What Are the Health Benefits of Soy Candles?

You may be wondering what health benefits have to do with your home based candle business. One of the first things you'll need to decide is what type of candles to sell. Up until about 15 years ago this wouldn't have even been a question you needed to ask because pretty much the only choice was paraffin candles. So whether you're making your own candles, or selling candles that you buy at wholesale, you do have a choice of what type of candle you'll market. I hope this will help you to make the decision that's right for you.

Paraffin candles are made of petroleum-based by products, which are a limited resource. Have you ever noticed the black residue around the edges of your paraffin jar candles? That's soot, and it contains carcinogenic (cancer-causing) particles.

It's not just an unsightly mess on your candle - that soot is also rising into your room air and depositing itself on your walls, your ceilings and your furniture fabrics. And of course, if the soot is on your walls and in your room air, it also is breathed into your lungs.

If you have asthma, like I do, or allergies, then you may not have even been able to burn paraffin candles in your home. That pervasive soot with all of its dangerous petro-chemicals can really aggravate allergies or asthma, making it very hard to breathe. As a die-hard candle lover, I really was missing the atmosphere and ambience of scented candles because the side-effects just weren't worth it to me.

This is where the health benefits of soy candles really become apparent. Because soy wax (and other vegetable waxes) is 100% natural and biodegradable, it burns much cleaner than regular paraffin wax candles - 95% cleaner. You'll still see a little bit of smoke released when you blow out your candles (which is why it's better to extinguish your candles with a wick-dipper) but you'll notice right away that the smoke isn't black, it's white!

That's because it doesn't contain petro-chemicals and carcinogens. The soy jar candles that I burn remain totally clean from the time I light them to the very bottom of the jar - no black soot! My walls stay clean, my ceilings stay clean, my furniture stays clean and best of all my lungs stay clean!

Paraffin candles are still often unfortunately made with lead wicks. That lead is also released into your atmosphere, and can cause a whole other host of health issues, including neurological problems. Since soy candle makers are often by nature more environmentally conscious, they tend to use lead-free wicks, usually cotton, which adds to the health benefits of soy candles.

And last, but certainly not least, burning paraffin candles ultimately benefits the oil companies. Burning soy candles benefits American farmers, who grow the soybeans to produce the soy oil from which the soy wax is made. 100% renewable! The health benefits of soy candles aren't only for those of us who burn them!

So, as you fine-tune your candle business, weigh the pros and cons of each type of candle and decide what your best course of action is. Whichever type of candle you decide to sell, you'll know that you've made an informed decision!

Or, go back to About Soy Candles.

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