraffin candles which states, "David Kraus, an air quality engineer and former employee of the Florida Department of Health, says that paraffin candle soot is similar to that released by diesel fuel"........ Read More.
The NASA Explores web site reads, "Research and testing, however, are showing that paraffin--the material used in common candles--has excellent potential for use as a rocket fuel"....... Read More.
USA Today article about soy candles and the stars. "LOS ANGELES — Celebrities are hot for soybean wax candles. They like the scents and the fact that the candles are environmentally correct."....... Read More.
LEAD Action News writes, "The possible impacts on public health from consumer use of scented candles may include increased risk of cancer, neurological and behavioral deficits and acute aggravation of existing respiratory diseases such as asthma."........ Read More.
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