Enlightened About Soy Candles

by Jim Therriault

August 31, 2012

With the daylight hours waning and the nights getting cooler, my favorite season is approaching. There’s nothing quite like autumn in New England. The air is refreshing, the sky is deep blue, and Mother Nature puts on a breath-taking spectacle of vibrant foliage. I think the best thing about the season is the wonderful smell of fresh-picked apples, pumpkins, and the aromas of baked goods made from the harvest.

The heavenly fragrances of crisp McIntosh Apples, Pumpkin Soufflé, Amish Harvest, and many other mouthwatering combinations are just a few of the best-selling varieties of CT River soy candles I stock in my store. Naturally, it’s the fragrances that sell the candles; however, it’s the unique benefits of soy wax that make them increasingly popular…

Health Benefits of Soy Candles
According to air quality experts, traditional paraffin candles contain eleven carcinogenic compounds! These toxins, similar to those found in second hand cigarette smoke, are caused by petroleum by-products and chemicals that are used to produce paraffin wax. CT River’s scented soy candles are handcrafted with wax made from organic soy beans. Burning soy candles does not emit dangerous toxins, making them a healthier choice.

Environmental Benefits of Soy Candles
By using soy candles instead of the paraffin wax variety, you are selecting a much more environmentally conscious product. Organic soy beans are a renewable resource, and the wax in soy candles is completely biodegradable, leaving a lower carbon footprint than paraffin.

Economic Benefits of Soy Candles
Soy candles have been proven to burn cleaner and last longer. This means no messy soot build-up on walls or ceilings. Plus, a longer lasting candle does not need to be replaced as often, saving you money in the long run.

I’ll admit my wife and I are recent converts to soy wax candles. I wish we were more aware of them a few years back when our region experienced a devastating ice storm that took down utility lines and left us without power for two weeks in December.

We burned lots of candles during those cold dark evenings, and when it came time for spring cleaning we were surprised by how much black residue there was on everything in the house. Now we only burn soy wax candles, and we’ve convinced friends and family to make the switch as well.

As I mentioned, my customers are attracted to CT River soy candles for their rich (but never overpowering) fragrances, and the advantages of soy wax candles more than justify their price. I always give people who are trying these candles for the first time a few pointers to get the most enjoyment from their CT River candles…

For maximum burn time over the life of the candle, each time you light it let it burn for one hour per inch of candle diameter. This melts the wax all the way across the top of the candle, allowing the wax to burn down evenly and avoid build-up on the inside of the jar. For longer burn times, extinguish after four hours and relight once the wax has solidified.

If the wax is not burning down evenly, after blowing out the flame simply scrape the excess softened wax on the inside of jar with a utensil and push it into the liquefied pool of wax. Keeping the wick trimmed to ¼-inch maintains an optimum flame that burns the wax more efficiently and minimizes any smoke. Always trim the wick before lighting so you can remove the foreign from the pure soy wax.

As with all candles, be sure to follow all safe-burning practices and never leave a lit candle unattended. Besides, why would you not want to be close by to enjoy the wonderful aroma and flickering flame of a CT River soy candle?

Buy Fall Scented Soy Candles