Notes & Tips About Soy Wax
Just a few notes regarding the characteristics and care of soy wax...
All wax is not all the same!
* Soy wax is comprised of simply soybeans. It 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.
The hydrogenation process converts some of the fatty acids in the oil from unsaturated to saturated. This process dramatically alters the melting point of the oil, making it a solid at room temperature. The leftover bean husks are commonly used as animal feed.
The U.S. grows the vast majority of the world's soy beans, primarily in Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.
* Soy's greatest advantage is that it is completely renewable. While the global reserves of oil shrink and paraffin prices increase, the only limit to the soy supply is how much farmers choose to grow.
In addition to sustainability, a well-made soy candle will burn cleanly and slowly. While the performance and beauty of soy candles speak for themselves, soy wax is truly a candle lovers dream!
* Characteristics of a soy candle include a natural creamy presence. Yet over time, the wax can...
-take on a slight, natural hue from the fragrance the candle has incorporated.
-with variations in room temperatures the surface of the candle can appear 'frosty' around the edges or the top may look uneven, it can even look dry. Sometimes called 'bloom', this characteristic is actually the soy wax, or vegetable oil's crystallization back to it's more natural state. It's not drying out even though it may appear that way. This effect does not change the quality of your candle, it's rather a unique process that is distinctive to pure soy wax. This is one reason we try not to overstock our soy inventory and minimize long storage times from production to delivery. Storing your candle out of direct sunlight and ultraviolet light, using a cover or lid, and trying to keep it protected from obvious temperature changes, can all reduce frosting.
-sometimes tiny air bubbles will appear on the surface. Another natural sign of soy, air can get trapped during the production and pouring of the wax into it's container.
-sweating can occur when room temperatures exceed 85 - 90 degrees. Wax will become softer and natural oils may surface on the top in the form of beads.
These are all natural characteristics of soy and your indication that your candle is made with 100% soy wax.
* Please see our 'Candle Care' tips for information on the following:
-Burning a candle for the first time
-Mushrooming 
-Smoking
-Soot around container
-Wax residue on side of container
-Storage
Candle Tip for the age old problem of 'Tunneling'...
Tunneling in candles is the process of the wick burning straight down the center of the candle forming a tunnel. As the wick and flame get deeper and deeper, the flame runs out of oxygen and will no longer stay lit, pretty much making the candle useless at that point.
But there is hope!
Assuming that the candle manufacturer made the candle correctly using the proper wick size in relevance to the wax, scent and container size the problem can be fixed or avoided.
1. When first lighting your new candle, be sure to let the candle burn an hour for every inch of diameter. So if your candle is 3 inches across or in diameter, let the candle burn for approximately 3 hours before extinguishing it the first time, and pretty much every time you burn it. This process will help the wax pool extend to the edge of the container each time.
2. If your candle has already formed a tunnel and you want to fix it, all you need to do once the wax has cooled, is take a spoon and gently remove the excess wax all the way down to the base of the wick. Remove the wax evenly across the entire surface of the candle creating a new surface. Then re-light the wick and continue using your candle. Be sure to let the the new wax pool form across the surface by letting it burn approximately one hour for each inch of diameter of the container. As long as the candle was made with the appropriate wick size this procedure should fix the problem.
That's it!
