Saturday, February 19, 2011

The Benefits Of Soy Pillar Candles

By Devin Krushanya


Since the invention of soy wax in 1992 by Michael Richards, it has grown exponentially in popularity. Soy wax is a cleaner alternative to paraffin wax which is a byproduct of petroleum. Before 1992, the only alternative to paraffin was beeswax.

Beeswax is very expensive. Wax made from soy can be up to ten times cheaper and many also think it performs better. Soon following soy jar candles was the soy pillar candle. However, many people are not aware that soy pillar candles are not made from pure soy wax. Pure soy pillar candles simply do not exist.

These days however, since soy pillar candles have become very popular; the majorities of the soy wax blends that are being used contain soy wax and other botanical oils and do not contain petroleum based products. Be careful though, and make sure your soy candles do not contain paraffin.

A good example of a soy wax that performs well when used to make soy pillar candles is EcoSoya PB. This wax contains a vast majority of soy wax and other carefully chosen botanical oils so the wax will keep its shape.

When it comes to health benefits, it's really quite simple. Soy wax produces no petroleum based soot. Have you ever burned a paraffin jar candle? If you have, you've noticed that when the candle has burned down, the interior of the jar is left with a nasty black residue. Now imagine this residue being deposited in your lungs.

This is the main reason why on the bottom of your candle, it always says; make sure to burn in a well ventilated area. If the air is not being circulated, you will end up with soot in your lungs, not to mention on your walls and ceiling.

It is thought by most health professionals that burning petroleum based products will release carcinogens into the air which can be very harmful to humans. Soy wax is not petroleum based and therefore does not release petro-carbon soot into the air. Though some people will argue against the nasty rumors about paraffin, it's irrefutable that soy wax is indeed a healthier alternative.

Now, just to be clear, soy wax does produce white soot while paraffin produces black, petro-carbon based soot. Either way, you should always burn your candles in a well ventilated area, whether they are soy pillar candles or paraffin candles.

Evidence can be sited both for and against soy and paraffin based candles, and obviously this article is meant to point out possible health benefits of soy. There is a plethora of information making cases for either side. If health is a primary concern for you, I suggest that you do your own research and come to your own conclusions to determine the possible health benefits of soy as opposed to the possible harmful effects of paraffin.




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