Candle Club 101

100% Soy Wax

We at Scented Company are proud to craft our candles using only 100% natural soy wax.  Early in the research phase for this business, we were surprised to learn that candle manufacturers are not legally obligated to disclose their ingredients, but we are held to Truth in Advertising laws—meaning that if we say something is or isn’t in there, we need to be telling the truth. You may notice that many companies accomplish this by using terms like “soy blend” or “parasoy”. This is to let consumers know that their wax may be largely, or even mostly, soy-based, but that additives are included that may be easier to dye or cheaper to scent. Some may use additives to correct some “flaws” associated with soy wax, like natural frosting, which we will come back to. Be assured that when we say we use 100% natural soy wax, we mean that. Now let’s discuss why.

A common consumer complaint regarding paraffin candles is that they tend to lose fragrance overtime—finishing with a much weaker scent experience than when they are first lit. Natural soy wax binds slower but stronger.

Scented Company

Soy wax is vegetable-derived. It is eco-friendly and more sustainable for this reason. Compare this to the industry leader for generations—paraffin, which is sourced from petroleum. Soy wax burns cleaner and emits little to no toxic soot (what little it does is emit is related to other factors, like wick choice, fragrance, container, or color).  Paraffin has been found to emit carcinogens when burned. Soy wax also burns up to 50% slower than paraffin and more completely—leaving little waste at the bottom of your container. 

Heralded as an inexpensive and easy product to work with, paraffin binds to fragrances VERY easily, dries smoothly, and is easy to dye. It hasn’t been around for so long for no reason. However, the fact that it does bind so easily is a sign that it also does not bind very strongly. A common consumer complaint regarding paraffin candles is that they tend to lose fragrance overtime—finishing with a much weaker scent experience than when they are first lit. Natural soy wax binds slower but stronger so that a fully cured soy wax candle will give a consistent hot throw. Your fragrance will be as lovely at the last burn as it was at the start. Soy wax also takes easier to essential oils, ensuring even more clean-burning features of your finished product.

Now let’s talk about the frosting. Aesthetics are important when it comes to home décor. Of course, we all love a smooth and unblemished candle surface. While soy wax comes with many appreciable benefits, one drawback for many consumers and candle makers is that it can cool and dry into a rough surface appearance after burning. This is called frosting. It is 100% natural and a good tell-tale sign that your candle is, indeed, made of pure soy wax. The good news is that frosting has no impact whatsoever on the functioning of your candle, and often remedies itself upon repeated burns. 

So… there you have it. We did the research and weighed the pros and cons. Ultimately the positives associated with pure soy wax won us over. We hope it will make a believer out of you, too.