Candles and home fragrance are a perfect way to add a feeling of happiness and wellbeing to our home and lives. But when it comes to finding the most natural, clean burning and non-toxic candles for our homes, the amount of information out there can be overwhelming. It’s not always clear what you’re buying from certain retailers. But when it comes to purchasing PartyLite quality candles, the quality is clear. That’s what makes PartyLite a transparent and trustworthy choice, whether you’re opting for our core premium wax or a natural soy option. We’ve spent decades as the leading candle experts, so let us help you navigate all you need to know to choose the right candle.
Here we’ll talk all about the differences between soy wax and paraffin, what makes a candle qualify as vegan, and the differences between various natural candles on the market. Enabling you to make an informed choice that suits your needs. We’ll also clue you in on why we use a natural paraffin blend in our candles, as well as the difference between artificial candle wicks, cotton wicks and wooden wicks.
What is Soy Wax (And is it Vegan)?
First things first, what is soy wax and why are you hearing so much about it? Soy wax candles are made from oils derived from soybeans, a natural plant source meaning they are in fact vegan friendly. To make soy wax, the beans are pressed to extract the oils which are then hydrogenated. This process involves solidifying the oil to make it more consistent and easier to burn thanks to a low melting point. The soybean husks are then often fed back to animals, which makes the process low waste and low on negative environmental impact.
The Benefits of Soy Wax
Soy wax is a biodegradable, environmentally friendly choice for your candle. Because of its low melting point it also burns at a cooler temperature which helps the candles stay lit longer. Soy candles also have a cleaner burn than other types of wax, making them better for the environment.
Renewable
Compared to other natural candles on the market, soy wax is the most renewable variety available. Bayberry wax and coconut wax are all derivatives that are extracted from the earth with no chemicals required, however they are a limited resource, making them extremely expensive to buy. Beeswax is another natural candle, however because it’s an animal by-product, some vegans don’t consider it to be an ethical variety of candle. Palm oil wax also falls under the same umbrella because its extraction is also linked heavily with deforestation. These are both also extremely expensive because of their finite and unrenewable availability. Soy wax is much more affordable when compared to these other wax types because of its renewable factors.
Easy to clean
Soy wax’s low burning temperature also makes it easier to clean up once cooled, especially if it has spilled onto fabrics or tablecloths, compared to other varieties of candle. This low temperature also means that when lit, soy candles create a soft ambience that doesn’t overpower a room. Because it tends to burn evenly, this creates a healthy wax pool around the wick, meaning that more fragrance is released into the home. That makes the wax versatile enough to use in soy tealights, jars, pillars and more.
What is Paraffin Wax?
Paraffin wax is a white or colourless, soft, solid wax derived from petroleum, coal, or shale oil. It is a type of hydrocarbon and is the most commonly used wax for candle-making due to its slow burning quality and the ability to add in colour or fragrance. It is also commonly used in the cosmetics industry. While paraffin wax has been used in candle making for hundreds of years, some people may not be interested in using wax derived from oil.
The Benefits of Paraffin Wax
While soy wax is made from natural resources, paraffin wax is made from crude oil, which means more health- conscious consumers often choose not to use it. However, the fact that the animals and organisms extracted from the earth in the process of making crude oil died millions of years ago means some of these consumers do not subscribe to the idea that oil products are non-vegan, as the animals weren’t killed for its use. It’s a highly personal choice. When it comes to paraffin’s usage in candles, there are some real benefits.
Powerful fragrance
Paraffin wax holds a lot of fragrance, meaning when it’s burned there is a bigger fragrance “throw”. This means that more scent is released when the wick is lit and therefore you get to smell the bottom notes of the candle for longer after it’s stopped burning.
Consistent burn
One of the benefits of paraffin wax is that it has no natural variation when poured. That means your candles burn evenly through every light, forming consistent pools of wax that burn at the same rate. If you’re looking for a more cost-effective blend, this might make paraffin the right choice for you.
PartyLite Quality Wax Blends
At PartyLite, our signature collection of candles are made with a paraffin or soy wax blend, benefiting from both types of wax in one candle. This combination ensures all our candles have a long, clean burn time and a lower impact on the environment.
We have specially developed our signature blend to be of the best quality, making our candles and wax melts reliable and safer for you and your family. So, when you see PartyLite’s white or colourful wax, it’s most often our signature blend.
The only other wax blend we use is pure soy wax. You’ll see this featured in some of our natural candle collections. These include our BeBalanced and Brighter World ranges. Our Forest Bathing range also features a soy wax blend. We’ll always tell you which candles are made from soy in our product descriptions online.
Whatever blend you choose, every single one of our artisan candles is responsibly made without the questionable ingredients that you may find in other brands. The questionable ingredients that you won't see in our candles are: -:
Parabens: A preservative that can cause cancer and is linked to hormone disruption.
Phthalates: A chemical linked to the cause of asthma and fertility issues.
Sulphates: Derived from environmentally destructive petrol or palm oil, can cause skin, eye, and lung irritation.
Dyes: Many candles on the market are infused with dyes which can release harmful toxins into the air when burned.
Animal derived ingredients: Our products will never be tested on animals or made from animal products.
Choosing the Right Wick
Some brands compromise on candle quality by using synthetic wicks in their candles. We believe this is a big no-no. Synthetic wicks in candles have a negative reputation for several reasons, due to the potential harm they can pose to both the environment and the health of users. Unlike natural wicks such as cotton or wood, synthetic wicks are often made from materials like braided polyester or other synthetic fibres. When these wicks burn, they can release harmful chemicals and toxins into the air, contributing to indoor air pollution.
When you are light synthetic materials they can produce soot, which can stain and discolour candle jars and surrounding surfaces. The environmental impact of synthetic wicks lies in their non-biodegradable nature, creating a lasting, negative impact on the planet.
We believe only natural ingredients should be included in any wick you light. Whether it’s a cotton wick, or a crackling wooden one, no synthetic ingredients are included in our collections. This means no sooty mess, and your natural wick candle will never release harmful toxins when lit.
Both cotton and wooden wicks have their own benefits when it comes to burning candles, which is why PartyLite uses both types. Cotton wicks are braided cotton strands that are dipped in wax and then compressed to hold their shape.
Simply knowing that a brand uses cotton wicks may not be enough. Some cotton wicks are dipped in pure paraffin or metals like zinc or lead to ensure they stay lit, but that causes damaging toxins to be released as they burn, which is why PartyLite will never do that in our artisan candles.
Some cotton wicks are even wrapped around pieces of metal so they can be “self-trimming.” We never do this with our wicks as it can cause a series of harmful effects like soot build-up, increased fire hazard from untended wick ends in your wax, and an uneven burn throughout your candle’s life. We recommend manual trimming on all your candle wicks, keeping things safer for our customers.
Wooden wicks are thin strips of wood made specifically for candles; they create a log fire type crackling sound when burned but take a little more effort to maintain.
Although it’s not recommended to burn candles outdoors unless they’ve specifically been designed to do so, cotton wicks tend to last longer in breezy or windy conditions. It’s not advised that you light a wooden wicked candle outdoors as they’re much more likely to extinguish quickly and more difficult to re-light. We have developed several fragrance forms that are specifically designed for outdoor conditions, so you’ll never need to struggle to enjoy our fragrances everywhere.
When it comes to an eco-friendly choice, wooden wicks tend to be friendlier for the environment as they don’t use as much water in their manufacturing process as compared to cotton wicks.
We hope this information has been informative and will help you in purchasing your next candle. Find your favourite PartyLite candles or décor pieces from our latest collection. Check out all of our soy wax candles, and find out more about our No-No List.