What Kind Of Wax Does TyPark Use?

A question we get a lot is,   “What kind of wax do you use for your candles?”  More often than not it is phrased in this manner, “Are your candles soy wax?”

    

We have nothing to hide, and fear no question about our product so we don’t mind the question, but the direct and simple response, “We use a soy-paraffin blend.”, we fear is not really getting at the root of the question.   So I wanted to elaborate.

What is the root of this question?  Well as best I can tell there is a theme or idea in the general public and neo-candle making world that soy wax is somehow the best wax.  Best wax for what you might ask. 

• Most would respond it is natural, since it is made from a plant, the soybean and hence better
• Some will respond it is cleaner, as in it doesn’t smoke   
• Others may even go so far as to state it is more ecologically friendly since it doesn’t come from crude oil

The reality, of these often stated reasons for soy wax’s superiority are just plan and simply wrong.  I don’t want to turn this into a research thesis and bore you to death so here are some quick facts about candle waxes straight from the association that represents the candle industry, who don’t have any need to be biased about what kind of wax is used in a candle: http://candles.org/elements-of-a-candle/wax/

CANDLE WAX FACTS

• All waxes are primarily hydrocarbons, whether the wax is of animal, vegetable, or petroleum origin. The chemical composition of all waxes used for candle-making is similar, and all candle waxes burn in the same manner.
•  Paraffin is the most commonly used candle wax today. Beeswax, soy wax, palm wax, gels, and synthesized waxes are also used in candle-making for the U.S. market, as are blends of waxes.
• No specific type of wax or wax blend is considered “best” for candle making. All candle waxes – when provided in high-quality format – have been shown to burn cleanly, safely and in the same manner.
• No candle wax has ever been shown to be toxic or harmful to human health.
• There is no such thing as a soot-free wax. All organic compounds when burned will emit some carbon (soot) due to incomplete combustion. Sooting is primarily a factor of wick length and flame disturbance.
• Reputable candle manufacturers use only high-quality waxes in their formulations.

My two cents on the "ecologically friendly" reason.  My qualifications to speak to this point is I graduated with an Ag Econ degree. Soybeans are grown, they use a lot of chemicals and fuel in farming.  All of which come from crude oil.  Additionally, soybeans are crushed and used for a lot of things, mainly food for live stock and directly in our food.  If  you divert that which is grown from being used as food it only means you are using more deforested land, more chemicals and more fuel to replace what could of been used as foodstuff.  So I'm not quite sure there is much of  an "ecology friendly" foot to stand on when you get down to the root of the matter.

We Saw the Light – So To Speak

We used to do pure soy candles, now we use a paraffin-soy wax blend, because it is the best for our customers and what we’ve learned works the best to meet some specific needs.

Best for Retail Environment – Faster Product Turn Around

Being that we are primarily a wholesale candle company the candles we make will spend the beginning of their life on a shelf in a retailer’s store.  Although it is our dream that these candles will spend a very short period of time here the reality is we don’t know.   What we’ve seen is that over time a pure soy wax candle tends to discolor, starts to crack and generally don’t look appealing to the end consumer.  Basically, pure soy doesn’t sell as fast.

Best for Wineries - Less Shelf Smell

Scented candles have fragrance oils added to them during the pouring stage.   A well made candle has this scent evenly distributed throughout the wax and candle.    The fragrance is captured in the wax as it cools/dries and should only be released again when the wax is heated.  We have found that a paraffin-soy blend wax holds the oils better than a pure soy candle, which over time will lose its scent, a type of evaporation called cold throw, while waiting on a shelf in a store.  For the latter reason a lot of candles made with pure soy over compensate with more scent oils causing the candle to overpower a store space just sitting on the shelf and evaporating.  The paraffin-soy blend provides a really important benefit for our winery customers who don’t want the tasting room air polluted.

Best for Customers – The Scent Throw

I’ve touched on this in earlier blog post.  Candles 
really should not have an overwhelming scent ever, but especially if they are not lit.  It is the process of heating the fragrance oils that release the scent.  The throw is the ability of the candle to cast its scent broadly.   We’ve found that a paraffin-soy blend works best for this creating a favorable experience for the end user.  We are told often this is why people seek out our candles as repeat purchases.   I’m sure this again is a function of the wax’s ability to hold the fragrance oils in suspension, and paraffin does way better at this than soy.

Don't Judge A Candle By Its Wax

Yes, this was long, but I hope you got to this point and recognize you should not judge our candles off misinformation and assumptions.  If we thought pure soy was better we'd be using it.  We are not in the business to cater to fades or gimmicks, we are in the business to help you make money and for people to have an enjoyable experience with our candles.

If you would like to offer Good Looking, Awesome Smelling and Great Selling candles to your customers please call us at 404.538.4907 or email David@TyParkCandles.com.  We offer many scents, seasonal and regular.