After a hectic day, all we want is a little bit of warmth and a cozy atmosphere to relax at night. At this moment, candles play a vital role in rekindling our energy and joy. But to enjoy this feeling, we are disappointing the environment by using wax-made candles. In this case, soy and beeswax candles come with all eco-friendly features.
As they are the most popular among all, we will discuss the difference between soy vs beeswax candles here. The main difference between them is paraffin content, scant, color, chemical processing, light spectrum, etc. let’s go in-depth comparison to find out the best-suited candles.
Soy Vs Beeswax Candles: What’s the Difference?
To know the absolute comparison between soy vs beeswax candles, you can see the following comparison. Here, we share the in-depth differences between these two candles.
What Is?
Soy:
In all households, soy is a popular element as people use it as vegetable oil. Soy wax is generally formed from the soy plant. In 1996 a group of students from Purdue University turned soy into oil.
After that, hydrogenating the oil, they made wax then created candles out of this wax. The hydrogenation process saturated the fatty acid and helped the wax to attain a higher melting point.
Beeswax Candles:
As the name refers, beeswax is made by excreting the glands from the bee’s body. It is estimated that to collect enough nectar, bees fly about 1,50,000 miles. With this amount of nectar, only a pound of wax can be made. Compared to other vegan candles, beeswax is very uncommon, which ultimately tags to a higher price.
Beekeepers can only collect 1 pound of wax from 100 pounds of honey. Then they store that honey and protect the larva. This wax includes fatty acid and long-chain alcohols. Depending on the purity and location, the color shade differs between white, brown, and more. BEESWAX CANDLES is not vegan, but these waxes are 100% natural.
Environmental Impact
Soy:
Soy candles are slightly linked to deforestation as the production of soybeans requires forests to be tilled. Besides that, compared with paraffin this candle produces 90% less soot which brings down the indoor air pollution. They are non-carcinogenic, cause less carbon footprint, biodegradable, and more sustainable for the environment.
Beeswax Candles:
Beeswax is highly environment friendly as they come with non-hazardous, all-natural, non-carcinogenic, biodegradable materials. They keep the indoor air clean because they don’t generate any soot. The best thing is beeswax is paraffin-free. Instead of causing any danger to the environment, actually, beeswax helps the environment by promoting natural products.
Color
Soy:
As soy wax is naturally opaque, by adding color, it can be tinted. There are three types of dyes that are compatible with soy wax. These dyers are blocks, chips, and liquid dyes. When color is added, it looks so appealing, but those dyes can be dangerous.
Beeswax Candles:
Beeswax color varies from creamy white, dark brown, orange, pink, and bright yellow. This color range differs because bees forage different types of flowers. Also, it depends on the wax filtration, storage condition, and bees race.
Actually, the real color seems like white. When the wax glands mix with pollen and propolis, it turns into a well-known golden color. This is when the different wax colors appear.
Chemical Processing
Soy:
Before offering the soy wax for sale, they go through several chemical treatments. The making process of soy wax from oil requires bleaching and deodorization. To make the wax solid, they blended with a little bit of paraffin and stearic acid. Fragrance oil, paraffin, bleach, and dyes all these things are toxic chemicals that are harmful.
Beeswax Candles:
Fortunately, beeswax is entirely free from chemicals. The only ingredient used to make this candle is 100% pure beeswax. It is a dense material that comes with a natural scent like honey and beautiful eye-soothing color.
Light Spectrum
Soy:
It’s essential to consider the candle’s flame type while buying them. Soy wax candles produce a cool white-toned flame.
Beeswax Candles:
These candles emit a natural toned flame light just like the sun. Therefore, the flames of beeswax are brighter and warmer than soy candles.
Candle Life
Soy:
Paraffin makes soy wax candles burn for long hours. Soy wax candles even can burn in the cooler temperature to provide essential warmth.
Beeswax Candles:
Beeswax comes with denser material that can significantly burn longer than paraffin candles. For example, a 3×6 beeswax candle can burn more than 110 hours. Whereas a same-sized paraffin candle will burn for only 60 hours.
Cost
Soy:
Candles with paraffin always cost less, like soy wax candles. So, if your budget is tight, you can go for soy wax. But remember, you will get what you paid for.
Beeswax Candles:
They are rarer than the other paraffin and soy candles. Bees can produce only 1 pound of beeswax after consuming about 100 pounds of honey. So the production costs much higher than the other candles. But the price is worth it with the long-lasting burning capacity, all-natural, and safe ingredients.
Uses
Soy:
Being candles, the using process doesn’t have much difference. However, soy wax works best for cooler areas.
Beeswax Candles:
In the case of effectiveness, the beeswax will definitely win. They can lit in any weather. The high melting point makes these candles burn in any atmosphere effectively.
Soy Vs Beeswax Candles: Which One Is Safer and Better?
Soy and beeswax candles offer several similar advantages. But, in some aspects, one passed the other. For example, if cost is a big factor for you, then soy candles have the highest chance. In contrast, beeswax is 100% natural and safest among all that comes with the sweetest aroma.
This candle will fill your home with a pure pleasant aroma and provide a cozy atmosphere. Beeswax is perfect for any weather and can effectively clean the air. When it comes to environmental impacts, the beeswax will be the clear winner.
Conclusion
After this detailed analysis of soy vs beeswax candles, the result is actually clear. Beeswax wins by a large margin in terms of environmental impacts. Its all-natural feature is safe for the people as well as the air.
It can burn longer and produce a sweeter natural fragrance. Soy wax which contains some paraffin is still better than other candles. In the end, we can say that both are better choices than the paraffin candles.