Choices, choices, choices. With so many options in the world how do you know which one is right for you ? There is a similar story with making candles. At Amliin we want to give our best and justify every decision we take. We want the best quality, amazing fragrance and an overall relaxing experience from the candle. But to make the perfect candle we needed to choose the perfect wax!
Anyone who is obsessed with candles knows that not all candles are alike and the difference is not just in the fragrances. A major portion of how a candle turns out depends on the basic and the most important ingredient – the wax!
Wax is the basis of any candle and it is highly important that the right kind of wax is chosen to make the candle. The wax in use can change everything, from fragrance throw to burn time.
What is a Paraffin Wax and Soy Wax?
Paraffin Wax
Paraffin wax was first created in 1830 by German chemist Karl Von when he attempted to develop a method to efficiently separate and refine waxy substances naturally occurring in petroleum. Paraffin represented a major advance in the candle making industry, because it burned cleanly and was cheaper to manufacture than other candle fuels. Paraffin wax initially suffered from a low melting point.
Soy Wax
Soy wax is a vegetable wax made from the oil of soybeans. After harvesting, the beans are cleaned, cracked, de-hulled, and rolled into flakes. The oil is then extracted from the flakes and hydrogenated.
For the longest time paraffin wax was the go to for candle making. Now there are multiple kinds of waxes available in the market for candle making and our personal favorite for our current collection is SOY WAX.
Benefits of Paraffin Wax
Both kinds of waxes have their pros and cons and it is imperative that we weigh the benefits of both before concluding which type of wax is suitable for us.
- Paraffin is a much cheaper raw material which would lower our cost of production.
- Paraffin also smells divine right at the beginning as you light it up because it’s less dense and melts quicker so the fragrance disperses quicker. This gives an overall better experience with the fragrance play of the candle.
Why AMLIIN prefers Soy Wax?
We can come up with multiple reasons as to why we at Amliin prefer soy wax to any other kind of wax and we would love to walk you through some of the reasons as to why we love soy wax so much for the candles we are making now !
1. ALL NATURAL
The first and most obvious reason is that soy wax is all natural.
It is made from soybeans which is a natural ingredient. After gathering, the soybeans are washed, split, de-hulled, and made into flakes. The oil is then removed and processed from the grains. Most unsaturated fats in the oil are converted to saturate during the hydrogenation stage. This procedure drastically lowers the oil’s melting range, causing it to solidify at ambient temperature. On the other hand, paraffin wax is made from crude oil. Paraffin wax is a byproduct of the oil purification process. Through a dewaxing process that crude oil undergoes, paraffin wax is derived and is then processed further for use in products. Soy wax is more sustainable for the environment as more soy can always be grown but crude oil is not a renewable resource.
2.BURN TIME
The second and the most important reason is that soy wax burns way longer than paraffin wax. There are many reasons on which the burn time of a candle depends, like the type and length of the wick but mostly it depends on the type of wax used. Keeping all other factors constant, soy wax candles burn almost 40 percent more than normal paraffin wax candles. This is because soy wax has a lower melting point, making it a cooler burning temperature than paraffin wax.
3.FRAGRANCE THROW
Another important reason for Amliin to choose soy wax was the fragrance throw. What is a fragrance throw you ask? Fragrance throw refers to how faint or strong the fragrance flows through the air, and how much it permeates a space.
When we buy a fragranced candle, we want to light it for the fragrance. Everyone has a personal favorite fragrance that they connect with. So to enjoy the fragrance wholly a good throw of fragrance is required.
The initial throw from paraffin is stronger as soy wax is denser and hence takes more time to release the fragrance. But once the wax has heated up, the fragrance thrown from soy wax is just as good.
Soy wax has a lower melting point than paraffin wax and because of this, soy candles will burn slower and longer than paraffin candles. Oils evaporate better from a larger surface area and with the lower heat and larger melt pool soy wax creates a scent that will be much stronger and more pleasant. Therefore it burns cleaner and smoother and hence has a much better fragrance flow overall.
4.KID AND PET FRIENDLY
One other reason to fall in love with soy wax is that it is KIDS and PET FRIENDLY!
You can now light up your favorite candle without worrying about whether it’s safe for your kids and furry friends.
Soy is an absolutely clean wax as it is naturally sourced. Other types of wax often contain chemical fragrances (which some find that they induce headaches) and scent boosters. Soy wax is also not allergenic.
5.WHAT ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?
When we burn candles for our own well being, we also need to care about the well being of the environment. Soy wax being a renewable source is much easier on the planet’s overall health. It doesn’t strip the earth of its natural resources. It is always better to choose renewable and replenish-able resources. This helps Amliin to justify our responsibility towards the world.
Our Conclusion
When we tried to conclude we realized both soy and paraffin had their pros and cons.
The word Amliin means pure in Sanskrit. We stand for purity and hence the choice of the kind of wax we needed to make our candles was an absolute no brainer for us. On the basis of the points talked about above, we at Amliin wanted to choose soy wax instead of paraffin wax for our current collections !
If you love clean and natural products and want to do your part for the environment while taking care of your mental well being and also being considerate towards kids and our furry friends, then our candles are the perfect fit for you.
These go perfectly in your home, office and any other personal place. Change your mood with a candle from Amliin. We promise you’ll love it.
It’s the perfect gift for your friends, family and even for yourself. After all selfcare is self love.
So go clean and choose soy wax candles from Amliin !
